14 Jun 2025 – Ten teams lined up at the NZ Mixed Doubles Qualifying tournament last weekend, all aiming for one of the four places available in the New Zealand Championship.

The top-ranked sides from each of the two pools would automatically qualify, while the second and third-ranked teams would then play off for the other two places.

Defending champions Jess and Ben Smith became the first pair to book their Championship berth with an undefeated run through Pool A. The last round of Pool B matches saw Ruby Kinney and Hunter Walker topple the previously undefeated Bridget and Sean Becker. Both sides finished with the same 3-1 record, but the head-to-head win saw Kinney and Walker top the pool.

The two second-placed teams had two lives going into the first Qualifier match, where the Becker siblings headed Holly Thompson and Hunter Burke 6-2 to claim the third Championship spot.

With just one life for the two third-placed teams, the second Qualifier match was always going to be tense. Ellie Mackenzie and Jed Nevill stole the last two ends to knock Rachael Pitts and Sam Flanagan out of the event, but then suffered the same fate themselves when Thompson and Burke hung on to win a high-scoring third and final Qualifier 11-10.

Courtney Smith and Anton Hood, the 2022 and 2023 champions, received a medical dispensation for this Qualifier event because of injury. Based on past results, NZ Curling granted the pair direct entry to the NZ Mixed Doubles Championship at Maniototo Adventure Park's international rink on 14-17 August.

• Full results
• Tournament page
• Tournament History

Final Standings

1.  (Q)  Ruby Kinney and Hunter Walker
1.  (Q)  Jess Smith and Ben Smith
3.  (Q)  Bridget Becker and Sean Becker
4.  (Q)  Holly Thompson and Hunter Burke
5.  Ellie McKenzie and Jed Nevill
6.  Rachael Pitts and Sam Flanagan
7.  Lucy Neilson and Darcy Nevill
8.  Tylah James and William Loe
9.  Jess Becker and Pete Becker
10.  Tahlia Petersen and William Becker