For over 115 years, Rugby Fives has been played at the Manchester YMCA Y Club. It is one of the oldest continuously active sports clubs in Manchester and the only Rugby Fives facility in the entire North West of England. On 23 April 2026, without any prior consultation with players or stakeholders, the Manchester YMCA Board announced that the courts will be permanently closed on 30 June 2026 - to be converted into a cardio and kettlebell space.

Rugby Fives has been played at the Y Club since 1911. It is part of British sporting heritage dating back to the 1800s, has produced generations of national champions (including current Schoolboys titles and multiple veterans winners), and regularly hosts regional and national tournaments. The Fives Club is one of the oldest sports clubs in Manchester.

We are asking the Manchester YMCA Board of Trustees to meet their stated charitable obligations of creating a community of all people, inspired to achieve their true potential  and be happier, healthier and more connected.   We ask them to halt this closure, engage in proper consultation, and explore alternative solutions that serve both the growing membership and the Fives community.

Why this matters:

🏆 A centre of national excellence: The Y Club has produced some of Rugby Fives' greatest champions, including Wayne Enstone (23× National Singles Winner), Clare Knowles (National Women's Singles Champion 1999 - 2012), and the current National Schoolboys U18 Singles Runner-Up. The Y Club team has won the National Club Championship 14 times.

🌍 The last courts in the North West: Closing these courts doesn't just affect current members. It eliminates Rugby Fives entirely from the North West of England, ending a sport with roots in this country going back to the 1800s.

📅 Already confirmed for 2027: The Rugby Fives Association has confirmed the 2027 North West Open Championship and the National Ladies Championship are scheduled to be held here. These events will have nowhere to go.

📊 The usage figures don't tell the full story: The courts were closed for a combined 2 years and 4 months over the last 7 years due to flooding and COVID lockdowns. Usage is still recovering. The courts were closed for 10 months in 2025 due to flooding.  Players are growing. 

🤝 No consultation took place: The Charity Commission's own guidance (CC27: Decision-making for charity trustees) requires trustees to consult stakeholders before making decisions that significantly affect them. This did not happen. The closure was announced as final, with no opportunity for the Fives community to respond, propose alternatives, or present evidence.

💷 Funding conditions may be at risk: The courts were originally built with funding from Sport England and the Rugby Fives Association, potentially subject to conditions. A Freedom of Information request has been submitted to Sport England. Closing the courts without examining these obligations could expose the charity to legal and financial risk.

🎯 This contradicts the YMCA's own mission: Manchester YMCA's stated mission is to make people "Happier, Healthier and More Connected" and to be "not just a gym, but a fitness community." Rugby Fives is a communal sport. Replacing it with solo cardio equipment does the opposite of building community. The charity's own registered objectives include the advancement of amateur sport, gym equipment is not sport.

What we are asking for:

Halt the planned closure of the Rugby Fives Courts pending proper consultation.
Engage meaningfully with the Fives Club, members, and other stakeholders as required by Charity Commission guidance (CC27).
Explore alternative solutions - including multi-use configurations of the courts that could accommodate Fives alongside other activities such as table tennis, racketball, yoga, or Tai Chi.
Review the usage data fairly, accounting for the extended closures caused by flooding and COVID that have artificially suppressed participation figures.
Sign this petition to tell the Manchester YMCA Board that sport, heritage, and community matter and that a decision of this magnitude deserves proper process, not a closed door committee decision.

This petition is supported by the Y Club Rugby Fives Club Committee and members, as well as by the wider Rugby Fives community across the UK.

If you want to send a message directly to the decision makers you can do so here info@ymcamanchester.org.uk .  Every little helps to make a difference.  If are a member of the Y Club please do let them know that you are and what your thoughts are.