[Photo: Rob Wilkinson (Chairman Ryde Sports Foundation), Richard Price (CEO Sydney Sports Management Group, Scott Riley (Managing Director Sydney Sports Management Group) John Alexander (Former Member of the Australian House of Representatives), Jordan Lane (Mayor City of Ryde) , Victor Dominello (Member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly) @ North Ryde Tennis & Padel
Sydney Sports Management Group (SSMG) have operated Tennis World at North Ryde for over 20 years. The Office of Sport awarded SSMG $2M from Round One of the Multi-Sport Community Facility Fund with works expected to start late 2022.
SSMG will repurpose the existing tennis courts to provide multi-sports offerings that include netball, basketball, 5-aside football and the continuation of tennis. The project will also include the construction of a roof over two courts. The local community, schools, sporting associations and corporates will benefit from the upgrades with the new facility increasing local participation in sport and recreation.
Richard Price, SSMG’s Chief Executive was delighted with the news.
“I am delighted the Office of Sport have trusted SSMG with this important community funding. The proposal to adapt the facility to multi-sport usage will increase the local community’s participation across several sports. The facility upgrade will also benefit local schools and businesses.
At SSMG we strongly believe this multi-sports approach increases local level participation in sport and recreation. The team and I are invested in supporting the NSW Government’s drive to increase female participation in sport and multi-sports provide more opportunities. The facility upgrades will also focus on accessibility for people with a disability, enabling even more people to participate in local sport and recreation.”
Rob Wilkinson, Chairman of the Ryde Sports Foundation, was really pleased with the opportunities this will provide, in the rapidly growing city of Ryde, given the current demand for sporting facilities across the board. “Given the projected population growth of North Ryde in the coming years, the proximity to Macquarie Business Park, the metro, and the M2 motorway, this will undoubtedly ensure that SSMG’s innovative approach to repurposing community recreation assets will result in a positive impact throughout the Ryde LGA community, and surrounds.”
“As Mayor, it’s always a delight to welcome new and improved sporting facilities in the Ryde community,” Ryde Mayor Jordan Lane said. “This will set Tennis World up for the future, and make the great sport of tennis, and new sports like Padel available and accessible to local residents for many years to come.” “I clearly still need to work on my forehand – JA (John Alexander) is still king.”
“State Member for Ryde, Victor Dominello, said it was satisfying to see efforts to reinvigorate the venue considering the fight to save it from developer encroachment a decade ago”. ”So it’s great to see Tennis World is not only still here, but expanding its offering with the assistance of the NSW Government”
Scott Riley, SSMG’s Founder and Managing Director
SSMG has managed the site for 20 years and we have continually adapted and innovated our service offering to compliment emerging recreation trends. We will continue our innovative journey with the inclusion of beach tennis and volleyball and a number of sustainability initiatives. The team is looking forward to revitalising this valuable community asset and continuing to provide recreation services to the City of Ryde residents and Macquarie Business Park workers.