Recent Happenings in our Region

They're getting younger by the year. How about this: 11-year-old Ryan Song and his team made the cut to play in the final of Labour Weekend's mini-Congress in Hamilton. Pictured here with team-mates Andrew and William Liu and Herman Yuan, Team Song came a creditable 5th of the 24 teams that started the event. Other results from the weekend may be found on the Hamilton site.

And, speaking of Herman Yuan, his home club of Cambridge are quite delighted to have all of a sudden THREE Grandmasters as members after a 28 year drought of having NONE! Both Herman and Ian Bond made the grade at Congress 2018 to join Lynette Morgan who, with partner Ian, celebrated by taking out the club's top competition - the Henry Davys Pairs. Just what you might expect of a such a well-qualified pair.

Several special events are looming:

• The final round of the Waikato-Bays Intermediate League will take place on Sunday 28th at Cambridge. With a week to go there is already a goodly turn-out of 18 tables
• Then the Babich NZ-Wide Simultaneous Pairs the following Friday will be held at several venues around the region - Cambridge, Hamilton, Huntly, Morrinsville, Rotorua, Taupo, Taumarunui, and Thames, at least. Sorry, Bay folk - can't see any club on your side of The Hill (except Rotorua and Taupo - but they're not really on the other side of The Hill) registered to take part
• Taupo and Matamata, in the middle of horsey country, are offering a Melbourne Cup Day event on Tuesday 6th November
• ... and the usual year-end slew of Christmas Parties kicks off with Thames on the 11th of November followed on each of the following weekends by Te Awamutu, Waikato, Rotorua, and Huntly in that order

The Waikato Bays Region is thrilled to be offered a grant of $1500 from Southern Trust for the purchase of team uniforms for our Inter-Provincial representatives to wear. More on this story later ...