Dylan Arvela
The Italian Australia Sporting Club in Morwell has a busy schedule in the first half of 2020 after securing the rights to host two major darts events as well as the Australian Bocce Championships.
The club will host the Victorian Classic darts tournament over the Australia Day weekend before holding a leg of the Dartplayers Australia Pro tour in May.
These two events will be followed by the Australian Bocce Championships which will fall on the Queen’s Birthday weekend in June.
Italian Australia Sporting Club general manager Cassandra Rendell said she was delighted to secure the events.
“We’ve been working really hard over the last three years to get the Vic Classic back,” she said.
“We have darts here three nights a week and we felt it was really important to try and give back to those players that support our club on a weekly basis.
“We’ve been holding some really big events over the last 12 months to try and attract players from Melbourne and all over Australia to come down here and play.”
She said holding the competitions were advantageous not only to the club but all the community with hundreds of people set to come into the region.
“I expect the Vic Classic, which is now a Grand Prix event, will have players come from all over as it’s the first one of the calendar year,” Ms Rendell said.
A hundred-plus players will be here for that event and between 100 to 150 for the Bocce Championships, then you’ve got the people who will be here to watch as well.”
Morwell Bocce Club secretary Sally Fava said attracting the Bocce Championships to the Latrobe Valley was a massive coup and she looks forward to using the tournament to showcase the sport’s rich history in the region.
“It’s really exciting to host the Championships especially as it is the first time it’s being held in the region,” she said.
“This will be the first time it won’t be held on a metro area. It’s also very important for us that we have got it on the 50th anniversary of bocce in Australia.
“We are very excited to be given this chance to be able to celebrate our history.”
