Charlie Waugh

Size Doesn't Matter

Charlie Waugh was only 5ft 3in tall, but was a giant of the game in New Zealand through the 1960s. He trained assiduously and was regarded as virtually tireless. He won because he had good touch and a tidy game, and because he was lighting fast and could outlast any opponent – his fitness was much feared by his contemporaries.

Waugh won the national title five times in succession, from 1960-64 (and was runner-up to Australian Dick Carter in 1965), and was the first New Zealand-born player to make an impression against leading overseas players. He beat greats such as Geoff Hunt and Ken Hiscoe. Though squash was a relatively minor game in the early 1960s, he was the first New Zealand player who became a nationally noted sports star.

Waugh, whose wife, Megan, was also a New Zealand champion, maintained his form and fitness so well that he was still in the New Zealand team for the 1971 world championship, when he was 33.

New Zealand Squash Hall of Fame
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