Club Rules

By a strange quirk, the Parnell Lawn Tennis Club, was founded before the game of tennis was invented. Celebrating its 150^th anniversary this year, the “Parnell Croquet Club” was founded in August of 1872. But by 1877, the rapid rise in popularity of the new game of tennis had forced a name change.

Unquestionably the oldest tennis club in New Zealand, some even contend that only the All-England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbledon, founded in 1869, is older.

Perhaps it’s his legal training as a barrister, but past-president and passionate club member, Alan Gluestein, is diplomatically cautious in seconding this bold claim.

“All we really know is that they changed their name to include ‘tennis’ in 1877, and so did Parnell. While tennis quickly grew in popularity, the interest in croquet waned. You could say the club has always evolved to meet the needs of its members. And it still does today.”

Alan is currently researching and writing a comprehensive history of the club, to be published in conjunction with other 150^th anniversary festivities later in the year.

An entire cupboard of his legal chambers in central Auckland has been given over to folder after folder of documents pertaining to the club – minutes, newsletters, annual reports, photos, film reels. For a research project like this, it’s all invaluable material.

“I’m fascinated by the historical aspect. Because of the age of the club and its prominence as a social organisation right from the early days of Auckland, there are many well-known family names in the records who were members during the early years. To some extent reading the club material is akin to reading through a social history of Auckland. The wealth of material we have access to is phenomenal.”

And it’s still being found. Alan himself unearthed original honours boards dating back to 1892 under the clubrooms just days before we spoke.

He also has original minutes going back to 1872. It’s interesting to note that, in a time when women didn’t have the right to vote, the Parnell Lawn Tennis Club had a woman president – Mrs. Reader Wood – for the first 20 years of its existence.

“As New Zealand’s oldest tennis club there is plenty of heritage to explore,” he continues. “However, it is also a very innovative club and has always been at the forefront of developments in the sport.”

Alan says that the decision to convert to an all-weather court surface in 1982 was a controversial one at the time. Yet, with one eye on the future of the club, the decision paid off, extending the Parnell Lawn Tennis Club from a summer-only institution to year-round. The club also invested in floodlighting early on and, most recently, a smartphone app which allows members to interact with many facets of the club even when they’re not onsite.

“All clubs are competing for members, but I think Parnell – the location, the facilities, the history, the people – puts forward a very compelling case for membership. We’ve always been a very member-focused club,” says Alan.

A commercial focus is important too. Relying on volunteers and working bees only gets you so far. The Parnell Lawn Tennis Club is in the enviable position of being able to have a full-time club manager, full-time bar manager, and access to some of the best coaching available for those who want it. Club sponsors, such as Head, TSB Bank, Jaguar and others, help underline the pedigree of the club and contribute to the upkeep of its sparkling facilities.

The executive committee – some relatively new in their respective roles – are keen to ensure the club remains relevant, modern and, above all, fun to be a member of. Its reputation means it attracts talent too.

Having previously enjoyed roles within Auckland Tennis and the New Zealand Tennis Seniors, it perhaps isn’t too much of a surprise to learn Parnell Lawn Tennis Club Manager, Feleti Sofele, is known as ‘Mr. Tennis’.

“We are always mindful of giving back to our sponsors as much as they give us,” says Feleti. “That’s why having a full calendar of regular tournaments is important for the club; it all serves to promote the club to the public. The balance between being competitive as a club and providing a fun, social environment people want to come in the gate for is an important thing to get right.”

The club is definitely competitive, performing consistently well in interclub competitions and national tournaments. Since the 1920s it has remained the winningest club in the annual Caro Bowl interclub championship.

“If I was going to sum up the club, I think there are two themes,” says current Club President, Graeme Fraser. “On the one side, we are absolutely passionate about tennis and getting people involved in the game – fostering a real love for the sport.

“And on the other side, this is a very social club. This is a place where people come to meet with friends; there is vitality to the club beyond the court and that’s so important for the lifeblood of the organisation.”

While the past might be playing a larger part than ever in this the Parnell Lawn Tennis Club’s milestone 150^th year, the enthusiasm for what lies ahead for the club over the next century is palpable.