The spectacular rise of padel is not limited to southern European countries. In Ireland, a conflict has been raging for several weeks between Old Belvedere Rugby Football Club and the squash community around a project to build indoor padel courts... to the detriment of squash facilities that have been present for over sixty years.

Irish media outlet Breaking News has reported on this rugby club which wants to replace its squash courts, deemed underused, with three indoor padel courts, believing that this change would ensure its financial viability and meet growing demand. Squash Ireland, it is a hard blow for a historic sport which still had an active club on the site since 1962.

A scenario that resonates in France

While this battle is being played out in Dublin, it has a direct echo in France. For several years, squash has been losing ground to the growth of padel, which attracts a wider and more diverse audience. Several French complexes have already made this shift, sometimes radically.

This is the case of Padel Horizon, in the Paris region, which has simply put an end to squash in its facilities to free up space for padel. A decision motivated by the same observation as in Ireland: falling occupancy rates for squash, booming demand for padel.

Padel is gaining ground: in Ireland as in France, squash is declining

A clash of disciplines

In Ireland, the controversy is taking a political turn: Squash Ireland has taken the matter to the national planning authority, arguing that the Dublin City Council's decision goes against its own commitments to maintaining existing sports infrastructure. Rugby club officials, for their part, claim they need this change to survive, citing an occupancy rate of less than 20% for squash compared to an estimated 80% for padel.

In France, the phenomenon is less publicized but just as real: the rise of padel, boosted by communication campaigns, international events, and a more "leisure" image, is pushing infrastructure managers to rethink their priorities. And, often, it is squash that pays the price.

A historic sport soon to be Olympic

Ironically, squash will make its debut at Olympic program for the Los Angeles 2028 GamesA powerful symbol for a discipline born at the end of the 19th century, which has trained generations of players and left its mark on the history of racket sports. A technical, demanding, and spectacular sport, squash retains a legacy and a passionate community.

Given the rise of padel, it would be a shame if this international recognition were not accompanied by the maintenance of its infrastructure. Rather than competing with each other, These two sports have everything to gain from coexisting, each bringing a different experience and culture to the global sporting landscape.

Franck Binisti

Franck Binisti discovered padel at the Club des Pyramides in 2009 in the Paris region. Since then, padel has been part of his life. You often see him touring France to cover major French padel events.

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