Winners confirmed for Fireball Junior International Cup and Beach Inter Regional Championships 2026

Played under sunny skies, some excellent volleyball was played in what is one of the highlights of the junior volleyball calendar. 

In the international competition, the England teams were made up of U18 sides in an U20 event, but they nevertheless performed well. 

The men's team was made up of Oscar Bird and Fin Fielder (team one) and Ryan Wartnaby and Albert Ruddick (team two), who won all four of their pool play matches against Ireland, Gibraltar, Northern Ireland and All Stars. 

That automatically booked them a place in the gold medal match, where they met the All Stars, who beat Gibraltar in the semi-final match between second and third. 

Both matches in the final went the full distance, but on each occasion, England came out on top to take home the winners' trophy, while Ireland came through their play-off game with Northern Ireland to then defeat Gibraltar and take third. 

It was a tougher weekend for England women's side of Elsa Lees and Sophia Chedgy (team one) and Molly Meehan and Isobel Towler (team two), who were to eventually finish fourth in their pool and fourth overall. 

They were beaten by Swiss side ZuZu and also Ireland and All Stars, despite winning some of the individual sets and matches. 

But they did overcome Wales in the pool stage and again in the knockouts before losing out to Ireland in the bronze medal match. 

The Inter Regional Championships was no less keenly contested, and it proved to be a fantastic weekend's for the South West Men's sides. 

Their number one team took home the gold medal after winning all of their pool matches, beating their South West 2 teammates in the semis and then London in the final. 

South West 2 recovered to take the silver medal after overcoming North West 1. 

Final placings for all regions were: South West 1 (first); London (second); South West 2 (third); North West (fourth); South East (fifth); East Midlands (sixth); Yorkshire (seventh); West Midlands (eighth); Wales (ninth); North West 1 (10th). 

In the women's section, it was London who continued their dominance after winning both age groups at the indoor Inter Regionals in May. 

They also stayed unbeaten throughout the competition after winning their four pool matches and then beating the West Midlands in the semi-final and the North West in the final.

The West Midlands recovered from their last four disappointment to defeat London 2 to takke home the bronze. 

Final placings for all regions were: London 1 (first); North West (second); West Midlands (third); London 2 (fourth); South West (fifth); South East 1 (sixth); Wales (seventh); South East 2 (eighth); East Midlands (ninth). 

For a full breakdown of results click here. 

Images by Richard Beales (@richardbealesphotography)