Despite travel problems caused by the recent Iceland volcano eruption, the 2010 European Team Squash Championships will take place as planned next week at Set Squash in Aix-en-Provence in France from 27 April to 1 May.
The leading European Squash Federation championship is celebrating its 38th Men's event since 1973 and its 33rd Women's event since 1978. 27 nations will compete in the 2010 men's event and 21 in the women's.
In a bid to help National federations who might have players stranded overseas, the ESF has introduced a temporary amendment to its rule regarding the maximum number of players that can be nominated for each squad – which will now be up to eight men and seven women.
England are seeded to retain their titles in both the men's and women's events. But France, runners-up to England in all but one of the previous ten men's finals, will be hoping that home advantage will lead to their first title success in 36 appearances since 1975.
The England men's squad will be led by Nick Matthew, the world No2 from Sheffield, supported by James Willstrop, Peter Barker, Daryl Selby, Adrian Grant and Alister Walker – ranked 5, 8, 9, 13 and 14, respectively, in the world.
Second seeds France boast a squad featuring Gregory Gaultier, Thierry Lincou, Renan Lavigne, Mathieu Castagnet and Gregoire Marche – ranked 5, 7, 32, 50 and 82, respectively.
Croatia, Turkey, Cyprus and Slovakia will be returning to the men's championships after being absent last year.
England will hope to extend their remarkable 32-year reign as women's champions since the inaugural event in 1978. But the 2010 squad will be missing two of the country's leading players Alison Waters, the British National champion, and Laura Massaro – both of whom are still recovering from injury.
However, Yorkshire's world No2 Jenny Duncalf will be celebrating her seventh successive appearance in the event, leading a squad which will include Tania Bailey, the former world No4 who made her European Team Championship debut in 1999. But the squad will also include three event debutantes: Sarah Kippax, Dominique Lloyd-Walter and Lauren Briggs, ranked 21, 24 and 28, respectively, in the world.
The favourites are expected to face their stiffest opposition from second seeds Netherlands, their opponents in the final for the past seven years. Former world number one and world champion Vanessa Atkinson will lead the Dutch attack in her 18th successive appearance in the event since 1993.
Turkey will be making their debut in the women's championship.
Men's entries (including seedings):
POOL A: England (1), Netherlands (4), Germany (5), Finland (8)
POOL B: France (2), Wales (3), Scotland (6), Ireland (7)
POOL C: Spain (9), Belgium (16), Israel (17), Croatia (24), Turkey (25)
POOL D: Denmark (10), Czech Republic (15), Austria (18), Poland (23), Cyprus (26)
POOL E: Sweden (11), Hungary (14), Luxembourg (19), Gibraltar (22), Slovakia (27)
POOL F: Switzerland (12), Italy (13), Ukraine (20), Greece (21)
Women's entries;
POOL A: England (1), Ireland (4), Germany (5), Italy (8)
POOL B: Netherlands (2), France (3), Denmark (6), Switzerland (7)
POOL C: Scotland (9), Sweden (16), Poland (17)
POOL D: Spain (10), Finland (15), Luxembourg (18)
POOL E: Wales (11), Czech Republic (14), Greece (19)
POOL F: Belgium (12), Austria (13), Cyprus (20), Turkey (21)