Three locals do battle in South Island Badminton Masters

Glen and Hillary Hirst with the South Otago team. Photo / Supplied

Three pretty tired Dannevirke badminton players returned from Invercargill after Queen's Birthday Weekend after playing in the South Island Masters Badminton Tournament.

Lorraine Warrington and Glen and Hilary Hirst are no strangers to the regional competition, Lorraine having played the game competitively for close to 50 years, Glen for more than 20 years and Hilary for 15.

Lorraine Warrington with the Otago team. Photo / Supplied

These days they play in Masters competitions and over Queen's Birthday Weekend they were in Invercargill playing in the South Island Badminton Masters, which is only available to mainland teams.

Having developed a connection with Otago teams over the years they were invited to help represent the southerners. Lorraine played in the Otago second division women's and mixed doubles while the Hirsts were in the South Otago South third division.

The tournament had five teams - fewer than normal because of Covid - two from Otago, one from Canterbury and two from Southland.

Starting on Friday evening the trio played one match each and then again twice on Saturday and twice again on Sunday before the respective winners were found.

Lorraine found the second division very competitive. She and her partner won five of their 12 matches and her team came third in the group.

Glen and his partners won all 15 of their matches while Hillary and her partners won enough to give the South Otago team a win in the third division and the opportunity to play second division next year.

There is also a North Island Badminton Masters, currently being played over four weekends. In a fortnight Glen and Lorraine play their third-weekend tournament, with Lorraine hoping to have recovered from Covid to play.

The trios are all players and committee members of the Dannevirke Badminton Club which plays at the stadium on a Wednesday evening from 6.30pm. There are 20-25 players and in an effort to attract more players subs have been cancelled for the year.

The Dannevirke Badminton Club is 73 years old and holds regular interclub competitions, such as the Packer Tournament which it hosted and won in August 2020 against Feilding, and Monrad from Palmerston North.