Competitions
25 March 2026
Dorking Secure World Club Champs with Sensas Challenge Win
One of the closest finishes in the history of the Sensas UK Challenge saw Daiwa Dorking Red crowned champions at the weekend, edging out title holders Drennan Barnsley Blacks A by a single point after a pulsating two days of action on the Gloucester Canal!
Finishing with 26 points, the Dorking side of Alan Donnelley, Ben and Lewis Bray, Darren Scott and Charlie Vallender did just enough to lift the trophy and more importantly, book the team’s spot at this summer’s World Club Champs in Finland.
It was mightily tight though, Barnsley mounting another great day two comeback, just as they did to win last year, only to fall short by that agonising solitary point. Third spot went to recent Winter League champions Sensas Starlets A with 32 points as they led overnight, but couldn’t quite get past the winning post.
The canal was tough in places, with small skimmers the main targets for the 33 competing teams of five, the match being fished to strict international rules in what turned out to be balmy early spring weather, a far fry from the cold and rainy conditions in the lead up to the match.
Dorking got off to a great start, lying second only a point behind Starlets after Saturday’s match, Lewis winning his section at Sims and Rea, Ben, Alan and Charlie scoring seconds from Pilot, Netheridge and Hempsted, with only Darren struggling a little on seven points at Castle. That gave them 14 points and all to play for.
Day two turned out to be even better with a 12-point score, bettered only by that Barnsley comeback on 11. Lewis again led the way with a section win at Hempsted, dad Ben also taking a section win at Sims and Rea, skipper Alan chipping in with second at Castle. Backing them up were pointers from Charlie and Darren at Netheridge and Pilot.
Individually, it was that man James Dent winning for the second year in a row. The England ace finished with two section wins from the Sims and Rea and Castle sections to get the nod on total weight, as Lewis Bray also notched two points, but finished a little over 800g behind James. Third overall was claimed by Team Wales man Ian Leach as the best of a clutch of anglers on three points.
In fact, Ian won day one overall with 16-516 of bream and skimmers from peg B10 on Hempsted Bend, catching long on bloodworm over an initial feed of leam and groundbait with joker and then loosefed caster. Come day two, it was the turn of Drennan Leicester Van Den Eynde man Gary Smith to follow suit at next-door end peg 11, an identical approach giving him 15-565 of mainly quality bream.
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Final team result:
1 Daiwa Dorking Red, 26pts
2 Drennan Barnsley Blacks A, 27
3 Sensas Starlets A, 32
4 Daiwa Gordon League Gold, 36
5 Team Wales Red, 39
6 Daiwa Dorking Blue, 41 (35-943)
7 Sensas Starlets B, 41 (22-907)
8 Sensas 28, 44
9 Preston Innovations Delcac, 47
10 Daiwa Tackle & Bates Van Den Eynde, 48
11 Sensas Starlets C, 51
12 Team Wales Green, 51.5
13 Daiwa Gordon League Red, 53
14 Daiwa Gordon League Black, 59
15 Drennan Leicester Van Den Eynde A, 60 (29-388)
16 Team Guru, 60 (17-607)
17 Sensas Lobby’s Tackle White, 62
18 Sensas Lobby’s Tackle Red, 65 (21-360)
19 NuFish Ossett, 65 (27-822)
20 Drennan RAF, 65 (15-940)
21 Drennan Barnsley Blacks B, 65.5
22 Drennan Leicester Van Den Eynde B, 67
23 Sensas Hot Rods Green, 68
24 Colmic Dynamite Baits Trentmen, 69
25 Saints, 70
26 Thatcher’s Academy, 73
27 Sensas Mark One A, 77
28 Drennan Bordon Angling, 78.5
29 Sensas Black Country, 79
30 Garbolino Blackmore Vale MG, 81.5
31 Sensas Mark One B, 86
32 Cadence Bait-Tech West Mids, 95
33 Channel Isles, 98
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Final individual result:
1 James Dent, Drennan Barnsley Blacks A, 2pts (6-869)
2 Lewis Bray, Daiwa Dorking Red, 2 (6-010)
3 Ian Leach, Team Wales Red, 3 (19-244)
4 Mark Kimber, Daiwa Gordon League Gold, 3 (6-020)
5 Dan Ashington, Sensas Starlets C, 3 (5-570)
6 Ben Bray, Daiwa Dorking Red, 3 (4-800)
7 Simon Willsmore, Daiwa Dorking Blue, 4 (15-815)
8 Steve Hemingray, Sensas Starlets A, 4 (12-440)
9 Matt Derry, Sensas Starlets C, 4 (8-450)
10 Alan Donnelly, Daiwa Dorking Red, 4 (7-808)
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