Two Tauranga teams, who qualified through Bay of Plenty and regional events, are chasing national glory in Invercargill this week at the New Zealand club championships.
The Tauranga South side of Phil Harris and the two John Simons started out in the men's triples at the Waverley club today - and will be aiming for a fine double for the club after Mary Campbell and Robyn Davis won the women's pairs last season.
Harris and the Simons had a hit-out with the Mount Maunganui fours qualifiers before jumping on the plane and facing some strong opposition in the deep south. They will meet three experienced triples of Chris Lowe, Peter Thorne, Martin Dixon (Auckland), Ces Bell, Ken Smith, Graeme Wagg (Napier), and Rex Homes, Jim Swift, Ray Boffa (Paraparaumu).
Also qualifying for the six-strong national final, which finishes tomorrow, were Tony and Craig Fowler, Dave Currie (Motueka), and Nigel Birbeck, Peter Barron, Geoff Purdon from Dunedin.
Three of the Mount four, skip Steve Beel, Paul Anderson and Dean Worrall, are playing their second successive final on Friday and Saturday after finishing "mid pack" last season, and Lance Tasker has taken the place of Ray Wilson.
"You don't get these titles given to you," said Beel, "but they will be more worried about us than we of them.
"If we play to our potential, then we have a real show."
The Mount four, like the South triple, received financial support from their clubs for the long haul to Invercargill, and the Mount players were also sponsored by North Island Forklifts.
Beel rated the Auckland combination of Chris Le Lievre, Tom Delany, Nick Buttar, Kevin Dixon, and the Wanganui four of Clint and Ray Park, Ray Savage, Michael Watty as the strongest opposition.
But Beel knows "others are also capable of doing the bizzo." The others are Brian Little, Graeme Cooley, Steve Toms, Ross Ellery (Palmerston North); Sanjhe Prasad, Greg Smith, Calvin Hart, Craig MacDonnell (Marlborough) and Lyall Spencer, Norman Le Lievre, Phil Mahony, Trevor Tomlins (Southland).
The national club singles were completed over the weekend, and Linda Ralph (Auckland) and Pat Houlahan (Alexandra) triumphed. Both players lost one of their five matches, and South African-born Ralph finished ahead of defending champion Wynette McLachlan (Clinton) and Natarsha Grimshaw (Napier) who had three wins.
Houlahan scraped through in a tight finish, beating Cambridge's Allan Stewart 25-24. Stewart had the better points differential but fell one short in wins.
One of the popular Bay inter-club events will be decided on Sunday at the Te Puke and Tauranga South clubs. The Western Bay winners of the Saturday triples meet the qualifiers from the Rotorua and Eastern Bay zones.
The Western Bay qualifiers in the men's A division are Omanu Red (25 points) and South Marlins (19), who headed Gate Pa Warriors (19) by 249 shots to 247; in B division section one South Sharks (41) and section two South Snappers (33); in C division section one Te Puke Tawneys (31) who headed Omanu Green (31) by 262 shots to 255 and section two Gate Pa Warriors (31).
Mount Mauao (39) and Matua Roses (28) are contesting the women's A division final, while South Keas (26) and Matua Orchids (27) won through in the B division ahead of Papamoa Astro Babes (23) and Tauranga (22).
There has been quite a gap between the last qualifying matches and the finals, and a move is afoot to extend this inter-club through the whole season and make it a premier event on the playing calendar.