Several towns in the Western Plains will be struck with tennis fever in the coming weeks.

Tennis Champion Louise Pleming and her team from Rally4ever are travelling around the western plains to give adults and children free tennis lessons and bring people back on the court.

The R4E team kicked off their tour in Condobolin yesterday and were in Lake Cargelligo today. From there they'll head to Warren, Nyngan, Cobar, Girilambone, and Bourke before turning for home via Walgett, Coonamble, Gulargambone, and Dubbo.

R4E said they are focusing on regional towns that might have faced the stresses of flooding, drought, and isolation.

In December 2023, the foundation ran pilot tennis program with young people in several regional towns, including Condobolin. The program was well received by Elders, Aboriginal Health Services, and council members which means that R4E is coming back to more towns.

“The Rally4ever community program gives people the opportunity to learn new skills and make new friends, motivating them to keep coming back each week once they start playing regularly,” Pleming said.

On this tour, the professional tennis player will be providing the training along with three other coaches, including Ian Goolagong, brother of the legendary Yvonne Goolagong.

R4E began when a man going through homelessness met Pleming at a soup kitchen and asked if she wanted to play a tennis match with him. The two began having weekly tennis matches and became good friends. The regular matches brought a positive change to the man’s life which inspired Pleming to start the R4E program.

Children and adults are invited to join in on the Rally4Ever tour this year. IMAGE: Rally4Ever

The main goal of the program is to inspire young people to pick up the racquet and head to the court but the event is open to people of all ages. “It’s great for people who might not be going out enough or feeling lonely, it really works," R4E volunteer Jennifer Lambert told the Western Plains App.

Participants do not need to worry about bringing their own tennis racquets and balls – the team will provide t-shirts, shoes, tennis racquets and tennis balls. “They left yesterday in two vans stuffed full of everything,” Lambert said on Monday 15 April.

R4E puts emphasis also on the social aspect of tennis. “It’s about people coming together for an hour of tennis and we try to organise a social thing afterward,” Lambert said.

"Following the tennis training, R4E invites participants to hang around and get to know the team better. "

Rally4Ever hope to offer free morning tennis on an ongoing basis in western towns by employing local coaches to run hour-long sessions every week during school terms.

Here are the dates on which R4E will come to your town. Please tell them you read about it on the Western Plains App.

• Condobolin - Monday 15th April, 4-6pm
• Lake Cargelligo - Tuesday 16th April, 4-6pm
• Warren - Wednesday 17th April, 4-6pm
• Nyngan - Thursday 18th April, 4-6pm
• Cobar - Friday 19th April, 4-6pm
• Girilambone - Saturday 20th April, 3pm
• Bourke - Monday 22nd April, 4-6pm
• Walgett - Tuesday 23rd April,  4-6pm
• Gulargambone - Tuesday 24th April, 10am-12pm 
• Coonamble - Tuesday 24th April, 4-6pm
• Dubbo - Wednesday 25th April,10am - 11am