International Lawn Tennis Club of Great Britain

🎾 IC of GB vs AELTC | Sunday 24th May 2026

The International Club of Great Britain was warmly welcomed by John Lawler to the All England Lawn Tennis Club for the 71st staging of this long-standing and cherished fixture.

The day began with tea, coffee and a delicious array of pastries on the balcony, giving players and guests the opportunity to enjoy the stunning surroundings before taking to the courts.

Play began in glorious sunshine on immaculate Championship courts. The IC of GB fought extremely hard throughout — our open men’s and ladies’ pairs produced some sensational tennis, but unfortunately both lost closely contested championship tie-breaks. Despite the soaring temperatures, the IC continued to battle hard in the second round. Our senior pairs fought gallantly, while Sophie, Rob, Holly and Piers kept themselves hydrated and refused to give up without a fight — both matches going to another two nail-biting champs tie-breaks. The final score of 8-0 to the AELTC did not reflect or do justice to the incredible standard of tennis played throughout the day.

After cooling down, the teams enjoyed a gorgeous glass of cold champagne on the balcony before a delicious buffet supper brought the match to a close.

The IC of GB are privileged and honoured to be invited to play at the All England, and extend sincere thanks to the AELTC for their warm hospitality and for continuing a tradition that remains one of the highlights of the International Club calendar. A huge thanks must also go to our captain Karen Hunter for all her impeccable organisation and leadership as always 🌿

📍 Fenner’s, Cambridge 🎾🌿

The IC of GB Ladies enjoyed a memorable day on the grass courts at Fenner’s in Cambridge on Saturday 9 May, taking on the Oxbridge Ladies.

At this stage of the season, the opportunity to play on such excellent grass courts felt incredibly special. The courts played beautifully throughout the day and the team were extremely well looked after by our hosts.

The team of Georgie Axon, Jane Fennelly, Sophie Drakeford Lewis, Georgia Craven, Livvy Tomkins and Liv Parsons delivered outstanding performances across the board, completing a clean sweep of both the singles and doubles rubbers. Special mention to Georgia Craven for the comeback of the day — recovering from 1-6, 3-5, 0-40 down to win her singles match 1-6, 7-5, 10-5 in remarkable fashion. 👏

While the final result favoured the IC of GB Ladies, the contest itself was fiercely competitive throughout and much closer than the score alone suggests — a brilliant day of grass court tennis in Cambridge.

A big thank you to Liv Parsons for stepping in at short notice and contributing so strongly to the result, the Oxbridge Ladies for their superb hosting and excellent grass courts, and our match captain Laura Morrill for all her fantastic organisation. A brilliant occasion both on and off the court! 🎾🇬🇧

🎾🇫🇷 French Open Sweepstake is now LIVE 🇫🇷🎾

Fancy adding a little extra interest to Roland-Garros this year while supporting the IC of GB?

For just £10 per entry, you’ll be randomly allocated a player from the men’s or women’s singles draw — with prize money for players reaching the latter stages of the tournament… 👀

Multiple entries allowed. Draw closes 7pm Wednesday 20th May.

Entry link in the comments 👇

Please share with friends and family — every entry helps support IC of GB events throughout the year 🎾🇬🇧

📍 Club de Tennis Llafranc, Costa Brava, Spain 🇬🇧🇪🇸

The IC of GB travelled to the beautiful coastal town of Llafranc for a first-ever fixture against the IC of Spain — a trip organised following an initial conversation between Anne Clark and Santi Tintoré Belil. Ten players made the journey: Nigel Barker, Mike Carroll, Anne Clark, Ashley Compton Dando, Julie Fox, Peter Harding (Captain), Sue Harding, Rosie Naunton Morgan, Kim Reed and Alan Roberts.

Play took place at the excellent Club de Tennis Llafranc across 9–11 April, with the IC of Spain fielding a strong and distinguished side. When Ashley Compton Dando sustained an Achilles injury early in his first match, Peter Reed stepped in at short notice and produced some excellent tennis throughout.

The IC of GB led 5–3 after day one before winning four of the five remaining matches on day two, securing an overall 9–4 victory. A friendly mixed session with the Spanish players between rounds gave both teams the chance to exchange notes on clay court tennis — proving useful preparation for the final day. 🎾

Off court, the team enjoyed warm hospitality from their hosts, including a welcome cocktail party and evenings spent at the beachside restaurants of Llafranc. Members of the IC of Spain’s Honorary Organising Committee were presented with Centenary ties and IC of GB pens at the official lunch.

In recognition of his outstanding organisation of the fixture, Santi Tintoré Belil was awarded Honorary Membership of the IC of GB — presented by Anne Clark following the official lunch. In a wonderful reciprocal gesture, Captain Peter Harding was awarded Honorary Membership of the IC of Spain. Huge thanks to Santi, the Club de Tennis Llafranc and all involved for a memorable trip. 🎾🎾🎾​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

📍 IC 4 Nations Tournament @ Kelvin Grove Club, Cape Town, South Africa 🇬🇧🇿🇦

The IC of GB headed to Cape Town for a memorable 4 Nations Cup — and what a week it was. The team of Karen Cass (Match Manager), Jo Shepherd, Miranda Hosking, Gill Thompson, Peter Harding, Andy Hutchinson and Harry Randle - making his IC debut - competed across four gruelling matches in challenging wind, heat and conditions that tested even the most seasoned IC campaigners.

GB beat the Southern Hemisphere team on day one before facing the hosts in the final. Poised at 2-2 after the doubles, all four mixed doubles went to a final set tiebreak — Andy and Gill winning theirs brilliantly — but South Africa edged the tie to claim the Nations Cup. The Friendship Cup that followed saw most of the team finish first or second, taking home some beautiful glass hippo trophies to show for it. 🏆

A special mention to Chris Lister James and Jenny Cerff, who joined the squad as guest South Africans and played every match with tremendous spirit. At the closing ceremony, Peter Harding and Karen Cass were awarded honorary membership of the IC of SA — a wonderful recognition. Peter also presented Duard Botha with honorary membership of the IC of GB in return.

Huge thanks to Leonie Grondel, Duard Botha and the entire Kelvin Grove team for their exceptional hosting, and to referee Lorna Krog and the wider organising committee.

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11 April 2026 @ Fitzwilliam Lawn Tennis Club, Dublin 🇬🇧🇮🇪

The away leg of the annual IC of GB vs Fitzwilliam fixture took place on Saturday 11 April - and it certainly didn’t disappoint!

5 players representing the IC of GB - John Thompson, Ben Clark, Matt Morrow, Kate Gardiner and Georgia Craven (many making their debuts for the IC of GB), made the journey to Dublin to take on a strong Fitzwilliam side on their fast indoor hard courts.

The tie ended in a 6–2 victory for IC of GB, with strong performances across both the singles and doubles rubbers. 🎾

Off court, Fitzwilliam were exceptional hosts - their Club Champs launch night set the perfect tone before the evening continued in Dublin…

Huge thanks to the Fitzwilliam team for their warmth and hospitality. A special mention to our match manager, Matt Kirby, for the organisation and our match captain, John Thompson for leading the team. Until next year!

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18 - 23 January 2026 @ Kooyong Lawn Tennis Club in Melbourne 🇬🇧🇦🇺

The Inaugural IC Grand Slam Reunion was our first fixture of the year!

Five IC of GB members swapped the January gloom for Melbourne sunshine to compete in the inaugural GSR Challenge at the iconic Kooyong Lawn Tennis Club - historic home of the Australian Open. Representing GB were Emily Arbuthnott, Laura Slater, Judy Horn, Joy Tacon and Andrew Pisker, with a special guest appearance from Sian Bayliss. The week blended high-quality doubles and mixed doubles match play (Team World vs Team Australia) with unforgettable social highlights, including a visit to the AO at Melbourne Park. 🦘

Despite a spirited fight from Team World, the hosts secured a 21–9 victory, but the true triumph was the camaraderie, reconnections and celebration of tennis history - culminating in a spectacular Gala Dinner marking 75 years of IC Australia, with more than 200 Grand Slam titles represented in the room. 🏆

Huge thanks to IC Australia for exceptional hosting, and special thanks to Captain Emily Arbuthnott for her outstanding leadership and organisation throughout!

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🎾 IC of GB NEW MEMBERS EVENT 2026 🎾

On 31st Jan the committee welcomed our new members with a tennis mix-in, dinner and speeches. Congratulations to all new members and thank you to the Roehampton Club for hosting us!

🥳 Happy New Year from the IC of GB! 🎾✨

To all our members and friends around the world — thank you for an incredible 2025!

Here’s to more tennis, great friendships, and unforgettable moments in 2026. Let’s make it a year full of aces! 💥

🎄 Merry Christmas from the IC of GB!

To our members and friends across the globe — thank you for a fantastic year.

Here’s to more tennis, friendship, and unforgettable moments in the year ahead!🎾✨