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<Date:%A, %B %d,Wairarapa %Y> Wairarapa Times-Age Wednesday, November 6, 2019 Midweek
CELEBRATING 90YEARS
Wairarapa Tennis Association th enters its 90 year with optimism This year marks the 90th anniversary of the Wairarapa Tennis Association. Today six clubs belong to the Association - Opaki, Masterton, Gladstone, Carterton, Greytown and Martinborough. All six are in good heart with thriving Junior player numbers, hundreds taking part in social tennis, and a smaller core dedicated to the more serious side of the sport.
allow tennis to be played under cover on the rebound ace courts at the Trust House Netball Wairarapa Centre in Masterton. “Many of the top tournaments such as the US and Australian opens are played on the same surface.
“This will allow us to play more inter-club competitions at night. Most of our club courts have lights but are at capacity.”
The Wairarapa is lucky to have such great clubs and facilities for playing, says Wairarapa Tennis Association Chair John Kirkup, who is a member of the Martinborough Club.
One of the outstanding features of the Association is the strength of its Junior competition, with excellent coaching programmes.
“It has a good climate for tennis and there are lots of opportunities for people to get out and play.”
Numbers drop off for college-aged students, but John hopes the coaching and development programme being developed by Tennis New Zealand might help increase numbers.
The six clubs are all very sociable and welcoming, John says. This couldn’t be illustrated any better than with the Club Open Days which each club hosted earlier this season. “The clubs all opened their doors to invite in new members, many organising games and putting on a barbecue.” Each club has its own character, John says. “For instance, Opaki and Gladstone have a rural flavour, reflecting their farming background.” John is excited that the Association has just received funding from the Trust House Foundation for moveable nets which will
Then there are those who just enjoy a friendly game of tennis. To cater for them, each club organises its own in-club “Business House” competition, with anyone welcome to form a team and enjoy the social side of the game. Contact details for all the clubs can be found online and in this feature.
Some clubs host their own unique event such as Martinborough’s
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“At 15 months he would whack a ball suspended in the hallway, with perfectly balanced double-handed forehands and backhands.” Marcus played Junior Inter-Club tennis at age four, played in the Hadlow primary school tennis team from age five, and won both the New Zealand Primary Schools championship and the New Zealand Under 12’s Championship.
Marcus has won a raft of singles and doubles titles on the ATP tennis tour. He won the 2010 Heineken Open doubles title, has reached the doubles quarter finals at The Australian Open and Wimbledon, gained a high of no 34 in the world doubles rankings, played Davis Cup singles and doubles ties for NZ for over a decade, and competed in the Rio Olympics.
Along with the inter-club competitions, players can take part in regional and national tournaments.
Every year Wairere contributes to dozens of community organisations, charities, clubs and individuals.
Marcus Daniell always loved holding a tennis racquet, says his mum Chris.
Well before college age, Marcus was part of the Masterton Tennis Club’s Men’s Senior team, and contributed hugely to their many successes, Chris says. Marcus loved being part of the Wairarapa teams, but ultimately needed to extend his range to inter club in Palmerston North and later Wellington, Chris says.
There has been good growth in Women’s Senior numbers in recent years “with a real increase in women wanting to play competitively.”
“Over the Hill” Tournament which attracts many players from Wellington and the Hutt Valley.
One of New Zealand’s leading professionals played his formative tennis in Wairarapa
8 year-old Marcus Daniell playing in the 12 year singles in Masterton
Between the massive highs and crushing lows of life as a professional tennis player, Marcus loves nothing better than coming home, says Chris - “ especially to the Wairarapa and the White Rock waves.”
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Wednesday, November 6, 2019
Thursday, August 29, 2019 Wairarapa Times-Age
CELEBRATING 90YEARS
Tennis on the Regent Street courts, Martinborough, circa 1925 Photo: Wairarapa Archive
Tennis a popular sport 90 years ago Tennis was one of the most popular sports in Wairarapa in the early 20th century, according to Wairarapa Archive. Clubs proliferated throughout the region, from Martinborough to Masterton and up to Mangamutu. Some of the clubs were established in the 1880s and had permanent bases for their members. Others played at schools and other community facilities. There was no Wairarapa-wide association until the mid-1920s, when the Wairarapa Lawn Tennis Association was formed, with members from Masterton, Masterton Park, Memorial, Carterton, Greytown, Featherston, Martinborough, Mangapakeha, Tinui, Mt Bruce, Eketahuna, Mangamutu, Mangatainoka, and Pahiatua. Previously clubs had been affiliated to the Wellington Lawn Tennis Association.
Tennis was a popular sport – among them the clubs had 924 members. The winner of the first men’s championship was Bern Welch, picking up a handsome trophy donated by the keen tennis player the Right Reverend Monsignor McKenna. The ladies’ singles winner, Miss B. Nutting of Hawera, took home Mrs W.J. Martin’s trophy. A challenge cup to be contested among the affiliated clubs was won by the Masterton Club, and the Association played its first representative games, a match against Hawke’s Bay in which the latter prevailed. Within a short time they had also played their first international, when a team from New South Wales visited.
Opaki TENNIS CLUB Opaki Tennis Club was established in 1946, many of its members inherited from a previous club at Mount Bruce which moved to Opaki during World War II when people were not able to travel as far.
For many years the Club hired two asphalt courts that had been built by the Opaki Memorial Society as part of a recreation complex that was intended to be a hub for the district’s families, many of whom were farming. A swimming pool was added to the complex in 1953. A new clubhouse was erected in 1975 and in 1991 the Club had three Plexipave courts. These were upgraded in 1999 to four Astro turf courts. Overhead lights, purchased from the Waingawa Freezing works when it closed,
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were installed. In 2001, ownership was transferred to the Masterton District Council with the tennis club to maintain the courts and Opaki School taking over the baths. The Club doesn’t have its own tournament but is a big participant in the Inter-Club competitions such as Regional 1, Regional 2, Women’s Seniors and Juniors. Club nights are held on a Thursday evening from 6pm While competitive, Opaki is a very social and welcoming Club. It welcomes new members who just love getting out there and having a bash! Visit clubspark.kiwi/WairarapaTennis/ Play/Opaki or www.facebook.com/ opakitennisclub/
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CELEBRATING 90YEARS
Trust House Masterton TENNIS CENTRE Tennis was first played in Masterton 1879, with the first meeting held to form a club in 1881, and first club tournament taking place in 1883. The Club was based in Coradine Street, then Chapel Street and later Bunny Street, before finally arriving at its present destination at 147 Dixon Street in 1920. Since then the Club has had long and varied history including being requisitioned for a United States military hospital during World War II, surviving the Wahine Storm of 1968, and losing its clubhouse to fire in 1972. In 1984 three courts were converted to Astroturf, giving the Club three all-weather courts, two tarsealed courts, and five grass courts. 1991 saw the clubhouse extended with a new kitchen and bar, and the clubroom moved to the ground floor. The Park Tennis Club and Masterton Lawn Tennis Club merged in 1994, giving the new Masterton Tennis Centre the resources to convert all the remaining courts to Astroturf. It now has a total of eleven all-weather courts. A strong feature of the club for many years has been the involvement of veteran players. The first Vets Tournament was played in 1963 and has been a regular feature of the club calendar ever since, with players from all over the lower North Island competing. Today the Masterton Tennis Centre is a strong, flexible and growing club that exists to support, strengthen and promote tennis in the Masterton and Wairarapa communities.
The Club welcomes new members of all ages and abilities to become involved at a level to suit their lifestyle. It offers a diverse range of activities to cater to everyone, including Junior development and coaching, social levels, business house, veterans, and interclub competitions, as well as family sessions. The calendar of weekly events allows the flexibility for people to play tennis as a member of the centre which ever way suits them with Rep Squad on Monday, InterBusiness on Tuesday, Midweek Doubles Interclub on Wednesday, Senior Social Doubles and Regional 3 College on Thursday, Club Night and BBQ, Regional 1 Men’s and Women’s, and Regional 2 on Friday, Junior tennis coaching, Regional 1 and 2 and Senior Doubles on Saturday, and on Sundays Social Doubles followed by Morning Tea. For more information P: (06) 378 6092 or E: mast.tennis@gmail.com
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Wednesday, November 6, 2019
CELEBRATING 90YEARS
Carterton TENNIS CENTRE Carterton is a friendly, affordable, community tennis club with reasonable fees. It has four great courts, a comfortable clubhouse and something for everyone, whatever their age and skill level. Established in 1902 with grass courts, these were later converted to asphalt and now Plexipave. These all-weather courts are uncommon in Wairarapa as most clubs have transitioned to artificial grass. Plexipave gives a faster surface and requires good reactions! The Club participates in all Wairarapa Regional One and Two events as well as Midweek and Ladies competitions. It is consistently competitive in the local region, winning many Regional One and Two titles. It holds its own club championship at the end of the season with the next one planned for March 2020. The Club offers junior development sessions for school Terms Four and One, hosted by Henry Cordwell from 3.30pm. The Club has a social group of Tuesday players who play all year round from 9am. It also has lights for night play, allowing commuters who cannot play during the day access to the sport.
Henry Cordwell giving a Tennis Deveplopment lesson
The Club is located behind the fire station, next to the bowling club and Carrington Park at 79 High St South.
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The Club is active in social media having a strong Facebook presence at Carterton Tennis Club, and a website (www.cartertontennis.co.nz) from which one can gain all the information one needs to know to join and connect with the level of tennis that best suits ones needs. Club Captain is Chris Prenter P: 027 566 2864, E: Chris.Prenter@placemakers.co.nz and President Steve Wagner P: 021 1768 664 E: steve.w@actrix.co.nz
Phone 027 3333 975
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www.cartertontennis.co.nz Carterton Tennis Club
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www.age.co.nz Thursday, August 29, 2019
Gladstone TENNIS CLUB Gladstone Tennis Club was established according to an old Balance Book - in 1951, although some locals remember it starting at the end of the war.
Back then the courts were situated in a paddock on the corner of Longbush Road and Gladstone Road. They were made from concrete and had a long-drop toilet. In 1988 four Astroturf courts were laid at the Gladstone Sports & Social Complex on Gladstone Road, which now have lights and the old land sold. Today the Club has 55 Junior (primary school) players, plus four college students, eight men and six women with teams in
the Senior Competition Regional 1 & 2, a Women’s Midweek Doubles Team and six Primary Interclub teams. For the past 12 years, the Gladstone Junior team has won the Championship Grade in the Wairarapa Primary Competition. Gladstone Tennis Club has had generations of families involved in tennis and this continues today. Some of the people playing in 2019 had grandparents/parents playing back in 1951. For more information call: Jill Day 027 278 4237 Sara Orsborn P: 027 645 3208 Scott Day P: 027 821 4379
Greytown TENNIS CLUB Greytown Tennis Club was established in 1905 in East Street, before moving to its current site next to the camping grounds in Soldiers Memorial Park, Kuratawhiti Street, in the late 1920s.
tennis operates year-round for members.
In the early 1980s three concrete courts were established which were subsequently overlaid with asphalt in the early 2000s.
The Club’s playing environment is secondto-none, where members play tennis while listening to native birds, shaded by large native trees.
Greytown is a very family-oriented club with as many juniors as there are seniors. The Club enjoys fantastic community support especially through its Business House/Community tennis competition which operates with both social and competitive grades. In addition, midweek
On Saturday mornings junior coaching takes place for three age groups, led by the juniors themselves.
For more information visit the Club on Facebook, go to the website: clubspark.kiwi/greytowntennisclub or contact Andrew Clouston P: 027 294 1852 E: Greytowntennis@gmail.com
Martinborough
LAWN TENNIS CLUB Established in 1904, Martinborough Lawn Tennis Club has six grass and two AstroTurf courts at 24 Oxford Street. The two Astroturf courts are also marked out for netball and hockey, meaning that those courts get used all year round providing a great community resource. The Club has good membership with Senior, Midweek and Junior players. It also offers family memberships which are popular, and homestay membership for those wanting to offer something extra through their homestay. In addition, the Club runs a fully subscribed Business House tennis competition for eight weeks before and after Christmas. This is open to nonmembers as well as members. At the start of December, the Club is hosting the WTA Parent & Child Tournament. Its flagship event is the “Over the Hill” Tournament, held in the second weekend of January. This will be held on 11 & 12 January 2020 - and it will be the 25TH edition.
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The Club offers a junior coaching programme with around 50 juniors in it this term. The Club has a regular club afternoon on Sundays from 3pm where all are welcome to come along and find out what the club is about. For more information E: martinboroughtennis@gmail.com Website: martinboroughtennis.co.nz or martinboroughtennisclub.co.nz