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Yes, we are talking about bridge, not always an activity associated with the youth of our society. When we talk of young bridge players, some say we are talking about those in their 30’s and 40’s.

Not any more as there is a quiet, maybe not so quiet revolution happening out in South East Auckland, Howick to be exact. We have a group of really enthusiastic young players who have learnt at school and are now taking to playing at the Howick Bridge Club and even now in A Point tournaments….and not just there to make up the numbers!

They are all still at school, at Macleans College, and have been nurtured by bridge playing teacher, Lance Bowden. They played in inter-school bridge tournaments (winning the Auckland – Northland Secondary Schools competition for Macleans for the first time in 2015), attended the NZB run Youth Bridge Weekend and made up a third of the field in the first NZB Youth Teams in Hamilton last September.

Several have now joined the Howick Bridge Club. The club had four sessions of Holiday Bridge during the week ended 22 January. Five pairs of Macleans students played during the week. Four of the pairs played at least twice with one pair, Vincent He and Zachary Yan, playing in all four sessions. One pair had played three times the previous week as well. They all more than held their own in the sessions too.

However, last Saturday, one pair went one step further as Eddy Tan and William Han took part in the Waitemata 5A Open Pairs and had a boomer of a first session, scoring 57.84% and taking home a session prize. The field contained many international players, some playing with their international partners. Eddy and William did not have such a good time in the second session but still finished with a near 50% average.

 

William and Eddy receive their prizes

from Waitemata Club Treasurer, Geoff Sidon

Macleans College is not the only school in the area where students are learning and playing bridge. There’s Bucklands Beach Intermediate and Pakuranga College too. So, we can hope for a good group of enthusiastic young players.

“Enthusiastic”…. Definitely. Listen to Howick Club player, Neil Beckett, who is heavily involved in school bridge in the area.

“Eddy and William bring passion, vitality, energy and an eagerness to compete at the highest level and given that they are only in Year 10 and 11 at College, the future of Bridge in NZ will be in good hands.

 

They are a credit to Youth Bridge, Macleans College and members of the Howick Bridge Club.”

 

I think the same can be said of all those playing with such enthusiasm in the Howick area.

enthusiastic young players                                                                                                               bridge at Macleans College

at Bucklands Beach Intermediate School

 

 

Richard Solomon

 

 

 

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