1875

The Ōtaki Historical Society says a tennis club first appeared in Ōtaki in the 1870s.

1915

The earliest known written records still in existence, from either tennis, squash or football in Ōtaki, are the 1915-1939 minutes records from Ōtaki Tennis Club. (They can currently be viewed in the Ōtaki Museum.)

1925 – the early beginnings of Ōtaki Sports Club

In 1925, Ōtaki Sports Club was first incorporated — but as The Ōtaki Lawn Tennis Club Inc. In those days, it had two tennis courts on Waerenga Road (on the site where the bowling club is now).

That same original incorporation is still being used today, 100 years later, for Ōtaki Sports Club.

1976

In 1976, after a huge local fundraising effort, the Ōtaki Tennis and Squash Club complex opened at its current site at Haruātai Park with four tennis courts and three squash courts

1982

Haruātai Park looked like this! (Click image to see full-sized version.)

1992 – the founding year of Ōtaki Sports Club

In 1992, the Ōtaki Soccer Club (which was formed in 1974) amalgamated with the Ōtaki Tennis and Squash Club, and Ōtaki Sports Club was born.

2019

Up until July 2019, the tennis courts were for the use only of club members. Then, following Kāpiti Coast District Council paying for resurfacing the courts that year, the club lease was amended and KCDC accepted full ownership of the courts including all future and ongoing maintenance.

KCDC then required the courts to be open to the public.

2021

The club received a grant of $120,000 from NZCT to put floodlights around the tennis and futsal courts. Details here.

2021 sporting highlights

The club has:

• its first women’s football team since the 1980s
• its first women’s squash team since the 1990s
• three senior interclub tennis teams for the first time in current club memory

2022

The club won the Nuku Ora (Sport Wellington) Club of the Year award, for its achievements in tennis.

The club was a finalist in the Tennis Central Club of the Year award (and then again in 2023).

2024

The 50th anniversary of football as an organised club sport in Ōtaki (including 32 years as part of Ōtaki Sports Club).

Ōtaki Sports Club a finalist in the Tennis Central Club of the Year award.

2025

The 100th anniversary of Ōtaki Sports Club as an incorporated society.

The club won the Tennis Central Club of the Year award.

Tennis membership rose 40% to close to 160, the club’s highest tennis membership level this century.

---

Historical news report

Here’s the earliest newspaper report we can find on Ōtaki Sports Club (in those days the Ōtaki Lawn Tennis Club): an Ōtaki Mail report from March 1931 on tennis competitions in Ōtaki.