WASPA season report but WASPA survey - input needed!

Hello everybody,

We are delighted to present our annual report featuring the highlights, records, rankings, and statistics of the WASPA 2025-2026 season.

Link to the season report: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1W11qbkkx-tb6Mr7BPsgo-kjGHTvd30uU/view?usp=sharing

We also need your input! We would kindly ask you to take a few minutes to complete our WASPA Circuit Survey. Your feedback is extremely valuable and will help us continue to improve and strengthen the WASPA circuit for players, clubs, and organizers around the world.

The survey only takes a few minutes to complete, and every response makes a difference. Your support and contribution are greatly appreciated.

Thank you in advance for helping us shape the future of WASPA!
Link to the survey: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdzY8umGSzJkFtsaIpNtcmyMWF0DwsanXHVHql80YZXI_LwXQ/viewform?usp=preview

This season's report is accompanied by an AI-assisted analysis that helps identify key trends, outstanding performances, and interesting facts from the past year. We hope you find it both enjoyable and informative.

As always, we remain at your disposal for any questions or comments.

Yours in sport,

Vincent

1. A season defined by individual dominance

The standout performer was Jason Christopher, who finished comfortably ahead in both the world and seasonal rankings. His rise to the No. 1 position in July 2026 suggests that the competitive hierarchy is still evolving rather than remaining fixed year after year. 

What we learn: Elite players still make a huge difference, but the rankings show that sustained participation and consistent results across many events are what create separation at the top.

2. Strong clubs create strong players

Solent Subbuteo Club led the club rankings, while other English clubs such as Worthing Fivestar, Yorkshire Phoenix, Dewsbury Moor TFC, and Pedmore TFC also featured prominently. 

What we learn: Success is rarely individual. The highest-ranked players tend to come from active clubs that host events, provide competition, and maintain a strong playing culture.

3. England remains the global powerhouse

England topped the nations rankings by a very large margin, ahead of the Netherlands, Australia, Belgium, and Italy. The gap between England and most nations is substantial.

What we learn: Depth matters more than having a few stars. England's strength comes from a broad base of competitive players and clubs rather than a single dominant champion. 

4. The Netherlands and Australia are the strongest challengers

The Netherlands showed strong momentum through clubs such as MVV Rijnmond, while Australia demonstrated remarkable activity and participation levels. 

What we learn: Nations that combine active club structures with regular tournaments are steadily closing the gap on the traditional powers.5. Youth development predicts future success

The junior statistics are particularly interesting. Club Rebels Genova led the junior club rankings, and Italian and Belgian clubs showed exceptional strength in youth development. 

What we learn: Countries investing in junior programs today are likely to dominate future senior rankings. Italy and Belgium appear especially well positioned for the next generation. 

6. Participation is reaching record levels

The season included more than 400 events across more than 40 nations, with a mix of regional tournaments, promotional events, junior competitions, and traditional formats.

What we learn: The game is expanding geographically and organizationally. Growth is not limited to traditional centres; nations such as Hungary and Serbia are contributing to the spread of WASPA competition. 

7. Organizing events correlates with success

Belgium and England were among the most prolific organizers, while Australia also recorded very high tournament activity. What we learn: There is a strong link between hosting tournaments and producing successful players. The countries that organize the most events tend to generate the most competitive depth.

Most important records and trends

• Jason Christopher became the new world No. 1. 
• Solent Subbuteo Club finished as the leading club. 
• England extended its position as the strongest nation. 
• Club Rebels Genova became the top junior club. 
• International participation reached one of the broadest levels in WASPA history, with over 40 nations involved. 

Overall conclusion

The biggest lesson from the 2025-2026 season is that success is driven by ecosystem strength. The top nations and clubs are not merely producing individual champions; they are creating regular competitions, developing juniors, and maintaining active communities. The statistics suggest that England is currently the benchmark, but the Netherlands, Australia, Belgium, and Italy are building the depth and youth structures needed to challenge that dominance in future seasons. 

WASPA rankings as per July 2026

Dear friends,

WASPA rankings as per July 2026 are now available. We added 29 regional tournaments, 5 tournaments played with old rules and 1 promotional tournament in the records!

Links to the files:
PDF file: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1K2fk4r1tDOPA4d6e955tUpPIWrgBLcz0/view?usp=sharing
Excel file: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vTViTDe2s3RtACKT6X8GFzjqDw_80LQ2PDaORbs2sJj2AG_hTjrHS-sncZHIkie-Q/pub?output=xlsx

Latest Hipfingerz tournament in Sydney

Some highlights of the month:
- we had interesting tournaments during FISTF events in Bristol and Haverhill;
- Finchampstead Subbuteo Club is a new entry in the ranking of clubs and we already know there will be another new entry next month;
- Western Sydney Subbuteo sent us late results but we are pleased to see the club doing well with many local events;
- we had events in England, Australia, Italy, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Wales and South Africa.
- South Africa event held a tournament played with the old rules!
- England hosted 18 tournaments in July, confirming its position as by far the most active Subbuteo nation in the WASPA circuit!
- Austria's Alfred Strommer managed to win a WASPA tournament in England!
- the old rules tournament in Brescia, Italy had a new record of 32 entries!

We enter the last month of the WASPA season. All eyes are now on the different rankings to see what changes are still possible. Will Jason Christopher remain Open number 1 player? Jason has a strong lead in the Season ranking so it will be hard to beat him. Tommaso Sani and Samuele Bignardi are the solid leaders of the Junior ranking and both players are strong representatives of the Rebels Genova! Australia is now runner-up in the Nations Ranking!
We already know the winners of the various club rankings: Solent Subbuteo Club (Top Clubs), Morecambe Bay SC (Development League), MVV Rijnmond (Conference League). The best Junior club will certainly be from Italy!

Alfred Strommer's visit in Bristol

Don't hesitate to send your WASPA results by e-mail to vincentcoppenolle@gmail.com

Extra news: we would like to recommend the Youtube link to Subbrewteo at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vWC2JgOHMco -> the final episode features a lot of Subbuteo people and we are sure you will like it!

Amazing venue in Brescia, Italy

Can I ask you a favour?
It's really important that WASPA players sometimes check the news on the WASPA Facebook group and page because otherwise algorithms will never show you WASPA news anymore.
If you have a second, please watch:
- visit the WASPA Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/127530464069377
- check the WASPA Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100057361903237

A good turnout in Terni

We are also trying to prepare next season so all your ideas to improve the WASPA circuit are more than welcome! Feedback from players is always welcome!

A final note to say good luck to all players who are preparing the trip to the Subbuteo FISTF world cup in Paris in September. We are sure it will be a great tournament but there will probably be big changes for the future of the game. We really hope that, whatever happens in Paris, we will keep strong links between FISTF and WASPA.

Best wishes from Belgium!

Vincent Coppenolle, WASPA organizer

WASPA rankings of June 2026 - Monthly report

WASPA rankings as per June 2026 are now available. We added 31 regional tournaments, 2 tournaments playe with old rules and 1 promotional tournament in the records!

The tournament in Karlsruhe, Germany was certainly
one of the most excising WASPA events in June

PDF file with results: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1K2fk4r1tDOPA4d6e955tUpPIWrgBLcz0/view?usp=sharing

Excel file with rankings and statistics: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vRpNBAOkhiBRK2ssZnlAFbC5awNhzC57Myu5X8zocdyAKCM6K6KU65LxS_lnp2WVw/pub?output=xlsx

A few interesting patterns emerge.

Fred Elesbao won the Derry WASPA tournament, which was also
the consolation tournament of the Northern Ireland Grand Prix (FISTF tournament)

Recent tournament activity

1. The UK remains the centre of WASPA activity

• The largest concentration of regional tournaments was in England, with events spread across numerous clubs and regions.
• Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland, and the Republic of Ireland also contributed regularly.
• The English circuit is notable not only for the number of events but also for the depth of competition, with several different clubs producing winners.

Players at the latest Perth tournament in Australia

2. Strong international spread Beyond the UK, there was significant activity in:

• Belgium
• Italy
• Australia
• South Africa
• New Zealand
• Netherlands
• Malta
• Austria, Germany, France, and Switzerland

This shows that WASPA remains a genuinely international circuit, even if many tournaments are club-based and local in nature.

3. Special formats remain healthy

• Old Rules 352 (Norfolk) was won by Adam Nekrews (England).
• Old Rules 353 (Solent) was won by Jason Christopher (England).
• Promotional Tournament 212 (Lamezia, Italy) was won by Francesco Pujia (Italy).

These events illustrate two different strengths of the circuit:

• Old Rules events help preserve the heritage of the game.
• Promotional events help bring in new players and develop local scenes.

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Nations organising tournaments

Finchampstaed SC is one of the emerging clubs in England

The most active organisers during this period were:

Nation	Observation
England	By far the busiest organiser, hosting a large share of regional events.
Italy	Frequent organiser of both regular and promotional events.
Belgium	Consistently active with well-established clubs.
Australia	Remarkably regular programme despite geographical distance.
Ireland/Northern Ireland	Strong local circuits and cross-border participation.
South Africa	Smaller calendar but very consistent activity.
New Zealand	Continues to support a stable tournament scene.

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Nations producing winners

A clear link exists between activity and success.

England

• Produced the largest number of tournament winners.
• Names such as Jason Christopher, Adam Nekrews, Richard Roper, Malcolm Jamieson, and others feature prominently.
• English clubs benefit from frequent competitive opportunities.

Italy

• Strong winners in both regional and special-format events.
• Players such as Francesco Pujia, Marco Perotti, and Simone Perotti continued to achieve success.

Belgium

• Belgian players were very competitive and regularly reached finals and podium places.
• Organisers and players are often the same core community, helping maintain a strong local scene.

Australia

• Players such as Giuseppe Tardiota and Alan Kimber collected multiple victories.
• Australia may be geographically isolated, but its competitive level is very high.

Irish circuit tournaments are always great events

Netherlands, Ireland, Malta, South Africa and New Zealand

• Each produced regular winners within their domestic circuits.
• Their success shows that strong local communities can thrive without large player pools.

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Romania: a growing local scene with strong domestic participation

Tournament 4289 was held in Bucharest on 15 June 2026, organised by Subbuteo Bucharest. The event was a completely Romanian affair, with the top four places occupied by Romanian players: Massimo DalPrà, Cezar Stoilescu, Bogdan Panait and Ciprian Necula.

Small turnout but great games in Bucharest

This is noteworthy because earlier in the season Bucharest events were often won by visiting players from Italy, England or Cyprus. In June, however, Romanian players occupied the entire podium, suggesting that the local player base is becoming increasingly self-sufficient and competitive. 

Finland: a rare example of international competition

Tournament 4290 took place in Helsinki on 16 June 2026, organised by Hesu PJK. Unlike many WASPA tournaments that are largely domestic, this event produced an interesting international podium:

• Winner: Eliot Kennedy (Australia)
• Runner-up: Teemu Sihvola (Finland)
• Semi-finalists: Robert Green (Australia) and Kari Hakkarainen (Finland)

International friendship at the latest tournament in Helsinki

The Helsinki event therefore became one of the more international tournaments of the month, with Australian and Finnish players sharing the top four places. It also highlights Finland's continuing role in WASPA through its long-established player base and dedicated clubs. The season results include a separate Finnish Rules national championship, showing that Finland maintains its own strong traditions alongside standard WASPA events.

What these events add to the June story

If England dominated the calendar by volume, Finland and Romania added diversity:

• Romania showed the strength of a developing national scene, with local players filling all podium positions.
• Finland hosted one of the month's most international regional events, bringing together leading Finnish and Australian players.
• Together they demonstrate that WASPA's activity is not confined to the traditional powerhouses such as England, Italy, Belgium and Australia; smaller national circuits are also capable of producing competitive and interesting tournaments.

Overall conclusion

Players in H'Attard, Malta

The last few months highlight a healthy balance between concentration and diversity:

• England remains the dominant force in both organisation and victories.
• Italy, Belgium, and Australia form a strong second tier of activity and success.
• Ireland, the Netherlands, Malta, South Africa, and New Zealand continue to punch above their weight relative to their size.
• The promotional and old-rules tournaments demonstrate that WASPA is supporting both growth and tradition at the same time.

The most striking feature is probably how many different countries are still regularly hosting and winning tournaments, showing that the WASPA network remains globally connected despite being driven largely by local clubs.

🌍 News from Ireland, Romania, and Finland

 We are always pleased to see great tournaments taking place across the world. This time, the latest results come from Ireland, Romania, and Finland.

🇮🇪 Irish Circuit in Tralee

The Tralee TFC WASPA – Irish Circuit Round 4 was held on 13 June 2026. The organisers moved the venue to the village of Castlemaine, just outside Tralee, and successfully attracted 19 players.

David Elton reported:
"What was especially satisfying was seeing a good number of novice players who had not played many tournaments before. Great news as well: the Plate competition was won by the youngest player, who is also female, Roisin. She beat me in the final, fully deserving her victory with two excellent goals. A competition like this gives us great energy as we aim to strengthen and grow both the club and the game in our area of Ireland."

Results:

• Semi-finals:
  • Kenny Beggs bt John Moore 3–0
  • Andy Fitzpatrick bt Mario Frittelli 1–0
• Final:
  • Kenny Beggs drew with Andy Fitzpatrick 1–1*
• Plate final:
  • Roisin Hogan bt David Elton 2–1
• Junior final:
  • Eliott Fitzpatrick bt Liam O’Sullivan 1–0

🇷🇴 Romania: Back to Normal Life

Following a busy weekend featuring a successful FISTF Satellite, Romanian players returned to action on Monday with a smaller WASPA event in Bucharest. Although it is a quieter period, activity continues steadily.

Final standings:

1. Massimo DalPrà
2. Cezar Stoilescu
3. Bogdan Panait
4. Ciprian Necula

🇫🇮 Finland: An International Gathering

While Finland may not be the most active Subbuteo nation, every tournament is a true celebration. Earlier this week in Helsinki, local players welcomed international visitors Bob Green and Eliot Kennedy from Australia for a small WASPA tournament played under FISTF rules.

Eliot Kennedy took top honours, but most importantly, the event highlighted the joy of friends coming together around the green tables.

Final standings:

1. Eliot Kennedy (Northern Falcons TFC)
2. Teemu Sihvola (SISU TFC)
3. Robert Green (Northern Falcons TFC)
4. Kari Hakkarainen (Hesu PJK)
5. Vesa Kouvonkorpi (Hesu PJK)

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Don’t hesitate to send in more WASPA results — we are always happy to share news from players around the world!

🌍 International Table Football Results Round‑Up

This week featured tournament results from Northern Ireland, England, Australia, and Italy, highlighting strong participation across multiple competitions.

🇬🇧 Northern Ireland – Jimmy Watson Memorial Cup

Fred Elesbao

• Held in Derry as part of the FISTF Grand Prix plate competition.
• Included 8 players from 6 countries, all finishing third in their groups.
• 🏆 Winner: Fred Elesbao (Germany/Hannover)
• 🥈 Runner-up: Jos Ceulemans (Belgium/SC Flanders)

Jos Ceulemans (left), runner-up

🇬🇧 England – Pedmore Satellite WASPA Events

• 32 players entered; 16 moved to the “Plate” competition.
• 🏆 Plate Winner: Richard Grimley (Godica) defeated Jeremy Bradley (TSPA)
• 🏆 Shield Winner: Jamie Warren (Stanway) defeated Steve Wonnacott (Bristol)

🇦🇺 Australia – Northern Phoenix WASPA (7 June 2026)

• Hosted at East Ivanhoe Bowling Club with Fast‑15 matches.
• 🏆 Winner: Adrian Connolly (4 wins from 5 matches)
• Special mention: Anthony Madiona celebrated a milestone birthday.
• A well‑attended and enjoyable event, with July details coming soon.

🇮🇹 Italy – Rome Club Opening Tournament

• 🏆 Winner: Giuseppe Cascioli
• Marked the opening of SC Tufello Roma 2026, with hopes for future growth and events.

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📣 The organizers encourage players worldwide to continue submitting WASPA results to share global table football action.

WASPA Update – Recent International Results (May/June 2026)

Here is a quick look at recent results collected from WASPA events held in England, the Netherlands, Austria, and Italy.

🇦🇹 Austria – TSC Phoenix

Our Austrian friends from TSC Phoenix held their monthly tournament, with a special international guest: Brian Spoors (Glasgow).

The tournament attracted 9 players and was played using the Swiss system.

Final standings:

1. Erich Hinkelmann
2. Jürgen Lizar
3. Manfred Pawlica
4. Alfred Strommer
5. Christian Haas
6. Igor Ljubisavljevic
7. Alexander Scheller
8. Brian Spoors
9. Louis Haas

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🏴 England – Stourbridge

The latest event in Stourbridge saw a smaller turnout than expected, but the players still enjoyed a great evening of table football.

Final table (league format):

1. Richard Roper
2. Arthur Collins
3. Andy Pountney
4. Kirk Harrison

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🏴 England – Chesterfield

Chesterfield continues to be one of the key hubs of the WASPA circuit. The latest tournament confirmed this reputation, with 16 players from multiple clubs taking part.

Congratulations to Ian Aggett, who finished top of the Swiss table.

Final standings:

1. Ian Aggett
2. Colin Tarry
3. Brian Kinrade
4. Mark Green
5. Nick Pearson
6. Ian Sharp
7. Colin Fletcher
8. Andrew Forster‑Fake
9. Alex Turpin
10. Paul Gildersleve
11. Adrian Hawcroft
12. Andy Henly
13. Paul Taylor
14. Jeremy Boothman
15. Trevor Allen
16. Harry Staszewski

Note: Five players were tied for 3rd place; for WASPA records, Brian Kinrade is listed 3rd and Mark Green 4th.

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🏴 England – Solent (World Cup Theme Event)

The Solent monthly tournament was played in a World Cup format, producing some exciting matches.

After an impressive group stage in which USA (Rob Piggott) conceded no goals, the knockout rounds delivered high‑level drama:

• Semi-final 1
  USA 3–0 Saudi Arabia

• Semi-final 2
  Mexico 2–2 Colombia
  (Mexico won 2–1 on shots)

• Third place play-off
  Saudi Arabia 1–0 Colombia

🏆 Final
USA 2–0 Mexico

👉 Rob Piggott (USA) claimed the title with a dominant and disciplined performance throughout the tournament.

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🇳🇱 Netherlands – MVV Rijnmond

The club of MVV Rijnmond continues to be very active this season. Their latest WASPA event was played as a 7‑player league.

Congratulations to Fabrizio Cavazza (DLF Gorizia) for his victory.

Final standings:

1. Fabrizio Cavazza
2. Casey van Os
3. Marco de Bruin
4. Rinaldo van Dijk
5. Xavier Aret
6. Martijn Bom
7. Martijn de Jong

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🏴 England – Leicester

A smaller club night in Leicester featured 4 players.

Congratulations to Henry Baker for taking the win.

Final table:

1. Henry Baker
2. Alex Ashcroft
3. Nigel Edwards
4. Sean Wenlock

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🇮🇹 Italy – Virtus Calabria (Youth Development)

The club of Virtus Calabria continues its development work, with a promotional junior tournament featuring many close games.

Francesco Pujia claimed victory on goal difference.

Final standings:

1. Francesco Pujia
2. Gianpaolo Pulici
3. Bernardo Guan Bai
4. Domenico Gigliotti

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🇮🇹 Italy – SC Terni 2014

Two very small WASPA gatherings were also organised by SC Terni 2014. These events were closer to training sessions than full tournaments, with only three players taking part in each meeting—but they perfectly reflect the grassroots spirit of WASPA.

• First meeting winner: Simone Perotti
• Second meeting winner: Marco Perotti

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🇳🇴 Norway – Development Initiative

Finally, some very encouraging news from Norway. Although no official tournament was held, our friend Terje Ellefsen is organising a “World Cup Week” in a school, where Subbuteo is one of the activities offered to up to 300 children.

“20 kids attended the first day and they really like the game,” commented Terje, who introduced the basic rules of the game.
Those who show more interest will be taught more advanced rules, along with small skills challenges such as chipping the ball or curling the figures.

Terje hopes this initiative will spark interest among both young players and the wider community—and is already dreaming of seeing a Norwegian U12 or U16 team in a future World Cup.

👉 Good luck with this fantastic project! 👏

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🌍 Conclusion
The WASPA circuit remains truly global, with both large and small events taking place across different countries—but always driven by the same passion for the game.

We now look forward to seeing even more activity during the FIFA World Cup period! ⚽

WASPA rankings of May 2026

WASPA rankings of May 2026 are finally available!

Links:
Excel file with rankings and statistics
PDF file with results

We had another impressive period with 42 tournaments added in the records and we are happy to see WASPA events held in many different countries.
Players in Australia, England, Ireland, Austria, Hungary, Italy, Romania, Wales, Malta, Belgium, the Netherlands, Switzerland and New Zealand had the chance to attend tournaments.
Specials hugs to our friends from Hungary and Switzerland who held their first events for a long while!
Congratulations to the clubs of Aberaeron SC (Wales), Finchampstead Subbuteo Club and Norfolk Subbuteo Club (England) for hosting their first WASPA event!
Finally, congratulations to the clubs of SMAFC (Hungary) and Virtus Calabria (Italy) for entering the junior ranking of clubs!
If you have any questions about the circuit, please do not hesitate to contact us – we are always happy to help.

Thinking about joining the WASPA circuit?
The circuit is open to all Subbuteo groups, whether you are an established club or a new initiative. We are welcoming returning clubs, new clubs, and several ambitious projects already in development.

Here is a structured analysis of the main trends and insights from the latest rankings generated by AI. 

1. Strong global expansion of WASPA

Evidence

• 42 tournaments added
• Events in multiple continents (Europe, Australia, Africa)
• New activity in:
  • Hungary
  • Switzerland
  • Wales
  • England

This clearly shows growth + geographic diversification

Link with rankings

• Many countries appear in the rankings (30+ nations)
• New or returning nations (Hungary, Switzerland) are still low in points but present in the ecosystem

Trend:
WASPA is moving from a “core European circuit” → to a truly global grassroots network

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2. Growth is driven by local initiatives (clubs)

From your announcement

• New clubs hosting first events:
  • Aberaeron SC (Wales)
  • Finchampstead SC (England)
  • Norfolk SC (England)

This is crucial: growth is decentralised

From the data

• Club rankings depend on:
  • organising events
  • number of players
• English clubs dominate because they host many events:
  • Solent (#1)
  • Worthing (#2)
  • Yorkshire, Pedmore, etc. 

Key insight:
WASPA growth is club-driven, not federation-driven

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3. England still massively dominates (but ecosystem is spreading)

Data confirmation

• #1 nation with huge margin:
  • England: 2281 pts
  • Belgium: 1008 pts 
• Most top clubs are English 

But your text shows:

• more countries organising events
• new nations becoming active

Trend:

• England = mature ecosystem
• Others = emerging ecosystems

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4. Youth development is becoming a major pillar

From your text

• SMAFC (Hungary) and Virtus Calabria (Italy) enter the junior club ranking

This is very important structurally

From rankings

• Junior ranking dominated by Italian players
• Club Rebels Genova clearly #1 junior club 

Interpretation:

• Italy is building the next generation
• New countries (Hungary) are starting youth development

Trend:
WASPA is evolving from a senior competition → to a long-term development system

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5. Dynamic and active circuit

From your text

• “Impressive period”
• many new events
• returning countries

From rankings

• The season ranking ≠ overall ranking
  • Jason Christopher = #1 season
  • Malcolm Jamieson = #1 overall 

Meaning:

• rankings are activity-based
• players must stay active to remain competitive

Trend:
WASPA is not static → it rewards participation + consistency

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6. Inclusivity and openness as core identity

Explicitly in your message

• “open to all Subbuteo groups”
• welcoming:
  • new clubs
  • returning clubs
  • new projects

This is not just communication — it matches the data:

• many low-ranked players → broad participation
• many countries with small representation

Trend:
WASPA is:

• not elitist
• built as a community-driven circuit

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7. Multi-level structure is clearly working

From the tables:

• Top Clubs
• Development League
• Conference League
• Junior rankings

This creates:

• clear progression paths
• incentives for:
  • organising events
  • growing membership
  • developing juniors

Trend:
WASPA is becoming a structured “ecosystem” rather than just rankings

---

8. Key strategic insights

Putting everything together:

1. Growth model = bottom-up

• new clubs → new events → new players → rankings growth

2. Geography is expanding

• especially Eastern/Central Europe (Hungary, Romania)
• plus continued strength in UK, Italy, Australia

3. Youth = future competitive shift

• Italy currently ahead
• new countries entering (Hungary)

4. Activity is the main driver of success

• best players and clubs = most active ones

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Final synthesis (very concise)

The May 2026 WASPA rankings show:

• Rapid global expansion (more countries, more events)
• Club-driven growth model
• Continued English dominance
• Strong rise of youth development (especially Italy)
• A dynamic, activity-based ranking system
• Increasing inclusiveness and accessibility
• A structured multi-tier competitive ecosystem

1. Dominance patterns (players, clubs, nations)

England remains overwhelmingly dominant

• In the individual ranking, a very large share of top 20 players are English.
• In the nation ranking (by points), England is clearly #1 with 2281.93 points, more than double Belgium (#2).
• In the clubs ranking, almost all top clubs are English (Solent, Worthing, Yorkshire, Pedmore, Bristol…).

Key takeaway:
England is the central hub of competitive WASPA activity, both in depth (many players) and in structure (clubs, events).

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A single world leader stands out

• Malcolm Jamieson is clearly #1 with 643.98 points, far ahead of #2 (~590 pts).
  This gap suggests:

• sustained consistency,
• or heavy participation in high-value events.

---

Strong “secondary nations”

After England:

• Belgium (#2)
• Australia (#3)
• Netherlands (#4)
• Italy (#5)

These countries show:

• strong local ecosystems (clubs + events),
• a smaller but competitive elite group.

---

2. Differences between “overall ranking” and “season ranking”

This is one of the most interesting insights.

Example:

• Overall #1: Malcolm Jamieson
• Season #1: Jason Christopher

Interpretation:

• The overall ranking rewards long-term consistency
• The season ranking reflects current form/activity

Key trends:

• Some players are “in form” (season ranking high) but lower overall
• Others are “established elites” (overall ranking high) but less active recently

This creates:

• a dynamic competition
• potential upcoming changes at the top

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3. Youth (Junior ranking): a major Italian wave

Italy dominates the junior scene

Top juniors:

• Samuele Bignardi
• Tommaso Sani
• many players from Club Rebels Genova

And:

• Club Rebels Genova #1 junior club (479 pts)

Key trend:

• Italy is investing strongly in youth development
• Future top rankings may shift toward Italy

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4. Club structure = key performance driver

Top clubs are highly structured

Example:

• Solent Subbuteo Club (#1 with 806 pts)

Requirements (from the sheet):

• event organisation
• regular activity
• a minimum number of players

Insight: Performance is not individual only → it is club-driven:

• more events = more points
• strong communities produce top players

---

Multi-tier club ecosystem

There are 3 levels:

1. Top Clubs
2. Development League
3. Conference League

This indicates:

• a pyramid system
• clear pathways from local → elite level

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5. Global spread vs concentration

Wide international participation

• Players from Europe, Australia, Asia, USA, Africa
• 1000+ ranked players

WASPA is clearly global.

But still concentrated

Top levels are dominated by:

• UK (especially England)
• Western Europe
• Australia

Emerging countries exist but are not yet competitive at top level.

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6. Nation rankings — two perspectives

By points

• Measures top elite strength
• Example: Scotland high because of one superstar

By places

• Measures depth of participation
• Example: Netherlands #2 and Belgium #3

Insight:

• Some countries = strong elite only
• Others = strong base + depth

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7. Key structural trends

Increasing professionalisation

• Clear rules for clubs
• League tiers
• ranking systems (overall, season, junior)

Activity-driven performance

• Players/clubs that organise events perform better

Youth pipelines emerging

• Especially visible in Italy and some English clubs

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8. What we can conclude overall

1. England = dominant ecosystem

• best players depth
• best clubs
• most events

2. Italy = rising power (especially youth)

• strong junior dominance
• clubs like Club Rebels Genova shaping the future

3. Rankings show two dimensions:

• long-term excellence (overall)
• current momentum (season)

4. Clubs are the key unit

• performance strongly linked to club structure and activity

5. WASPA is global but uneven

• many countries involved
• only a few dominate elite performance