Sport
6 April, 2026
Kara Kara the court champs
The eventual winners quickly made their intentions clear, running out convincing winners in the men’s, ladies’, and mixed doubles to complete a clean sweep of match points.
KARA Kara claimed the North Central Lawn Tennis Association premiership in emphatic fashion on Saturday, outclassing St Arnaud 216 games to 165.
The eventual winners quickly made their intentions clear, running out convincing winners in the men’s, ladies’, and mixed doubles to complete a clean sweep of match points.
The men’s section set the tone early, with Kara Kara’s depth proving the difference.
Luke Jackson and Will Jackson, along with the combination of Thomas Watts and Bruce Hando, were among the standout performers for the premiers, each posting commanding victories.
Jackson Needs and Ben Greenaway and the pairing of Jackson Needs and Jack McRae also contributed winning sets as Kara Kara put on a clinic, running out 72 games to 45 to claim the section convincingly.
St Arnaud’s men battled hard, with Sam Male and Jason Rowe, and Bailey Durward and Jake Male pushing the pace in patches, but the visitors were ultimately unable to match Kara Kara’s consistency across all ten sets.
The ladies’ section provided the day’s most dramatic contest, with St Arnaud pushing Kara Kara all the way in a nail-biting encounter decided by just two games.
Rogan Hando and Alex Baldwin, and the combination of Trudie Jackson and Caitlyn Goode, fought hard for St Arnaud, while Andrea Johns and Christine Goode and the impressive Imogen Amos featured consistently throughout.
For Kara Kara, Aimee Jones, Sharyn Erwin, Holly Fawcett, and Katie Erwin were tireless, and it was the gritty combination of Alison Coloe and Sarah McRae who helped edge the section 66–64 to give the premiers a crucial buffer heading into the mixed doubles.
Any lingering St Arnaud hopes were extinguished in the mixed doubles, where Kara Kara produced their most commanding performance of the day. Will Jackson and Aimee Jones opened the section in style, and the contributions of Thomas Watts and Kim Nevill, Bruce Hando and Sophie Male, and Jackson Needs and Alison Coloe ensured Kara Kara marched to a 78–56 result and sealed the premiership.
At close, Kara Kara captain Luke Jackson accepted the honour, with St Arnaud captain Sam Male a gracious opponent.
Read More: St Arnaud