The Leagues

Check the current standings for 2026:
Junior League

Intermediate League

The Open Restricted, Intermediate, Junior Leagues in 2026

These are the Championship Leagues which the Waikato-Bays have been running for over twelve years with the exception of the Open Restricted 3A's which are new in 2026 (see the article on this site). Whole generations on now-Open players have taken part in the WB Junior and Intermediate Leagues and now, from 2026, even Open players of rank below Life Master may have a shot at 3A points safely ring-fenced from higher ranks. Competitors in all three of these Leagues accumulate points over the season

Skip down to the Attachments to view the downloadable information for the Intermediate and Junior Leagues

Juniors
For Juniors a six-event series runs from the Hamilton Junior tournament in March through to the Te Awamutu Junior in October. Generous prize money is up for grabs

14-Mar-26 Hamilton
28-Mar-26 Cambridge
09-May-26 Matamata
18-Jul-26 Mt Maunganui
29-Aug-26 Tauranga
11-Oct-26 Te Awamutu - includes prize-giving

Intermediates
The eight Intermediate events go from Taupo in March through to Cambridge in October. Generous prize money is presented after the last event

28-Feb-26 Taupo
14-Mar-26 Hamilton
17-May-26 Katikati
18-Jul-26 Mt Maunganui
15-Aug-26 Te Awamutu
29-Aug-26 Tauranga
13-Sep-26 Matamata
18-Oct-26 Cambridge - includes prize-giving

Restricted Open
Five Swiss Pairs events in the new Restricted Open 3A grade are to be played running from Te Awamutu in May through to Matamata in October. All events have generous sponsorship: the first four from Judith Howard and the last from Nulook Waikato - Matamata
16-May-26 Te Awamutu
27-Jun-26 Morrinsville
12-Jul-26 Waitomo
12-Sep-26 Rotorua
10-Oct-26 Matamata

The more of the tournaments listed that you can play in, the more points you will collect and the higher your chances of a prize

The competitions award points both for participation and for success (final placing and a bonus point each for turning up, getting over 50% average for day or winning a session outright). Ineligible players are not awarded League points if they do not qualify because of grading or home region. Any points that they may have won go into the ether

In 2026, again, all leagues are individual competitions so you can either play with the same partner each competition, a different one, or a combination

Why have these league competitions?
To allow newly-Open players to get a few A-points in a protected environment before having to swim with The Big Fish
To encourage Junior and Intermediate to play in more tournaments
To encourage players to form partnerships

What is in it for the players?

• Good bridge
• New Friends
• There's a handsome trophy for the winners of the Intermediate League
• Lots of $$$ thanks to our sponsors

The Waikato Bays Regional Committee is allocating generous prize money for the overall top place-getters in each competition

It is good fun and gives you the impetus to develop sound friend/partner-ships and a better grasp of the game. Please book your partner(s) in for as many of these excellent tournaments as you can manage!