The Rotorua Christmas Tournament was a great success again this year, with 44 pairs coming from many clubs around the North Island to enjoy the day – as well as one player (Lode Van Grootel) from Sydney! Many thanks to Wendy Fraser and her hard-working team of helpers in the kitchen. We could not run this tournament without a lot of help from club members, and it is greatly appreciated. Director Norman Silcock and scorer Jan Spaans once again ensured that everything ran smoothly during the day. Thank you also to Steiners Interiors for their continued sponsorship of this event. The beautifully decorated clubrooms and Christmas-themed costumes of players also added to the festive atmosphere. And of course the delicious meal at the end of play was a highlight.
As a bonus this year we had a Rotorua player in first place. Liz Wilcox and her brother Michael from the Kairangi club were clear winners after a whopping 71.79% in the morning and 64% in the afternoon! Runners-up were Richard Solomon and Joy Williams. Once again this year, prizes were awarded in 3 different grades, according to players’ combined rating points, which allows players of varied experience levels to be among the prizewinners. It was great to see so many of our newer players taking part in the tournament and enjoying the day. Well done to Grace Wang and Marily Crabb, the youngest pair in the field, for winning the best-dressed prize!
Here are some of the prizewinners:
