Hobart TAS 7000, Australia, 19 October 2018 | Tennis Tasmania

Tasmania’s best 12 and under players are set to compete in the Bruce Cup in Adelaide.

The Bruce Cup is a prestigious annual national primary school teams event, pitting state against state in a round-robin competition. It runs from October 20 to 27.

The 14-member Tasmanian team prepared for the event with a training camp in Burnie last month, where they spent time hitting and learning with former world No.3 doubles star Casey Dellacqua.

The recently-retired Dellacqua spoke to the group, sharing stories from her junior days representing Western Australia. She emphasised the importance of teamwork, being proud to represent their state and enjoying the opportunity.

Coach Trent Constance, who along with Alyssa Hibberd will lead the team in Adelaide, is confident they will represent the state well.

“It is a great chance for these promising young players to test themselves against the best players in their age group across the country,” he said.

“Excitement is high and team spirit is strong, even before they step on the court I’m proud of the team we have representing our state.”

Tasmanian Bruce Cup 2018 team

Team: Jack Akl, George Anderson, Lachlan Browne, Ava Curtis, Alicia Dale, Mia Healy, Edison Lee, Alex Martin, Brooke Miller, Annabelle Radcliff, Callum Wherrett, Olivia Wilkinson, Summer Wilkinson, Campbell Young
Coaches: Alyssa Hibberd, Trent Constance
Team manager: Caroline Wegner