36 Pairs contested the 2018 Hamilton Congress Pairs. After three sessions we had our winners......

20 pairs entered the Hamilton Congress Intermediate Pairs contesting two sessions....

24 teams competed in the qualifying with the top 6 teams going on to the finals on Monday. Top qualifiers were the Carter team followed by the Cormack and Ware Teams.
In the W/B Consolation Swiss Pairs 40 pairs contested the event while the top 6 teams contested the W/B Teams final

Day 4 of the Congress was the start of the NZ Teams. 108 Teams, some with up to 6 members are taking part this year. After 2 days of qualifying 3 Teams with Hamilton players are in the top 16. These top 16 teams now compete with the winners advancing via the quarters and semi's to the finals on Friday / Saturday

Commiserations to the Morgan team with Hamilton's Ella Gray & Michael Neels who missed qualifying by 1.43 VPs

Teams qualifying for post play with Hamilton club members -

14 July saw Hamilton run the Hamilton Teams & Intermediate Pairs competitions. 20 Teams took part in the teams event with 28 pairs competing in the Intermediate Pairs.
The Intermediate event was won by Judith Howard & Joanne Swanwick from the Matamata Club with Ruth Van Praagh & Dayelle Cole from Cambridge in 2nd place. Hamilton pair Phil Thompson & Ian Ross were in 3rd place.
In the Junior section Megan Jolly & Leanne Curry came in first place followed by Jane Weir & Francoise Campbell

Winners of the Hamilton Pairs - Judith Howard / Joanne Swanwick

Runners Up - Ruth Van Praagh / Dayelle Cole

Top Juniors- Megan Jolly / Leanne Curry

( click on any of the images for a larger view )

You can check all the results the Hamilton Web Site by clicking the following link for Hamilton results

The Hamilton Teams Competition was won by the "Carter Team" consisting of Patrick Carter & Julie Atkinson from the Auckland Club together with Hamilton's Barry Jones & Liz Fisher

Have you ever heard of the Settlement Centre Waikato ? Well the Club hadn't till recently when Jane Stearns came and asked your Club to assist her in teaching a group of 17 refugees and migrants. The course is run by the Settlement Centre and aims to help them integrate into NZ society and settle into the Hamilton & Waikato areas. The students on this course are a mixture of migrants and refugees from Afghanistan, Syria, Colombia, Congo, Hong Kong, Korea, Pakistan and Cambodia and Jane, assisted by members of both the Hamilton & Cambridge Bridge Clubs, is teaching them to play bridge as part of this process.
To help these newcomers further the Club has waived membership fees and is looking at a special arrangement for their table money for a period while they adjust to their new country. If you would like to know more or possibly help talk to Jane Stearns, Mereanna Cullen or Phil Thompson

The club-rooms buzzed with quiet activity for six hours of bridge in the Ladies Day tournament held on Tuesday. In the Open division, congratulations go to joint winners - Judy McLeod and Judith Malcolm from Tauranga and Lesley Quilty and Kathy Yule, Matamata with both partnerships ending with a total 497 matchpoints.
Top Hamilton pair, Linda Lin and Gillian Corbett achieved 3rd place. Hamilton members Kay Dixon and Pam Halls featured as the Intermediate division winners with Margaret Boyd and Anne McCarthy achieving 3rd place. Jane Weir and Sue Collinge were the top Junior pair climbing up the ladder with an excellent afternoon score of 58.31%.

Special thanks go to Craigs Investment for their generous
sponsorship towards the prizes and raffles.

Ella