IT will “likely be months” before The Caesarean Tennis Club are able to repair their four-court bubble that was destroyed during the devastation of Storm Ciarán.
The impact on local sports venues across Jersey has been significant, with St Clement’s Island Padel and Geoff Reed Table Tennis Centre suffering some of the worst damage from the storm.
The parish was also directly in the firing line of what is likely to be the strongest tornado recorded in the British Isles for almost 70 years.
However, the widespread damage was felt all across Jersey, with the Grand Vaux-based Caesarean now facing the prospect of winter without four of their indoor courts.
The storm marks the second catastrophe to strike the club this calendar year, after January’s severe floods left both the indoor bubbles under water.
One who has been left to pick up the pieces is club manager Jonathan Rubber who said: “Unlike the flooding in January, this time the whole Island has suffered disruption.
“So many properties have been devastated and such a vast number of the community affected.
“The issue we now face is one that most people have to, in terms of insurance.
“I’d hate to think of the number of claims that have been filed since last week.
“There are also a limited amount of assessors, so it is really hard to predict how long it will take for them to come and assess the damage.
“Until then, it is a bit of a waiting game.”
While the club remains open – with the outdoor artificial clay courts and the remaining two indoor courts within a separate bubble – Rubber and co have had to prioritise their fruitful junior programmes to ensure the survival of the next generation of tennis stars.
Rubber added: “We feel that our junior programmes are vital to the club.
“Unfortunately, with only two indoor courts available, we are reliant on some favourable weather to hold some of the sessions outdoors.
“We are lucky that our kids are resilient and don’t mind battling the elements if it means they get to play tennis.
“It is a real struggle trying to cater for everyone with so many courts out of action.
“We are trying to provide everyone with the opportunities to play but, with a large membership, naturally people are going to suffer.
“The members have been really understanding of the situation and the issues we face to prioritise the use of the courts.
As more is being learned about the extent of the damage to local sports clubs on the Island, there are still “more questions than answers” in terms of the timescale for repairs.
“It is really hard to know how long the disruption will last,” continued the club manager.
“We would love to be fully back up and running in a couple of months, but lots of things need to go right in order for that to happen.
“In order for the bubble to be assembled and inflated properly, we need very benign conditions.
“Obviously, in the winter months, the weather cannot be guaranteed.
“Naturally, we will continue to do all we can to limit the length of time the club is at reduced capacity.
“As well as impacting on the members’ ability to play our sport, we will suffer an impact financially also.
“But, as the flooding in January showed, we have a brilliant and resilient membership and we will need that to carry us through the winter months.”
The Caesarean has provided a sanctuary for Jersey’s tennis enthusiasts since its inception in 1867.
Over a century-and-a-half later, they have suffered two natural disasters in the space of 11 months and will need all the grit and determination of their membership to bring it back to its feet once more.
