Yet again, the Executioners proved their mettle at the game’s toughest event, the President’s Cup. And, yet again, Guy Matthews proved the worth of his annual tactic: barely playing for 12 months to ensure a good partner and then winning a trophy. This year, he was paired with the Top 10-ranked Ben Beltrami, and the two of them (pictured left with RFA President Bernard Atkinson) went on to win the Mate’s Plate – and our only regret is that they did so by beating Jon Peterson (paired with multiple national champion Hamish Buchanan). Meanwhile, Alex Steel (the only lady to play in this year’s event) partnered another former national doubles champion, Robin Perry, and only lost in the semi-final of the T-Pot, but at least that trophy was won by occasional Executioner Jon Abecassis, partnering Angus Hanton.