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

October 2018
FINAL REPORT FROM IC JUNIOR CHALLENGE WORLDWIDE FINALS

FINAL REPORT FROM IC JUNIOR CHALLENGE WORLDWIDE FINALS

We saw a great week of competition and camaraderie with the IC of USA team emerging undefeated and as the 2018 Champions with a final day win over the IC of Uruguay. The strong Italian team came in second with Uruguay third. Host nation Japan took fourth place and South Africa the fifth.

The final place went to India who, although not recording a win, played well and pushed most teams to several tie breaks.

The overall standard was high and in depth. The Italian team, with all four players ranked in the top 200 ITF 18 & under rankings, only managed second place and were given some close matches by all teams.

The juniors have had a great week of tennis and played as many matches as if they were in a 32-draw tournament in both singles and doubles and making the finals in both events. So instead of just making finals this week, they have also been making friends in the motto of the IC "Hands across the net, friendship across the ocean".

There were plenty of candidates for the Sportsmanship awards which went to Nishant Dabas of India and Linge Steenkamp from South Africa with honourable mentions to both Japanese boys.

At the final night dinner the IC of Japan were thanked for putting on an outstanding week that culturally was the best ever - an outstanding Welcome Dinner with her Imperial Highness Princess Takamado in attendance, a clinic for disadvantaged kids with the juniors helping, dressing everyone in Kimonos, a visit to a Buddhist Temple, a tea ceremony and caligraphy class.

At the final night dinner the juniors spoke and explained the meaning of their country flags to everyone, thanked the IC and IC Japan for putting on what many of them expressed as the best week of tennis they have ever had.

Final placings:

USA

Italy

Uruguay

Japan

South Africa

India

Half the juniors are now going on to the Grade 1 ITF Junior Tournament in Osaka, Japan where they will continue the friendships they have built this week and use the experience they have gained playing tennis in The Compass IC Junior Challenge Worldwide Finals 2018.  All the photos from the event can be viewed and downloaded free here by courtesy of Yoshiharu Yokoyama and Julian Tatum.

Final comments from Julian Tatum :
Mimi Yoshii was made an honorary member of the IC of GB, Kit Spencer was made an honorary member of the S African and Japanese ICs and Sakae Yoshii was made an honorary member of the Bahamas and Uruguayan IC.  All in recognition of the tremendous effort they have made to make the week a success.

 

IC junior result 2018_10122018.xlsx

 

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Contact

Our Honorary Secretary is Angela Hart
Telephone: + 6421 168 5148 or Home 09 534 6381  and email:secretary.icnz56@gmail.com

 

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