NZ Curling

When Warren Kearney was growing up in Ranfurly he wanted to be an All Black like his great uncle. He is now an international curler.

Read the full Otago Daily Times article here.

No Australian team has won the Ernslaw One Trans-Tasman Trophy in the five years it has been contested – but thay have never come closer than they did last weekend in Naseby.

Peter Becker's Central Otago four triumphed in the final by the narrowest of margins, beating Dave Imlah's Quensland side 7-6.

New Zealand Curling Association president Darren Carson, who made the presentation last month, paid tribute to the length and quality of service Mr Becker had given to the sport.

The full Southland Times article is on-line here. 

Dunedin Curling's Edwin Harley has called time on his 17 successful years on the board of Dunedin Ice Sports. "It's time to give way to new blood on the committee," he told the Otago Daily Times last week.

Edwin also chaired the Organising Committee of the recently completed Dunedin 2009 World Senior Curling Championships, the first world curling event held in the southern hemisphere. Both the venue and the tournament were praised by curlers from around the world.

Naseby's Maniototo Curling International rink has finalised the dates for local, national and international competitions for the early part of the 2009 season. Click the links below for entry forms and for details of dates and fees.

The 2007 Mixed Doubles champions Sean and Bridget Becker won the opening event of the 2009 season when they won the Open Doubles tournament hosted at Naseby's Maniototo Curling International on Sunday 29 March.

They beat a field that included the 2008 title-holders Scott Becker and Brydie Donald as well as the Australian champions Gerald Chick and Jenn Thomas.

Keith Wendorf, director of competitions for the World Curling Federation, rates Naseby's Maniototo Curling International rink as one of the best facilities in the world. His support reinforces the favourable comments from competitors at the just-completed Pacific Championships.

Maniototo Curling International hosted the Philip Wareing Transport Open Doubles Tournament on the weekend of 12 - 14 September. Eleven teams competed over three days, with two teams from Australia and the rest from Central Otago.

Local teams again proved too strong for the Aussies, with Peter Becker's team winning the final of the Earnslaw One Trans Tasman against the previously unbeaten four skipped by his son Sean.

The Earnslaw One Trans Tasman Tournament is an "unofficial" international curling tournament held annually between teams from New Zealand and Australia.