Matamata, Te Aroha, Morrinsville Clubs

Tuesday night sees our 11 brave students graduate from class to become QBPs (Qualified Bridge Players) Come along to join the celebrations this Tuesday at 7pm. Wine and nibbles to start, a short graduation ceremony, followed by their first night of club play. Come and meet and support your newest club members.

Anna still managing gremlins in the works but you can see the result for Tuesday night, although ladder for overall result of the 2 week series not yet available.

Apologies folks, took the wrong file home so no results until I can get back to the bridge club computer...

However, all i can remember is that it was memorable for Greg & Tim who managed 75% at the expense of others in club (no mentioning names).

The overall result of the two night will be tight ... I think Tim & Greg will have pipped Melba and Anne for the two night match win. However this will remain unofficial until we can confirm with accurate results to hand.

Looking forward to the start of the three night competition next week (starting with a small celebration to welcome new members to the table).

Cream of the CountryThe annual Cream of the Country bridge afternoon takes place at Morrinsville Bridge Club on Sunday 28 July. Just one session of bridge in relaxed conditions. Play starts at 1pm, so you need to arrive no later than 12.45pm. It is not a walk-in event, so you do need to pre-register to take part. Jane is happy to take entries so just flick her an email or ring. What better way to spend a rainy Sunday afternoon? Just a $5 entry fee. In a separate area beginners from lessons around the Waikato area are taking part in the Mini Moos, their first bridge tournament. Mini MoosA number of Te Aroha beginners are being brave enough to enter. Good Luck to all of them. Please support them by playing in the main event if you can so you are able to encourage them at their debut tournament. The list of entries is attached below.

Some pics from over the weekend . . .

Where's your shirt Greg???

From Left to Right: Lindsay Reid, founding member of the Te Aroha Club; Carol Wilson (daughter of Connie and Jack Jacobs also founding members) and Steph and Tom Jacob (half of the winning overall team and grandson of aforementioned founding members)

Jacob battling with the best

Competition begins

Hermanna and Henk find something amusing

Lesley Quilty, Matamata (foreground) and HErmanna Hemmes in the background.

Tim and Jane look pleased with themselves!

Ben Kalma, the caddy takes a break

It was not all booze and sunshine on the Bridge Babes cruise ... on one of the sailing days Jane and Hermanna sat together and wrote an article for the New Zealand Bridge Magazine. This has now been published in the current edition. There is a copy at the club for you to read and it is attached below for all our members to read. See what bridge players nationwide are reading about our club.

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!

Te Aroha are through!!! Our hybrid Te Aroha/Waihi Intermediates who had such success at the interclub competition have now been confirmed as qualifying through to the final of the Regional Intermediate Teams Trophy contest!!! Our plucky intermediate team starring Tim Rigter, George Sherrell and Arthur and Beth Mann are to represent Te Aroha Bridge Club on 25 August at the Hamilton Bridge Club. Iron those T-shirts team ... the club members will be wearing theirs on the day to support you 110%. GO TE AROHA GO!!!

Tim Rigter - Outstanding performance on debutTeam Te Aroha did the club proud at the Top Team event in Hamilton today. The outstanding performance came from the Te Aroha/Waihi combination of Tim Rigter/George Sherrell and Beth and Arthur Mann who finished THIRD OVERALL in the Intermediate section. The Junior team featuring our Youth player Jacob Kalma battled well. With another year of experience behind them our juniors hold great promise for Top Teams 2014. Our Open team were always facing an uphill struggle in the shark pool that was the open section full of grandmasters. To achieve one win in that company was a triumph of its own. A tremendous performance by the club on debut ... roll on 2014!

Te Aroha members blitzed the field at Putaruru today. Every Te Aroha member participating won a major prize. Congratulations to Henk and Hermanna who finished top E/W beating Jane Stearns and Jan Spaans into 3rd. In the N/S field Ross Stewart and Laurie Belfield came 2nd. Te Aroha cleaned up large in the raffle too, with Jan winning a delightful pot plant and beauty facial treatment (Mrs Spaans may be offered these - Jan thought 1 beauty session might not be sufficient for his needs!) and Ross left sporting a new smoke alarm and Hermanna a flowering plant too. Winners all round. Having never visited the Putaruru Bridge Club before, what a pleasant surprise was in store. Lovely clubrooms, cosy and warm, matched by the walm welcome of their members. They have kept a steady membership there of 30 people over the last decade and had obviously put a lot of work into nurturing sponsors to support their club. A most enjoyable day and a warm up for the Interclub Competition later in the month. The club is on a winning streak - GO TE AROHA!