NZ Curling

Alpine Curling Club are the proud holders of the Snuff Box trophy after winning their first National Bonspiel since the club was founded 115 years ago, at nearby St Bathans in 1895. They recorded a perfect 8 wins from their 8 games to finish clear winners.

Second were 9-time winners Blackstone Hill CC, celebrating their 125th year, with 6 wins and 170 points scored. Just behind them were 2001 winners Dunedin Country CC with 6 wins and 168 points.

The final ends are played out at the close of the 2010 Bonspiel on Idaburn Dam at Oturehua

Defending champions Sean Becker and Bridget Becker retained their stranglehold on the New Zealand Curling Championship titles when their teams won their respective Men's and Women's titles in Naseby this weekend.

Sean has now skipped the Men's champions every year since 2007, and Bridget's winning sequence has continued unbroken since the first separate Women's championship in 2005.

Perth, Scotland – The World Curling Federation (WCF) is pleased to announce the appointment of Colin Grahamslaw as its new Secretary General.

Colin Grahamslaw, from Scotland, takes over the position with the Olympic winter sport federation from Mike Thomson who is retiring after eighteen years in the job.

It may not have been a bonspiel but the Styx Valley hosted the first significant outdoor ice-based event of this year's Central Otago winter sporting calendar last Friday.

See the Otago Daily Times article and photo gallery here.

This June newsletter from the New Zealand Curling Association advises of changes to the dates for the Under-21 High Performance camp, and improvements to NZCA meeting procedure. It also clarifies selection criteria for New Zealand teams and has information on 2010 New Zealand championships.

100% Pure New Zealand Winter Games (WGNZ) has scooped its second award in as many months. Last week, media manager, Victoria Murray-Orr, collected the award for Special Event category at the Public Relations Institute of New Zealand's (PRiNZ) annual awards.

Last month Winter Games NZ CEO, Arthur Klap, collected the SPARC Event Excellence Award for the event’s world-class organisation.

NZ Mixed Fours

Pre-tournament favourites Kenny Thomson, Brydie Donald, Lorne DePape and Marisa Jones confirmed their class to win the 2010 New Zealand Mixed Fours championship in Auckland last weekend.

They were the only unbeaten team going into the final against Team Hill (Len Hill, Christine Bewick, Len McSaveney, Beth Gibbs) and took charge late in the match to record a 6-3 victory.

The fourth newsletter for 2010 includes minutes of this month's AGM, up-to-date contacts and details of the new NZCA Executive, selectors and My Lord, initial proposals for 2011's 125th Jubilee and information about this year's tournaments and subscriptions.

From left: 2010 World Mixed Doubles Curling silver medallists Sean Becker and Bridget Becker (New Zealand) with coach Scott Becker. Photo: World Curling Federation / Goran Roxin

The New Zealand team of Sean Becker and Bridget Becker has won the silver medal at the 2010 World Mixed Doubles Championship in Chelyabinsk, Russia.

The unbeaten Russian team beat the Kiwis 9-7 in a thriller, the final going to an extra end after the scores were tied after the regulation eight ends.

The second placing to the siblings from Central Otago's Ranfurly Curling Club represents a milestone for NZ Curling. It is the first medal of any colour won by a New Zealand team at any World Curling Championship.