Staff WriterEngland’s stranglehold on the Girls’ & Boys’ Home Internationals shows no sign of loosening, as they claimed the combined title for the fifth consecutive year in Cork, Ireland — and for the second year running, it was Scotland feeling the sting in the final match.
In a finish that mirrored 2024’s drama, England edged out their fierce rivals 4–3 in the foursomes and 9–5 in the singles to seal a 13–8 victory and keep the silverware firmly on their side of the border.
It capped off a week where the girls’ team swept the board with three wins from three to top their leaderboard, while the boys battled hard to finish second behind Scotland.
Dominance in the Emerald Isle
Since the amalgamated format debuted in 2021, England have won all five stagings of the tournament. This year’s title run began with a 13–8 triumph over Wales on Tuesday, followed by a commanding 14.5–6.5 victory over Ireland on Wednesday, before finishing the job against Scotland on Thursday.
“We’re incredibly proud of the team this week,” said Assistant Women’s Performance Manager India Clyburn. “Everyone played their part, with both sides winning important points in some incredibly tight matches.
I played in a few of these when I was coming through the system, and I know how great it feels to win after a long three days of golf.”
Assistant Performance Manager Jamie O’Connor added: “I’m delighted we were able to secure the Home Internationals and I want to thank everyone who played their part.
The women’s team were fantastic this week, and their continued success in this competition is amazing. I would like to congratulate them all on their amazing achievement.
Regarding the boys, I’m incredibly proud of our effort this week, and we’ll take a lot of learnings as a team. It’s been a valuable week.”
Girls’ Team in a League of Their Own
The girls collected 23.5 points out of a possible 27, dominating the singles with 17 wins from 18 matches and dropping just one all week. In the foursomes, they took 6.5 out of 9 points, setting the tone early.
Their streak of Home Internationals titles now stretches to seven in a row since 2016 and 15 wins in the last 16 editions — with only Ireland’s 2016 triumph breaking the sequence.
Standouts included Charlotte Naughton (Longhirst Hall), Annabel Peaford (Walton Heath), and Elizabeth Wilson (Norwood Park), each going a perfect six-for-six across singles and foursomes.
“We wanted to win, but the performances across the board have exceeded expectations,” said Clyburn. “To win 17 out of 18 is a considerable achievement, and everyone deserves the plaudits they receive.”
Boys Battle to the End
For the boys, Alex Boyes was the talisman, going unbeaten with 5.5 points from six matches, including three straight singles wins. He and fellow Teesider Thomas Hartshorne proved a formidable pairing, securing two-and-a-half points from their three foursomes outings.
Squads
Girls: Sadie Adams (Royal Birkdale), Lauren Crump (Hill Valley), Ellie Lichtenhein (The Buckinghamshire), Charlotte Naughton (Longhirst Hall), Annabel Peaford (Walton Heath), Matilde Santilli (Foxhills), Elizabeth Wilson (Norwood Park)
Team Manager: India Clyburn
Lead Coach: John Watson
Boys: Alex Boyes (Teeside), Harry Cox (Welwyn Garden City), Thomas Hartshorne (Teeside), Sam Marshall (St Neots), Aaron Moody (Burhill), Frankie Morton (Orsett), Toby Peters (Thorpe Hall), Ben Sessions (Bishop’s Stortford), Jack Swift (North Foreland)
Team Manager: Jamie O’Connor
Lead Coach: Steven Orr
Final Scores:
For full player bios, visit England Golf’s official site.
