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22 May 2012 | Tennis Victoria

Shepparton Lawn Tennis Club and Mooroopna Lawn Tennis Club will co-host the Victorian Country Week tournament for the first time in 2014.

The clubs worked with the Greater Shepparton City Council to put the proposal together and are looking forward to the challenge of holding the huge event.

“We did the bid with the clubs, we put that all together to make the whole proposal more professional, to take things to a new level,” said Anthony Nicolaci, Team Leader of Events and Promotions in the Greater Shepparton City Council.

“We are looking forward to hosting such a prestigious event.”

“So many people attend the tournament and it’s one of the biggest participation events within Australia.”

“It’s very exciting for our town. “

Nicolaci said the key objective of the event was the economic impact. Over 1200 players participate in the tournament each year, bringing in substantial income to the area thanks to the influx of visitors.

Administrator of the VCTA Pat Gilchrist said the Shepparton and Mooroopna club deserved their chance to put on the event.

“Shepparton’s submission was very good, they have a large tennis community which has always supported the VCTA Country Week,” said Gilchrist. 

She said that while the social aspect was a driving factor for the continued success of the tournament, “tennis is the common denominator that brings everyone together.”

Along with Shepparton and Mooroopna, the hosts for the 2015 and 2016 events have also been announced.

Wodonga Tennis Club will hold the 32nd Country Week in 2013 as well as the 2016 tournament and the Swan Hill Lawn Tennis Club, who hosted this year’s event, will host the event in 2015.

To be eligible to hold the annual event, the host club must have the capacity to provide up to 100 permanent and temporary grass courts.  The area must also be able to accommodate 1200-1500 players and have suitable entertainment venues for social events to cater for up to 600 players each evening.