Badminton racket in hand luggage on EasyJet flight

I'm due to go on a short trip on an EasyJet flight. I'm only taking on hand luggage (a ruck sack that is easily within their hand luggage dimension criteria). However, I'll need to have a couple of rackets which will be poking out of the bag. I was planning to put on just a racket head cover or a 3/4 length cover so the bit sticking out is as small as possible. However, does anyone know if EasyJet will kick up a fuss about this?

If they do then I'm really screwed. I'd be forced to check them into checked luggage which will cost me a lot there and then as well as the rackets are almost certainly going to be destroyed without any protection. If it came to that then I'd probably have to post them back to myself (which again would be a huge pain in the butt).

Any experiences or suggestions?

 

I have subsequently found out that very few air lines would allow you to take rackets on board as carry on. I suspect it could be turned into a weapon if you snap the head off (i.e. a big pointy metal stick).

EasyJet required me to book them on as a Sports Bag which cost extra money. Their rules stated that the sports bag could not contain anything other than the sports equipment and associated accessories. The person I spoke to on the phone seemed very strict as what constituted as accessories (sports clothes and badminton trainers did not count as accessories where as shuttles did). However, upon getting to the airport, they didn't even check and just put the bag through so on the way back I unloaded pretty much my entire hand luggage into my sports bag which they never checked again so it was pretty cool.

Next time I'll fly with BA, all the extras you pay with EasyJet didn't make it as cheap as it first appeared.

 

The pricing seems to have changed since I went (http://www.easyjet.com/fees-and-charges) but the sports bag was cheaper than normal luggage. The sports bag when I went cost £27 each way to book. Main luggage was more.