Squash NSW Hosts Successful Martin Place Activation for Second Year in a Row

Last month, Squash NSW hosted their second successful five-day activation with a pop-up Perspex squash court installed at the historic Martin Place in Sydney’s CBD.

In collaboration between Squash NSW, Sydney CBD and City houses, the Just Squash activation purpose was to showcase squash to a new community and highlight the inclusivity of the sport with activities for all age groups.

With squash now included in the LA 2028 Olympic Games for the first time, Squash NSW CEO, Scott Murray said the activation was to raise the profile of the sport and boost participation.

“It’s about connecting with all the stakeholders — government, the community, and the amazing city of Sydney — while promoting the game and increasing participation.”

It was a well-balanced event which engaged all walks of life and with Squash Her Way, a Squash NSW initiative, it created an opportunity to engage with women and girls about the sport in real-time. This part of the activation was located at the other end of the court, which allowed people who have never played racket sports before to engage and play, at a beginner's level.

“The number of women and girls we saw on the court was exciting to see. I’d say it exceeded the expectations of everyone involved,” Murray said.

The activation also featured activities for junior players through to Masters athletes, creating a real sense of community. The number of volunteers that came through to assist in running the activation proves how involved the community is.

“We had people as far as Watagan and the Hunter come down . We had people from the Illawarra Dapto come up , as well as  volunteers from surrounding Sydney suburbs including Bondi, Wentworthville, Dural  and Caringbah Squash Clubs,” he said.

The pop-up squash court was a major drawcard for locals and visitors alike in the Iconic Martin Place. Murray said because of the popularity of the Sydney CBD venue, the court was occupied 95% of the time from Monday to Friday 7am to 7pm.

“There were a lot of people walking by taking pictures, even videoing what was going on the court. Some of the feedback we received from people in offices who stopped by because they heard others in the office talking about squash being played in Martin Place.. We had huge crowds - we had Hon. Mr Stephen Kamper, Sports Minister MP on court and Her Excellency Margaret Beazley AC KC in attendance. It was great to see.”

When asked about the prospect of a third iteration of the activation, Murray is looking forward to bringing the court back to Martin Place and even looking at more locations across NSW.

“I see a lot of positives, it opens up opportunities going forward, including hosting in Western Sydney, regional locations or even university orientation days,” he said. 

“Connecting with the communities and making them aware of squash, is definitely something front of mind on our journey.”