NZ Curling

L to R: Sharon Morrison (coach), Michael Smith, Sam Miller, Lachlan Browne, Mat Weir, Kris Miller

New Zealand's Junior Men's team have won the bronze medal at the 2010 Pacific Junior Curling Championships in Nayoro, Japan. This is only the second podium finish by the NZ Men in this event, mirroring last year's third placing.

NZ and Japan, second equal after the qualifying rounds, met in the semi-final with the Japanese taking the game comfortably 9-3.

Japan went on to play top qualifier China, who won the gold medal in a low-scoring 3-2 final.

The December newsletter from the NZ Curling Association introduces the NZ teams for the Pacific Junior champs and Karuizawa Invitational in January, and offers you the chance to support the NZ Seniors teams who play in Russia in April 2010.

For the second time in three years the Auckland Under-21 Curling title was decided by a draw to the button. Three teams were locked at the top of the leaderboard at the conclusion of the final round at Paradice Avondale last Sunday evening.

Auckland Curling finished its 2009 season with a Mixed Doubles mini-tournament last Sunday, played alongside the final rounds of the Auckland Under-21 Championship at Paradice Avondale.

West Auckland curlers have been recognised for both their on-ice and off-ice achievements this year at a number of end of year award ceremonies.

The NZ Women were neck-and-neck with their Korean opponents for much of their bronze medal match at the 2009 Pacific Curling Championships in Karuizawa, Japan today, but Korea took control at the end to record an 8-5 victory.

In a repeat of the 2008 result at Naseby, the Chinese teams won both the Men's and Women's gold medals.

A community trust wants to build a multimillion-dollar indoor ice arena in Taupo.

The $10 million arena would be designed to cater for sports including ice hockey, ice skating and curling, Alpine Sports Trust spokesman Rob Marshall said. The trust intended to run the arena as a non-profit operation.

Read the full article in The Dominion Post.

In a memorable finale to the 2009 season for Auckland Curling, it took an extra end at Paradice Avondale on Sunday night to find a winner for the Auckland Club Championship. The lead changed five times between A.R.S.E. (Kenny Thomson, Bill Howie, Daniel De Vries, Denise Thomson, Jeremy Fourie) and Global Cooling (Alex Bauer, Nick Lambert, Greg Prendergast, Shaun Alexander, Anne Huddleston).

Charlie McLeod's Dunedin team have taken the honours in the 2009 Auckland Open Bonspiel at Labour Weekend, beating the local Team Bauer 8-5 in a thrilling see-saw final.