South Australia Shows Up: Stop One of the 2026 Pickleball Community Cup

One Venue. Three days. Hundreds of everyday players.

The inaugural Pickleball Community Cup took place in Gawler, South Australia over the weekend, with one clear purpose: to bring communities together. From 31 July to 2 August, the Gawler Tennis Club became the first stop on a new kind of national event, run by the National Pickleball League in partnership with Pickleball Aus and  Tennis Australia.

 What we created together was an event with purpose, delivered professionally, while remaining grounded in the spirit of grassroots and amateur sport

- David Anjou, COO of the National Pickleball League.

This weekend was far more than points on a scoreboard. It was a testament to what happens when we use sports to bring people together, build connections, and show up.

Friday Night: The 5-Point Pickle Social

The weekend opened straight after work on Friday, with players streaming in from Adelaide and regional South Australia for the "5-Point Pickle" social. First-to-5-point matches in a continuous knockout format and live music, food and drink running alongside.

Even as the temperature dropped, the energy from the players never did. Club colours were encouraged on court, and there was a prize on the line for the winner.

Congratulations to Stefan Norodom and Jonas Arevalo, who took out the Friday night 5-Point Pickle.

Saturday: Gender Doubles 

Saturday started at 9 am — round robin play across all nine divisions, with Male and Female Doubles taking the courts as the carpark filled early. Beginner, Intermediate, and Intermediate Plus brackets ran side by side, split further into Open and Masters age divisions.

Congrats to the Winners! 

Men's Doubles — Beginner (3.0 and under) Ruan Van Wyk / Nathan Jelf

Men's Doubles — Intermediate (3.5 and under) Clement Ting / Adrian Iadarola

Men's Doubles — Intermediate Plus (4.5 and under) Hieu Nguyen / Jack Burden

Women's Doubles — Beginner (3.0 and under) Pauline Yeap / Mai Nguyen

Women's Doubles — Intermediate (3.5 and under) Winnie Giam / Meleanie Giam

Women's Doubles — Intermediate Plus (4.5 and under) Gemma Elliott / Belinda Wade

Sunday: Final Day. Mixed Doubles 

Sunday started at 9am, with round robin giving way to single elimination — Mixed Doubles took over the courts, closing the weekend out. 

Congrats to the Winners!

Mixed Doubles — Beginner (3.5 and under) Margaret Haarsma / Adrian Iadarola

Mixed Doubles — Intermediate (3.5 and under) Jonas Arevalo / Kathy Dang

Mixed Doubles — Intermediate Plus (4.5 and under) Claudia Milham / Tu-phong Thach

All Events Run On LADER

Gawler was the first Community Cup event run end-to-end on LADER, NPL's own tournament, league and club-session platform, built inside the league to run our own professional competition and now used by organisations well beyond it.

Over the weekend, LADER handled registrations and payments, brackets for all nine divisions, and live, paperless scoring on referees' phones. 

You can browse the full results and bracket history from Gawler here, or explore LADER for your own club or event.

Thank you, South Australia!

Several clubs made the trip from Adelaide, and several more from all over regional South Australia to come together in Gawler. Everyone who attended had a hand in what the first Community Cup turned out to be. Thank you for bringing the energy and making the first Community Cup a major success. 

Stop Two: Mooloolaba, Queensland

With over 150 people registered at the first stop, the series is off to a strong start.

If you missed Stop One, there are two more announced for 2026. Stop Two heads north to the Sunshine Coast, hosted by Mooloolaba Tennis Club. Full registrations and divisions are now open. Head over to LADER to register. 

FULL LIST OF PICKLEBALL COMMUNITY CUP – GAWLER RESULTS

OPEN DOUBLES – 5 POINT PICKLE COMP (FRIDAY)

1st place: Stefan Norodom / Jonas Arevalo

2nd place: Andrew Reilly / Steven Kaouna

3rd place: Ngoc Ly / Thai Dang

4th place: Mark Prevost / Phuong Thao Hua Tran

MEN'S DOUBLES – BEGINNER (3.0 AND UNDER)

1st place: Ruan Van Wyk / Nathan Jelf

2nd place: Naylan Chong / Brendon Wong

3rd place: James Vu / Chin Phan

4th place: Carlo Espartero / Hugh Drewer

MEN'S DOUBLES – INTERMEDIATE (3.5 AND UNDER)

1st place: Clement Ting / Adrian Iadarola

2nd place: Derrick Caballes / Josh Bustrillos

3rd place: Andy Lieu / Ngoc Ly

4th place: Anil Powar / Brandan Khor

MEN'S DOUBLES – INTERMEDIATE PLUS (4.5 AND UNDER)

1st place: Hieu Nguyen / Jack Burden

2nd place: Tu-phong Thach / Cason Chong

3rd place: Larry Chew / Jason Leung

4th place: Andrew Reilly / Steven Kaouna

WOMEN'S DOUBLES – BEGINNER (3.0 AND UNDER)

1st place: Pauline Yeap / Mai Nguyen

2nd place: Tania Heames-Robson / Margaret Haarsma

3rd place: Sam Cassar / Cherie Surman

4th place: Hannah Griffiths / Anne Custodio

WOMEN'S DOUBLES – INTERMEDIATE (3.5 AND UNDER)

1st place: Winnie Giam / Meleanie Giam

2nd place: Kim-Anh Nguyen / Pauline Yeap

3rd place: Helen Nguyen / Kathy Dang

4th place: Sharon Hutchings / Michele Russell

WOMEN'S DOUBLES – INTERMEDIATE PLUS (4.5 AND UNDER)

1st place: Gemma Elliott / Belinda Wade

2nd place: Carla Swanepoel / April Smith

MIXED DOUBLES – INTERMEDIATE (3.5 AND UNDER)

1st place: Jonas Arevalo / Kathy Dang

2nd place: Kinnaly Sengchanh / Stefan Norodom

3rd place: Mart Swinkels / Mariana Malet

4th place: Ngoc Ly / Pauline Yeap

MIXED DOUBLES – INTERMEDIATE PLUS (4.5 AND UNDER)

1st place: Claudia Milham / Tu-phong Thach

2nd place: Hieu Nguyen / Winnie Giam

3rd place: Sam Tarrant / Belinda Wad

4th place: Gemma Elliott / Jack Burden

MIXED DOUBLES – BEGINNER (3.5 AND UNDER)

1st place: Margaret Haarsma / Adrian Iadarola

2nd place: John Brown / Michele Russell

3rd place: Vicki Bull / Mark Prevost

4th place: Coralie Clayson / Nigel Gilbert