Alex began playing Bridge in September 2024, when the School’s Bridge Club was founded. Taught by friends during the club’s early days, he quickly developed a passion for the game and now co-runs the thriving club.
After a year of playing casually, he entered his first major competition, the London Congress, in July 2024. The experience was a challenging one.
“We came dead last and were destroyed in every match we played. But that didn’t get me down – it inspired me.”
Determined to improve, he spent the summer studying bidding systems and card play in depth and in March the following year, he joined the England U21 squad. Under the guidance of England’s coaches, his progress accelerated rapidly.
“It didn’t take long for me to become a much stronger player,” he says. “I went from not being very good to feasibly okay-ish in about two or three months.”
In September, he formed a new partnership with fellow England squad member Holden Clark, and the pair are currently unofficially ranked fourth in the England U21 category.
Most recently, he was selected to represent England at the Peggy Bayer Trophy, held in Prestwick, Scotland, over the February half-term. The Peggy Bayer is the annual U21 international competition between England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. England won the tournament in convincing fashion.
“The atmosphere was super friendly, and I’ve made some real friends there,” he reflects.
“England was clearly the strongest team quite early on, but it was still really exciting to compete in such a prestigious event. It was such a lovely time, and I can’t wait for next year to do it all over again.”
Alex, CLS pupil
The event runs alongside the Junior Camrose (the U26 competition), giving younger players the opportunity to build lasting connections across the home nations. His journey from founding member of CLS’s Bridge Club to England representative in just two years is a testament to enthusiasm, resilience and the power of pupil-led initiatives.
