Roundup - Week 37

One of the big events of the WBRC year - the one where we all show our faces - the annual Regional Conference was held at the Matamata rooms last Sunday. Full report further down, but an incredible discovery was announced.

Just as scientists have found that what we think of as ordinary detectable matter - earth and Earth, plants and planets, stars etc - comprises a mere 5% of the theoretical matter in the universe, it turns out there is a similar state of affairs existing right under our noses here in the region's bridge clubs! Research compiled specifically for the day has uncovered the astounding fact that some 80% of club members simply want a game of cards once or twice a week! This is cause for a serious re-examination of the directions your regional committee has been taking for .. well, forever, really. We have blithely assumed that everyone wanted to go to tournaments .. although we couldn't quite understand why so few did despite concentrating the bulk of our focus on what turns out to be a relatively minor aspect of bridge in NZ. (But don't worry - that 80% won't be reading this either - they're quite content with doing what they do.)

It will take a while to get our heads around this new perspective but look out for a lot more effort being put into the cultivation of these newly discovered masses which have the working title of Dark Matter .. although .. in Googling that term, perhaps DARK ENERGY would be an improvement seeing as how that is thought to make up 68% of the universe with Dark Matter coming in at 27%. Perhaps we can classify any unregenerative elements within bridge clubs as Dark Matter. More work is being done in this exciting new field of possibilty.

In other news - the Rotorua 5A was an outstanding success for Sam and Jo Simpson who also won the region's Rubber Bridge final next day. (there we go AGAIN!! - tournaments, tournaments, tournaments - where's the PEOPLE news?)

Aha! Here's one - a real feel-good from the Te Aroha Club which hosted a seminar by Richard Solomon last Friday night. Hugely oversubscribed according to the article. Thousands turned away at the door.

Always a great place for people news, the Tauranga club celebrates its long list of tournament (aaghh!!) winners over the season.

And - pleasing to see - Waihi has become the 29th club to start playing X-Club deals. Even though they will not be taking delivery of their Bridgemate scoring system until next month they were straight INTO it with their new dealing machine! Go Waihi!