The Victorian Country Championships, nicknamed ‘Country Week’, is one of the premier competitions on the TTV calendar and has some of the best and most loved history amongst our tournaments.

The excitement of going away with the team, competing against clubs from around Victoria for the shields and taking on the singles events are some obvious highlights. Not to mention the fun of finishing the day off with a few drinks alongside your teammates or laughing about the days play over dinner, simple things that add to the long list of what makes Country Week so fantastic.

2021 marks the 70th anniversary of the event and to celebrate its wonderful history we reached out to some of the players who have made this event so special over so many years.

Someone with plenty of Country Week experience is Geelong’s Dirk Holwerda who has represented a total of seven different Clubs and Associations at the Country Championships over the years.

Dirk has played for Leongatha, Colac, Albury Wodonga, Traralgon, Wonthaggi, Geelong and even Yackandandah, an Association specifically formed by Victorian players who were part of the Albury & Wodonga TTA which was unable to register with Victoria as they were deemed to be playing in NSW at the time.

He’s had plenty of time to represent all of these clubs after competing at his first Country Week more than five decades ago in 1970.

“I have only missed the years that I was living interstate. There was one year playing in the Winnum-Manly competition in Brisbane, three years playing in Goulburn and Canberra in NSW and the ACT, and three years playing in both the Devonport and Burnie competitions in Tasmania.” Said Dirk.

Reminiscing about his start in table tennis, Dirk recalled his time playing competitively in the Leongatha Association competition.

“My beginning in table tennis occurred when I commenced working at the Shire in Leongatha where there was a table in the lunchroom until I was convinced to join a Shire team in the Leongatha Association competition,” he said.

“I started in C Grade and won the leading player in my first season. I was then invited by Roy Comrie to play in the Fish Creek summer competition and immediately ended up in A grade there and at Leongatha the next year.”

As you can imagine five decades on, Dirk has a plethora of amazing memories and moments from the Country Championships. But nothing can top his first, when after just three months of playing table tennis competitively he found himself playing off in the decider.

“My favourite standout moment was definitely my first Country Week which I participated in only 3 months after taking up the sport,” he recalled.

“Playing in the lowest Grade and having to play the decider in the playoffs for the Shield at 5 all, against Dr. Godfrey, a legend and fierce competitor was a challenge. But coming out on top to win the Shield was a moment I will always remember.

“However, my most satisfying achievement has been convincing TTA, TTNSW and TTV to accept Albury Wodonga as a Victorian Association as nearly half of the members were Victorian based.”

Dirk received a life membership after serving 9 years as the President of Albury Wodonga and oversaw their growth from a shed at the Showgrounds to the Albury Sports Stadium where they had to set up and take down 38 tables every night and over to their own facility.

He has represented both Victoria and the ACT at the National Veterans Championships and regularly compete in the Veterans Tournaments across the State.

“Country Week is very special in my sporting calendar as it builds and maintains friendships across the State and is based on strong competition in the various Grades which have fairly equal abilities and provides opportunity for social interaction over a great weekend” said Dirk to close out our conversation.

He has certainly had a phenomenal Country Championships career and we can’t wait to see Dirk compete for Geelong at the 70^th Annual Country Championships between July 31 and August 1 this year.