The first ever badminton international match

The first ever badminton international match took place in Dublin in 1903 between Ireland and England. A photograph of the two teams is shown in the Gallery.

The match was played in the Earlsfort Terrace Rink on the corner of Earlsfort Terrace and Hatch Street in Dublin. The rink, in fact, was a roller skating rink. Much of the early badminton in Ireland and England was played in such rinks. There had been a roller-skating craze which was on the wane and presumably the owners were glad to find an alternative use. In a later issue we shall display a photo of the Earlsfort Rink.

The 1903 match was the beginning of a series which went on until the 1960s, played in Ireland and England in alternate years. In the early years both countries often had difficulty in putting out full teams on the year the team had to travel. In those days the game was entirely amateur and the expense of travelling often discouraged players from travel. The problem of getting leave of absence from work may also have been a factor. The 1903 match, unfortunately, set one headline - England won and during the whole series Ireland never achieved a solitary victory. In 1939 Ireland had a matchpoint to win 5/4 and on another occasion got into a winning position but was unable to press home its advantage. The size of the game in England was the major factor. At one point there were more players in the joint Lancashire/Cheshire League than in the whole of Ireland.

Ireland played Scotland for the first time in 1910. For many years Ireland was at home to Scotland in the year they were away to England, and vice versa, the international matches being played in conjunction with the home country’s “open” (now “international”) championships.