Students ace Todd Woodbridge Cup

BANGALOW Public School students are heading to Sydney this month to compete in the Todd Woodbridge Cup finals after clinching the regional title.

The team-based competition, which is for primary school stage 2 students (years 3 and 4), begins with school zone events followed by regional playoffs in term 3 and a state final in term 4.

The team of eight students, who train at Bangalow Tennis Club, defeated other teams from the Byron, Lismore and Ballina shires to make the finals.

“We weren’t expecting to make it this far, so we are so stoked to be representing our school and Bangalow at a state level,” nine-year-old Leo Drennan said. “It’s the best opportunity, and our team is so grateful to Tennis Australia and the Todd Woodbridge Cup.”

A team from Holy Family Catholic Primary School at Skennars Head, which was second in the competition, will also travel to Sydney for the finals.

Launched by Tennis NSW in 2015, the competition is named after Wimbledon-winning player Todd Woodbridge who was one half of the famous ‘Woodys’ tennis duo, alongside Mark Woodforde.

Tennis NSW’s Northern NSW tennis development officer Robert Fitzgerald said there was a great atmosphere at the regional final at Byron Bay Tennis Club, which offered the courts free of charge.

“There was a lot of good sportsmanship on display,” he said. “A lot of the other tennis events are individual events so it really does come down to working as a team, not just individual performance. It’s all doubles and mixed doubles played on mini courts using modified equipment.”

The finals will be held at Sydney Olympic Park on November 18.