Pickleball takes off in Tai Tokerau: Fast‑growing sport draws all ages

Pickleball instructor Len Rust is passionate about Northlanders trying out his favourite sport.

Whangārei’s Len Rust is crazy about pickleball, and wants everyone to pick up a paddle and head to their nearest club to try it.

Rust, a pickleball instructor at a Tikipunga club, got hooked on the game - a cross between tennis, badminton and table tennis – seven years ago.

Originating in the United States, it’s one of the fastest-growing sports in the world, and Rust is passionate about promoting it in Tai Tokerau.

Rust was a tennis coach living in Canada before moving to NZ in the 1990s.

In 2018 he travelled to the US to help his brother at his North Carolina tennis academy.

His brother “signed me up for a pickleball tournament” which he enjoyed as the games were short and not too competitive, and catered for all ages.

“At the time I didn’t know what pickleball was about,” Rust said.

“I played in a couple of tournaments and did very well.

“I came back to New Zealand and tried to find out where we have it here too.”

Rust found just three clubs; one in Mt Albert, one in Māngere Bridge, and one in Rotorua.

The following year, he returned to the US to visit his brother again, decided to become a pickleball instructor, and gained a qualification.

“I returned to NZ and started my own club in Howick [Auckland].

“Since then, pickleball has gone off.

“Nearly five years ago I moved to Whangārei and started a pickleball group in Tikipunga.

“We have a good group of people playing.”

Over the years, the club has grown to include more than 100 people who play at various times of the week on four courts.

There is a competitive group on Thursday nights and social games on Saturdays.

Rust said pickleball has taken off in Whangārei and across the north.

“There are easily more than 12 to 15 clubs,” he said.

“Now you can play pickleball every day of the week; at the badminton centre on Porowini Ave, in Ngunguru, at McKay Stadium, Pompallier Catholic College, Tikipunga, Ōtaika, Dargaville, Russell, Kerikeri and Kaikohe.”

Rust said pickleball had been introduced to a wide range of schools in Northland including Kerikeri High School, Kamo High School, Tauraroa Area School, and Tikipunga primary and high schools.

Rust said the sport has potential to continue spreading as an inclusive, addictive, and highly social sport for all ages.

Other benefits include improving community wellbeing, he said.

“It’s fun, and it caters for all skill levels.

“It’s very easy to learn; it provides a platform for competition and a challenge to try something new.”

Rust’s personal goal is to introduce pickleball to every school and retirement village across the country, “so people can experience the many benefits of this amazing and addictive sport”.

Jenny Ling is a senior journalist at the Northern Advocate. She has a special interest in covering human interest stories, along with finance, roading, and social issues.