The Te Mata Tennis Club dates back to the late 1940s. I could describe Te Mata Tennis Club as an informal tennis club, but that would be untrue; it is fascinating to look at these workbooks and accounts of the members and their tournaments and the business of running the club.
The archives were simply amazing to pour through, with the 80s and 90s detailing a boom, and the families keeping this club going in a very isolated community. Sports and community get-togethers were a real focus. There was a thriving netball community at this time that played in Hamilton, with players enjoying the seasons of netball / badminton and then enjoying tennis in the summer.
In the early 2000s a core crew of volunteers renovated the court and painted the lines. There were subsequent working bees: planting trees, building in a BBQ area with family groups, and groups of women meeting regularly with their kids creating memories.
Past family members that were children at the time have now become re-involved and are bringing the Te Mata Tennis Club a new lease of life. A new core committee has engaged with funders, sponsors, and community to renovate the courts and services and get back to competing as a team club. And BOY did they compete!
One ex-Te Mata Club player records, “I just loved it; we got together and we had a great time. The friendship, the camaraderie, the competition, the fun, the rivalry and the challenge. We had the social element, the BBQs, and the time together.”
Another ex-player states, “Everyone brought something, it was wonderful.”
From pouring through the archives it is evident that people enjoy the small community vibe that can be experienced at Te Mata. The club has survived due to the huge amount of people in the community donating time, food for BBQs, money, and expertise.
The courts have been well used over the years by Te Mata School, at lunch, morning and afternoon tea. These courts haven’t just been used by the Te Mata Tennis Club, they have been a community asset loved by all.
The club has always had a deeply social side indicative of Te Mata and Te Uku communities who value their time together whilst also taking their sport and their fitness seriously. Now we see the return to the Te Mata Tennis Club site, and the return to the club and the sport, with the new core committee securing financial support from Rabobank, as Te Mata Tennis Club is the 2024 recipient of the Rabobank Good Deeds Competition. Thanks also to the Raglan Community Board who have also helped with funding. The new committee is looking to extend sponsorship and fundraise to provide players with a re-surfaced court.
The vintage documents have been taken to Raglan Museum, whilst I was left with the workbook from the 90s to study. It is so inspiring to see the work of whanau spanning over previous decades, and I wish the new committee all the best on their journey to bring this incredible sport back to Te Mata.
If you would like to find out more about Te Mata Tennis Club and the new committee or support the sponsorship drive reach out to:
Email. tematatennisclub@gmail.com
Facebook. Te Mata Tennis Club
They would love to hear from you
By Katie Lowes
