Collaroy celebrates the first Grand Slam of 2026

The Court 3 Crew in (mainly) Green and Gold

On Saturday, 31 January 2026, the Club celebrated the first of its now famous Grand Slam Social Events for 2026, as the AO came to Collaroy.

Aussie flags flew proudly throughout the Club and over 40 members registered to play, turning up dressed in their best Green and Gold or other Aussie clobber as we ran a Round Robin across all six courts, swapping doubles partners every 4 games. (Disclaimer: No car keys or bowls were involved in the running of this tournament.)

Wazza's return to Collaroy didn't take long!

Among that number, we were blessed by the return of one of our favourite sons, all the way from the far North Coast… yes, Wazza made a now rare appearance at the Club, just to make sure we hadn’t forgotten him. (As if that would be possible when he still owes drinks to so many of us.)

While the AO was being played on the big screen in the clubhouse, matches every bit as exciting were fought out, live, on our own courts. At the end of the day, results were extremely close, as follows:

Court 1 Winner: Sarah D. Runner-Up: Alex W.

Court 2 Winner: Martin                Runners-Up (a 3-way tie!): Chris E., Mark W. and Sue B.

Court 3 Winner: John H. Runner-Up (by 1 game!): Valerie

Court 4 Winner: Colm Runners-Up (a 2-way tie just 1 game behind) Anna C. & Harrison

Court 5 Winner: Kenny Runner-Up (by 1 game): Dave

Court 6 Winner: Tony N. Runner-Up (by 1 game): Shervin

Fiona, Michela, Fabiana and Damian, making it POP!

Along with Wazza, POP Tennis also made another appearance and proved ‘popular’, particularly among our Brazilian/Australian contingent, standouts with their punk tennis Mohawks. (More photos below)

The crowd went wild at the official presentation, with chants of “Aussie, Aussie, Aussie … CollaROY, CollaROY, CollaROY” echoing across the neighbourhood.

A huge thank you to all the members who in true Aussie spirit, volunteered delicious BYO nibbles, salads and desserts to complement the BBQ provided by the Club (thanks for organising Kate and Ed and for cooking Peter and Colm). In a break from Aussie Arvo Tea staples, Michela provided a Brazilian delicacy of fresh strawberries topped by the creamy sweetness of ‘brigadeiro de leite ninho’ (like a milk powder fudge)… mouth-wateringly good!

Best dressed prizes were so difficult to award at this first Slam of the year, but eventually went to Fiona K. and Richard, for their true blue, green and gold Aussie jerseys. (Been a while since you won a Grand Slam Richard, but at least you took home a prize! 😊)

Now we await our next Grand Slam Social in June when a touch of Roland Garos comes to Collaroy. Allez!