Holwell Rifle Club's Sean Betts gets call-up for England at last

Sean, 48, who has been a member of Holwell for almost 20 years, had to compete in a gruelling series of selection matches to achieve his lifetime goal of representing his country and joins an ever growing list of Holwell shooters who have achieved national honours over the last 25 years.

“I was really excited when I got my selection email as I have been trying for years for this and it came literally out of the blue,” he said. “I read it twice as I could hardly believe it.

“This weekend is a Home Countries match against Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and we will see how it goes, I am in a three man team with two very experienced internationals.

“Hopefully I can come away with a respectable score and we will see where it takes me.

“It is a route that could maybe take me as high as the Commonwealth Games down the line, though shooting is not on the programme for the next couple of cycles.”

He continued: “I have been shooting for 30 years now, 20 of those competitively, and I have tried numerous times to achieve selection status.

“In 2024 I had some health problems, had to have an operation, and ended up losing a lot of weight and took some time out of shooting.

“But, having recovered, I thought if I don't do this now I never will.

“Over the last year I have got myself sorted out fitness wise, which has paid off, and my scores have been noticed by the people that matter.

“Last summer I was invited to shoot at a Combined Services match which is not an official England cap but a chance for them to look at you.

“We were up against the Army, Navy and Police and I did okay, even though it wasn't my best shoot.

“But I have progressed enough for them to give me a go including a top 20 place from GB in a postal league competition against America.

“My scores have been on an upwards trajectory for the last 18 months and now they have given me a chance.”

Sean's interest in the sport goes back to a very early age.

“My grandad used to take me shooting when I was about six years old,” he said.

“My family background is butchery and farmery.

“He used to do a lot of clay pigeon and pheasant shooting and he taught me how to shoot.”

It is a quick return to the Tondu club, near Cardiff, for Sean as he shot there last weekend in the Welsh Open and finished a respectable ninth in tough, windy conditions.

Holwell Rifle Club members have represented both England and GB on many occasions.

One member has been a medallist in both junior and senior events a ISSF European Championships.

They have had representation and podium places at Commonwealth Games and members have also shot for England in the Home Nations matches, held as part of the NSRA National and Scottish Championships.

Katie Gleeson competed in 3 Position Rifle at CWG, European Championships and ISSF World Cup matches, at one time being 10th in the women’s world rankings.

One of the current members holds the Greek National women’s record for 3 Position, a former member held a British Record for ISSF Sport Pistol whilst she was a member of the British Shooting squad and three different members have won the British Women’s Air Rifle Championship.

Holwell are particularly proud of the part they have played in the advancement of competitive visually impaired shooting.

They have also had representation in other ways, one of their members was responsible for running the Shooting Finals Hall at the 2012 Olympics and at the subsequent CWG in Glasgow. They also hold a ISSF judging qualification.

The club was first affiliated to the National Smallbore Rifle Association (NSRA) in 1948 as the Holwell Works Rifle Club and occupied a prefab close to their present location.

In 1998 a grant was obtained from the Lottery Fund to erect their current range and clubhouse.

At that time the club was part of the Holwell Sports and Social Club, previously the Holwell Works Institute, but a few years later they purchased their site and became fully independent.

The club have slowly developed their facilities, adding electronic targets and facilities for visually impaired shooting as examples.

They became a Community Amateur Sports Club (CASC) and subsequently incorporated as they felt that to be a more appropriate structure for a club that owns significant property.

They are now registered with British Shooting as a Disabled Hub Club and are totally voluntary and non-profit making.

The latest development there earlier this year was the installation of a 36 panel solar system with battery storage, made possible with the help of a £14,000 grant from the Sport England Movement Fund.