Hampstead-based ZFW Fencing Club have won the British Men’s Team Foil Championships for the third year running after emerging triumphant at the Leon Paul Fencing Centre in Hendon.

The club’s A team – made up of four-time Olympian and current World No3 Richard Kruse, World No27 Alex Choupenitch of the Czech Republic and former European champion Alex Tofalides – beat Westminster-based Salle Boston 45-17 in the final of the tournament.

On their journey to the final, ZFW’s senior team unfortunately met the club’s B side in the quarter- finals and, although Peter Barwell, Matthew Abrahams and Louis DeBazelaire put up strong resistance, they succumbed to the champions 45-17.

The B team had earlier narrowly lost to eventual silver medalists Salle Boston 45-44 in the poule stage, leaving them seeded eighth in the quarter finals and resulting in their draw against the ZFW A team, which had gained top seeding with an aggregate score of 90-17 in the poule.

The A Team went on to beat the Bath Swords’ A team 45-11 in the semi-final.

Showing the club’s strength in depth, the ZFW C team of David Standen, Charlie St John and George Bailey also fought well and finished a credible 12th out of the 19 teams that entered.

Head Coach Ziemek Wojciechowski said: “It was a great day for our fencers, and Kruse, Choupenitch and Tofildes showed such precision, speed and skill that they were rarely threatened all day.

“It was a great shame that our top six fencers came together so early on – the B Team could have gone much further in the competition.”

ZFW meet at South Hampstead High School on Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays and they welcome anyone from the age of seven upwards. For more information visit the website at www.zfw-fencing.co.uk