New Zealand Curling

After a review by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the World Curling Federation, it has been announced that curling has now been officially removed from the list of sports which prohibits the use of beta-blockers.

Aspiring local coaches have a wonderful opportunity to extend their knowledge by assisting at Naseby's WCF Junior camp over the New Year break.

The NZCA is also seeking coaches and managers for national teams at upcoming tournaments.

New Zealand's first Senior Curling Championships were held at Naseby's Maniototo Curling International rink at the start of August. As expected there was plenty of friendly banter between the sides, but any notion that this tournament wouldn't be competitive could not be further from the mark.

Two-thirds of the curlers competed in the National Open championship a month earlier, and three had been members of the NZ Winter Olympic curling team just five years before.

The final of the NZ Mixed Doubles Curling Championship in Dunedin this weekend was a family affair. Ranfurly's brother-sister combo Sean and Bridget Becker took on Alexandra's father-daughter team John and Natalie Campbell. Earlier in the day, both finalists had needed a tiebreaker win to qualify for the playoff rounds.

Sean and Bridget retained their title by the narrowest possible margin, a 7-6 win to record their 4th win in the event's 5 year history.

The NZ Curling Association has confirmed the selectors' recommendations for the New Zealand Open and Under-21 teams for the 2011/2012 season.

They feature some new names, and the Open teams will have some line-up changes between next month's NZ Winter Games and November's Pacific-Asia Curling Championships in China.

The pre-tournament favorites won the Men's and Women's titles at the 2011 NZ Open Curling Championships in Dunedin this month, but they had to work hard for them.

	Brydie Donald won her first National title as skip

Brydie Donald's side trailed for much of the match before stealing an extra end win over Wendy Becker's Senior Women's team.

On the neighbouring sheet, Peter de Boer's composite squad pushed Sean Becker all the way before the latter took his 5th consecutive national title.

The best traditions of curling – great camaraderie and sportsmanship – were celebrated in Otago in late June during New Zealand Curling's 125th Jubilee. These traditions were continued throughout the 2011 NZ Under-21 Curling Championships said Darren Carson, the Chief Umpire.

He congratulated the two Women's and three Men's sides on their consistently high standard of play while contesting a close tussle for the titles in Naseby from Friday 22 to Sunday 24 June.

	L-R: Pauline Farra, Liz Matthews, Kenny Williamson, Ian Ford

The first national title of the season was decided when the 2011 New Zealand Mixed Fours Championship was held in Auckland during Queen's Birthday Weekend.

It was an all-Auckland affair as Kenny Williamson's team of Liz Matthews, Ian Ford and Pauline Farra won the Kath Thomas trophy, beating the Hard Yards side of Al Langille, Glenys Taylor, Peter Taylor and Miriam Tackoor in the final.

Updated 12 June  – event photos on-line.