Welcome to the International Lawn Tennis Club of New Zealand
"Hands across the net, friendship across the ocean "


Welcome to the IC of New Zealand

The IC of New Zealand was formed in 1956 and has around 150 members in New Zealand and around 50 living overseas.

Ron McKenzie and Jeffrey Robson inspired the formation of our Club after they had been made Honorary Overseas Members by the IC of Great Britain. Jeff was our Patron from 1994 until he died in 2022 aged 93 and always took a very active part in our activities.

At our May 2023 AGM we appointed another long-time member Sir Colin Maiden as our Patron. Sadly Sir Colin passed away in July 2024.

ICNZ was very pleased to send 2 teams to help celebrate the centenary of the foundation of the original International Club in Great Britain in 1924.

The revolving photos above reflect some of the team. To read more click on the August 2024 Newsletter on the Noticeboard as this is entirely a report of the IC Week held on the Wimbledon grass courts.

Some of the names of former or current International players who are members include:

Lan Bale, John A Barry, Dr Peter Becroft, Jill Bignell, Beverley (Vercoe) Billington, Martin Colenbrander, Marcus Daniell, Gilles de Gouy,      Bruce Derlin, Malcolm Elley, Marina Erakovic, Raewyn (Dickson) Ferkins, Patsy (Belton) Fleming, James Greenhalgh, Peter Hampton, Brett Hibbert, Alistair Hunt, Grantley Judge, Betty (Bryant) Kay, Robin Legge-Hunt, Dan King-Turner, David Lewis, Mark Lewis, Andrew Lobb, John Lockington, Greg Long, Justin Mackenzie, Cecilie (Fleming) McIntyre, John Mills, Ethne (Green) Mitchell, Dame Ruia Morrison, David Mustard, Mark Neilson, Linda (Stewart) Nightingale, Pavlina Nola , Elizabeth (Terry) Odgers, Onny Parun, Tony Parun, Danny Parun, Brenda Perry, Marilyn Pryde-Lawrence, Erin Routliffe, Ruth Seeman, Philip Seemann, Des Shaw, James Shortall, Jeffrey Simpson, Artem Sitak, Gary Slater, Elaine (Becroft) Stephan, Brett Steven, Judy (Burke) Tinnock, Claudine Toleafoa, Andrew Turner, Michael Venus, Marcel Vos, Wesley Whitehouse, Dan Willman, Kevin Woolcott, Brian Woolf.

Overseas based Anton Bettink, Howard Broun, Robert Clarke, Ian Crookenden,James Dunphy, Ron Dutton, Kelly Evernden, Pauline (Elliott) Hanson, Lew Gerrard, Jeremy Grubi, Steve Guy, Robyn Legge-Hunt, Chris Lewis, Mark Long, Julie Richardson, Russell Simpson, Oliver Statham, Rubin Statham, Paul Smith, Stephen Temple.

Touring Players. We also have a group of younger players who are actively playing on various circuits. At the Paris Olympics Erin Routliffe and Lulu Sun represented NZ.

The IC of New Zealand is active in organising a number of events and matches for both junior and senior members.

The NZ Funds Trans-Tasman Trophy event for junior players (16 & under) was competed for annually with Australia, on a home and away basis. This led to the wider zone eliminations.

In 2008 the World Final of the first Compass IC Junior Challenge event washeld very successfully in Auckland. This has now grown each year with the elimination matches being played every second year, with the final the following one. The 2013-4 Finals were played at Wimbledon, the 2015-6 at Monaco and the 2017-18 in Japan. 2022 was held in San Diego and November 2023 in La Jolla USA. This is now called the Rod Laver Junior Challenge.

Morning Tea functions at the ATP & WTA tournaments in Auckland each January, for members and overseas players.The worldwide Covid-19 pandemic led to the cancellation of the two International Tournaments for the 2nd year in January 2022 but we were thrilled to be back in action again in January 2023 and 2024.

60th Anniversary Weekend. In late August 2016 we held a wonderful celebration, with tennis, golf and a special Dinner. Around 120 members and partners came from around New Zealand and overseas for this. Special guests included Lew Gerrard and Ian Crookenden, two well-known NZ Davis Cup Players. Our Patron, Jeff Robson MBE was honoured with Life membership of ICNZ, a very well deserved honour. Since then Life Membership has been awarded to Des Shaw and Brian Woolf in 2019 and Jill Bignell in May 2023.The most recent was Cecilie McIntyre in 2024 after 5 years as President and 25 years on the committee. She has now edited 100 of the occasional Newsletter which can be opened on the Noticeboard.

In October 2019 we resumed our matches with the Australian IC when a NZ team of 10 members with supporters travelled to the Gold Coast for a very successful weekend of friendly rivalry. NZ won the matches 8/3 therefore becoming the first holders of the Sedgman-Tills Trophy. It was a great pleasure to have Frank Sedgman and his wife there for the weekend, and also on the Saturday evening to meet Ken Rosewall and his (now late) wife Wilma.We thank ICA President Kerryn Pratt and her committee for making us very welcome.

After a Covid postponement in March 2022, we played another match with the Australian IC in Wanaka, in the South Island in March 2023 which although smaller was well contested and NZ retained the Sedgman-Tills Trophy. See the Noticeboard for our newsletters covering this and other events.

IC Council News

September 2022
2022 Sportsmanship Award - Frank Sedgman

2022 Sportsmanship Award - Frank Sedgman

The legendary Frank Sedgman, or ‘Sedge’ as he’s widely known, was presented with the 2022 Jean Jean Borotra CQS Sportsmanship award at a gala luncheon held at the Kooyong Lawn Tennis Club on the middle Sunday of Wimbledon, July 3.

Honoring Frank and celebrating the 70th anniversary celebration of his Wimbledon triple crown win in 1952, the event was brilliantly hosted by Kooyong, along with the IC and the Australian Davis Cup foundation.

Frank’s 1952 sweep of singles, doubles and mixed remains an extraordinary feat. And he’d done the same at the US Championships the previous year, such was his dominance.

Turning 95 this year, Frank, with his lovely wife Jean, had originally planned to travel to Wimbledon for the anniversary, but when this was not possible, the Kooyong event evolved.

The Sedgman family were seated at the ‘Royal Box’ table, and the lunch had a very festive Wimbledon theme, including an Aussie take on strawberries and cream!

Over 200 people attended, enjoying former Davis Cup player Sam Groth as MC, with video tributes and messages from many in the tennis world: Roger Federer, Rod Laver, Ken Rosewall, Todd Martin, Wimbledon Chairman Ian Hewitt (giving the luncheon a ‘behind the scenes’ video  tour of the All England Club), Paul McNamee with IC Chair Peter McQuibban and Sir Michael Hintze saluting Frank from Wimbledon, and IC Australia President Kerryn Pratt announcing the Award. Neale Fraser also spoke on the day, and musical opera star David Hobson was a hit performing some of Frank’s favourite songs.

IC Australia’s Cedric Mason and Chris Kachel presented Frank with the Borotra trophy, a replica, as Frank’s was awaiting him at Wimbledon! The Sedge edition will arrive in Melbourne shortly.

Frank was truly delighted to receive the IC’s ultimate accolade which is richly deserved on so many counts - his brilliant playing record, his sportsmanship, his pioneering role in pro tennis and for the contributions he’s made to the IC in Australia and worldwide over many decades. He was part of the founding of the IC in Australia, served as President, remains Patron, and is currently the President of the IC Council.

Sedge was rated world number 1 as both an amateur and a professional player.

As an amateur he won 5 majors in singles, 8 in mixed and 9 in doubles, a total of 22 grand slam titles before the age of 25 when he turned pro. Alongside fellow Aussie Ken McGregor, he achieved the Grand Slam in men’s doubles in 1951 and in the 50’s led Australia to Davis Cup victory on three occasions.

Sedge is a great champion on court and off, revered in Australia and around the globe, truly living the IC motto of ‘hands across the net, friendships across the ocean’ throughout his illustrious tennis life.

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Contact

Our Honorary Secretary is Angela Hart
Telephone: + 6421 168 5148 

 email:secretary.icnz56@gmail.com

 

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