New Zealand Curling

Harri Lill and Marie Turmann with the Winter Games NZ trophy. Photo © WGNZ / Peter Meecham

30 Aug 2017 – Estonia are the 2017 Audi quattro Winter Games NZ Mixed Doubles curling gold medallists after a 7-6 win in this afternoon’s final against defending champions Canada.

The Estonians started strongly to hold a 5-1 lead at the halfway point, only to see their advantage evaporate after the seventh end.

Mixed Doubles has a mantra that ‘no lead is safe’, and Canada made a valiant attempt to defend their 2015 title. They scored in the next three ends go ahead 6-5 as the final end started.

The Canadian pair attempted to take out all of the Estonian stones with their final shots to prevent them scoring two, but there was still a single rock remaining as Marie Turmann lined up the last stone for Estonia.

Photo / Video © Newshub

30 Aug 2017 – The small Central Otago settlement of Naseby has been abuzz this week with the Winter Games curling competition in town. Some of the world's best are using our backyard to hone their skills ahead of next year's Olympics in South Korea.

David Di Somma / Newshub

Click to watch the video for the full Newshub story.

Switzerland's Palladium de Champéry, venue for the 2017 World Mixed Championship

20 Aug 2017 – New Zealand's representative teams for our first three WCF international championships of the 2017-2018 season have been confirmed.

The following teams will compete in the World Mixed Championship (Switzerland), Pacific-Asia Championships (Australia) and the World Junior B Championships (Finland):

World champions Martin Rios and Jenny Perret, Switzerland. Photo © WCF / Richard Gray

18 Aug 2017 – The current World Champions, a smattering of other top-10 sides and two previous Winter Games gold medallists should ensure some thrilling curling at this month’s Audi quattro Winter Games NZ Mixed Doubles tournament.

“This is the best field ever to take to the ice outside a World Championship”, said Sam Inder, Winter Games Curling Manager.

“With the Winter Olympics just around the corner, six of the eight nations in the Mixed Doubles at PyeongChang are sending teams to the Winter Games.”

“The current World Champions from Switzerland, Martin Rios and Jenny Perret, have to be among the favourites,” he continued, “as do the Norwegian team who have had five top 10 finishes in the last five years."

Bridget Becker. Photo © NZCA

15 Aug 2017 – It may have been 5 years since Bridget Becker and brother Sean last competed together, but you wouldn’t have thought so after they comfortably won the NZ Mixed Doubles Curling Championship last weekend.

Their teamwork may have been understandably a little rusty early on, with a second round loss to the eventual bronze medallists Eleanor Adviento and Brett Sargon. But they found their form quickly and improved throughout the tournament to finish the round robin with a 5-1 win-loss record.

Courtney Smith and Anton Hood played consistently well through the round robin, dropping just their opening round match to the Beckers to also finish on 5-1.

Presentation after the Idaburn Trophy's 2017 match. Photo © Lottie Hedley / lottiehedleyphotography.com

13 Aug 2017 – With warm weather signalling the imminent end of the outdoor curling season, a call went out to play the “North-South” one-day match for the Idaburn Trophy last Friday, 11 August.

Icemaker Jock Scott felt that while the ice conditions would be somewhat on the trying side, the ice would probably just about hold out long enough for a day’s curling on Naseby’s Outdoor Ice Rink.

Five teams each from the Naseby and Idaburn Curling Councils started the first of two scheduled 21 end games at 9am. Sluggish ice, and later pools of water, meant that the games progressed quickly – although curlers’ arms were already aching when the first game was completed.

Scott Arnold (R) with NZ Junior Women's team and coaches. Photo © NZCA / Jo Dowling

10 Aug 2017 – Australasia’s top curlers have just completed the World Curling Federation’s Stepping Stones programme at the MCI rink in Naseby.

The current Men’s, Women’s, Junior Women’s and Junior Men’s teams from both Australia and New Zealand were invited to the camp, as were a number of the leading Mixed Doubles athletes from both countries. Each group had a one to two day session.

Expertly led by facilitators Scott Arnold, Julie McMullin and Ken Bagnell, the programme combined on-ice and off-ice training to help national teams prepare for a season of elite curling. It introduced techniques for performance and mental analysis, and helped the athletes develop season plans for them to peak at the right times.

Photo © Lottie Hedley / lottiehedleyphotography.com

31 Jul 2017 – Central Otago curlers were hailing the praises of the weather gods and icemaker Jock Scott after perfect ice conditions last weekend, when they had two days of traditional curling on the Centennial Ponds adjacent to the Maniototo indoor rink.

Five teams from the West Coast Curling Club made their annual pilgrimage to the Maniototo and played their hosts, the Hamiltons Club, on Saturday morning. In the afternoon the inaugural Naseby Council - All Comers Points Match was held.

"This was a 'toe in the water' to try something different from the old tried and true events," said NZ Curling chairman Sam Inder. "It attracted about 30 curlers, the majority of whom were the visiting West Coast Club and who took out all the honours."

Sunday saw the playing of the Baxter Cup for the first time since 2010.