First ever Whanganui Racketlon Tournament

Whanganui’s first ever Racketlon Tournament took place last weekend attracting players from Palmerston North, a highly ranked player from Christchurch and the number one female player as well. It has been in New Zealand for some time and is growing internationally.

Racketlon is when you play four different but similar sports – tennis, table tennis, squash and badminton. Each game goes to 21 points and the winner is the one who has the most points at the end of the four games. While you might win big in your speciality sport, you still have to gain enough in the other three to ensure a win. As one of the organisers, Matt Power, who is not only treasurer at Wanganui Squash but also a committee member at Tennis Whanganui, says “The format doesn’t really favour any one sport.”

The competition covered both male and female competitions and doubles and took place over two days. Matt says, “It is helped by the great facilities we have in Whanganui. All the four clubs were involved with helping organise, supervising and providing their facilities.”

The competition allowed participants to get some warm-up games if they are attending the Racketlon nationals and to get practice before competing in their sports at the Masters Games.

The winners were:

• Men’s singles – Kyle Butters. He was seeded 3rd with tennis being his speciality sport.
• Women’s singles – Ngakuira Osborne, an ex-local, now living in Palmerston North.
• Doubles – Father and son, Dave and Kyle Butters.

Matt comments on the Butters family as follows: “Dave and Kyle not only took out the doubles but also the overall team’s event with Dave's daughter, Paris and Kyle's partner, Noelle. Unstoppable force this Butters whanau, after the family took out the entire open section at the Maori tennis nationals 4 weeks ago!”

A total of 28 competed and Matt says, “It was a great success, so we are planning for a second tournament at the same time next year.”

River City Press 28/1/21