8 January 2018 | Tennis Victoria

Goulburn has stormed to victory in the 2018 Inter-regional Country Championships at the Wodonga Tennis Centre.

The final day of the three-day event saw Goulburn and Barwon in contention for the Inter-regional Country Championships, but it was Goulburn that held firm.

Recording 263 points, the back-to-back champions held off a gallant Barwon (242) outfit that were attempting to win their 16th championship in 19 years.

Heather Lees, Team Manager from the Goulburn region was elated by the result and is eager to make it three in a row in 2019.

“We’re over the moon, we dared to dream and hoped that we could pull it off – it’s just fantastic,” Lees said.

“We hadn’t won that [Inter-regional Country Championships] for 57 years so it was pretty special last year. So going back-to-back is fantastic.

“A lot of things have got to fall into place (to win a third consecutive title),” she said.

Tournament Director, Andrew Reynolds, was pleased with how the event went especially during the four-hour delay on Day Two due to the gruelling heat, which saw the mercury climb to 41 degrees.

“We could not be happier with the running of the 2018 Inter-regional Country Championships despite the challenges with the extreme weather and tight schedules,” Reynolds said.

“Looking forward to seeing Goulburn playing for their third championship in a row at the Bendigo Lawn and Bendigo Tennis Association in 2019.”

South West was awarded the Cooke Shield for Most Improved Region, which was based on their significant progression from last year’s event.

The 2019 Inter-regional Country Championships is set to be hosted by Bendigo Lawn and Bendigo Tennis Association, which will see the 63rd instalment of the event.

Final standings:
Goulburn 263
Barwon 242
Mornington Peninsula 188
Loddon Campaspe 182
East Gippsland 165
Wimmera 136
South West 134
Central Highlands 119
Northern Mallee 99
North East 50