Padel 22 Durham University Championships set to be the UK’s Largest University Padel Tournament

Durham, UK – 13th November 2024 – The Padel 22 Durham University Championships is set to become the largest-ever university padel tournament in history, when it launches at True Padel Durham on Wednesday, 4th December.

University and student padel has seen a surge in interest since the Summer, as students of the top 10 British Universities geared up for the first year under the new National Universities Padel League (NUPL) system.

What is arguably now the UK’s leading sports university, the University of Durham, has been leading the way with the development of student padel by establishing not only the UK’s largest padel society with over 275 active members but also, remarkably, the University’s largest sports society – all achieved in its debut year and just months after it was founded by visionary Founders, Hal Hornby and James Bonnor-Moris.

This landmark event will feature 80 students competing across three divisions over four hours of court time, making it the largest university padel tournament ever held in the UK. Fueled by a surge in interest during padel’s first official year as a University sport, this is just the start of growth among the nearly three million students across the UK.

Founded in January 2024, Durham University Padel Society has made padel accessible for students, offering affordable memberships and court rates that attract players of all skill levels. "We’re committed to fostering high-level competition and mass participation," shared society co-presidents Hornby and Bonnor-Moris. “By making padel more accessible, we aim to inspire as many students as possible to get on the court.”

Padel 22, which since its inception two years ago, has become the leading promoter of the sport, sees Durham University’s pioneering spirit as a central reason for sponsoring the inaugural event. “We are incredibly impressed with Hal and his team’s innovative work,” said Ben Nichols, Founder CEO of Padel 22. “This sport’s future depends not only on today’s crop of players but, perhaps more importantly, on the padel players of tomorrow, too. We’re proud to align with Durham University Padel Society, the UK’s top university padel club. We support this record-breaking tournament to inspire more young players to pick up a racket.”

As part of its sponsorship, Padel 22 offers Durham students an opportunity to gain hands-on experience in the competitive Sports PR and Marketing sectors. The partnership aligns with Padel 22’s strong commitment to helping students build valuable skills for life beyond university.

With the UK’s padel scene rapidly growing, the Padel 22 Durham University Championships exemplifies how universities can make the sport accessible, competitive, and sustainable for the next generation. This tournament sets a new standard for university-level padel events and highlights the dedication of Durham University Padel Society in expanding the sport’s reach amongst young people.

Ben Nichols, CEO & Founder Padel 22
Email: Ben@padel22.com

Padel 22 is the Global Communications Consultancy dedicated to the New Padel World. Since it was founded in October 2022, Padel 22 has been on a mission to shape the narrative of this exhilarating sport as it expands into new territories, from the UK to USA, Singapore to South Africa and India to Indonesia. From strategic communications and media relations to digital marketing, crisis management, and stakeholder relations, Padel 22 delivers impactful solutions tailored for clubs, organisations, brands, events, leagues and players. Padel 22 is committed to helping clients make their mark in this maverick sport as it grows internationally.