The Tennis Victoria Country Week has concluded after the competition was successfully held in Wodonga, with teams from regional Australia and New Zealand participating.
The tournament finished on Friday, February 16, with 28 winners crowned.
Country Week is the largest grass court community teams tournament in the world with 1320 players aged 16 to 82 taking part this year.
In total 221 teams competed in 868 matches across 28 grades.
One of the participants was Euroa’s Mary Dewis, who was announced as a Country Week Legend.
Meanwhile, Le Contes, a charismatic side from Shepparton and Geelong, went back-to-back-to-back in the Men’s Section One grand final.
Le Contes is comprised of team members James McArthur, Adam Lasky, Curt Garwood, Jarrod Bingham, David Starling, Matthew Findlay and Taj Cayzer.
The group has won seven Section One grand finals since its inception in 2011.
Team captain Bingham said the side was simply a group of mates who enjoyed the atmosphere of Country Week and used the tournament to stay in touch with each other as they grow older.
“It’s one of the best things about Country Week is that it is not serious tennis, but it’s really competitive tennis and it is also played in a really good spirit,” Bingham said.
“A lot of the teams in A-grade have been coming for a few years now, so you get to know the guys you play against and at the same time when you go out there, everyone is really trying their hardest to win.
“It’s (Le Contes) a group of people that we have grown up playing tennis with and we are all getting older now, and a few of us have had kids in the last year. It is weeks like Country Week, which are the only chance for us to see each other now.”
Country Week is known to be a mix of competitive tennis and a vibrant atmosphere.
This blend of quality sport and social fun has endeared itself to Bingham’s side, as 2024 was the 13th year it had competed in the tournament.
While Bingham’s love for this side is evident in how he speaks, some of his teammates have gone a more creative route to express their appreciation for Le Contes.
“The year it (Country Week) got cancelled due to COVID-19, a couple of the boys organised to get the tattoo and it sort of shocked us all a little bit,” Bingham said.
“And then a couple of guys this year, they bit the bullet and they got the tattoo as well, so there are four of them now that have got the tats. I’m still holding out; I haven’t got mine yet.
“I don’t think there are too many teams which have gone to the length of getting team tattoos. The boys raised the bar in that sense.”
In terms of how long Le Contes’ reign will last, not even Bingham knows, but the captain does hope the group of mates can continue for at least a couple more years so they can attempt a Country Week record.
“Hopefully, we can get the record for (title) wins,” he said.
“I think the Gippsland Bulls won nine in the early 2000s, so one of the boys said the other day that we are only two off, so we will see how long we can keep hanging on for.”
The Tennis Victoria Country Week will be back in 2025, this time at Swan Hill from February 9-14.