The Taumarunui Pickleball club was founded in November 2024 by Taumarunui residents Peter and Terry Cook. When Peter and Terry moved to Taumarunui from Perth, Western Australia in September 2024, one of the first things they did was look for a Pickleball club. Having not found one, they made it their priority to establish one.
With the help from Amy Perez and the Taumarunui Youth and Community Trust, Peter and Terry were able to secure the use of the Taumarunui Athletics Centre and obtain four Pickleball net and paddle sets. Amy produced a Facebook page for the club and the local Taumarunui Bulletin published an article introducing Pickleball to town. The club was born.
Within a very short period, the club had around a dozen regular and very enthusiastic players who attended most of the two sessions played per week. By October 2025, in less than a year from establishment, the club had out grown the available playing spots in the Taumarunui Athletics Centre on one playing night so we needed to run double sessions on that day.
However, the club was a club in 'name' only. It wasn't until September 2025 that the club established a committee, and then in November 2025 became an Incorporated Society.
In March 2026, the club put in place an agreement with the Taumarunui Netball Centre enabling the club to utilise the outdoor netball centre court area and pavilion for playing pickleball. Seven pickleball courts were professionally painted on the netball court area, and the clubs 'permanent' home was established.
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