HOME WIN FOR TE AROHA! (SORT OF)

Clearly all the Te Aroha competitors were just so tired with all the organising ... they had to leave it to their adopted team to save the day at Spa Town Teams 2013. 60 years ago Jack and Connie Jacob helped found the Te Aroha Bridge Club. It was perhaps fitting then that 60 years on, it was their grandson, Tom Jacob with his wife Stephanie, TEAM JACOB, together with Barry and Glenis Palmer, who did their family name and heritage proud by bringing off an outstanding victory at Te Aroha today. Team Jarvis had led all the way, but in the final round it was the sturdy Te Aroha roots of Tom Jacob and his team that saw them bring off an amazing win. Team Moore, with Ian and Pam Moore and Sue Sterrenberg and Ian Southen having a great day at the office finishing on 111 VPs as did Team Jarvis, Grant Jarvis, Alan Turner, with their gallant team mates of Michael Curry and Jonathan Westoby who led for so long, but just didn't quite make it over the last hurdle. Winners in the Intermediate section were Team Bach with the experienced Peer Bach leading his intermediates of Setsuko Lichtnecker, Pru Robertson and Sharon Marryatt to well-earned victory. In the open section two further prizes were awarded courtesy of Te Aroha SuperLiquor. Best open team in the under 200A points average category were Te Aroha's great supporters in this event, from Thames, Team Robinson with Jena Robinson, Josie McKenzie, Allan Barclay and Judith Bishop. In the open under 500A point section winners were Team Smith seeing Malcolm and Allison Smith with Richard Fletcher and Linda Lin take out the prize. Thanks go to the club members of Te Aroha for organising a superb tournament. Special mention to Hermanna Kalma for doing so very much in every capacity imaginable, and to Henk, Anna, Tim, to Anne for sterling work in the kitchen and to all of her helpers who prepared or served food for the day, and the Rigter family and wider Kalma family who gave so much of their time to the event. Thanks too go to our director Dallas Dagg and our Super Scorer Mr Bridgemate himself, Jan Spaans. To the Matamata Bridge Club, long time supporters of Te Aroha, our heartfelt thanks for lending us everything bar the kitchen sink to enable us to put the event on. Te Aroha - Well done!