Kiwis Take On The Aussies At Scrabble In A Livestreamed Challenge This Weekend

WHAT:  Trans-Tasman Scrabble Challenge 

WHERE: Mt Eden Village Centre, 449 Mt Eden Road, Mt Eden, Auckland 

WHEN: All day Friday 14, Sat 15 and Sun 16 November

TO WATCH: youtube.com/@ScrabbleNZ and on The Spinoff (thespinoff.co.nz)  

The 12 best Scrabblers from New Zealand and Australia will go head-to-head in Auckland this coming weekend to decide the best in Australasia. For the first time in history it will be live streamed. 

The Trans-Tasman Challenge is one of the premier events in New Zealand’s Scrabble calendar, taking place every two years with hosting duties alternating between Australia and New Zealand. Australia has won the challenge ten times and New Zealand three times - in 1998, 2000 and 2010.

This year, the public will be able to watch the tournament free on the New Zealand Scrabble YouTube channel - https://www.youtube.com/@ScrabbleNZ, as well as embedded on The Spinoff (thespinoff.co.nz) for the duration of the three-day tournament.

Technical co-ordinator Alexander Gandar says livestreaming is a significant step forward for New Zealand Scrabble:

”Live streaming Scrabble online has been rapidly growing on the international scene over the last few years, with virtual and in-person tournaments attracting hundreds of thousands of viewers, and some of the game’s best players.  Live streaming the Trans-Tasman Challenge is a significant step forward for New Zealand Scrabble, and will be the first of many tournaments we broadcast online, as we look to showcase the array of talented players here - both established and emerging - to the rest of the world.”

“We are also delighted that world class players like Josh Sokol (CAN) Kenji Matsumoto (USA) and top players from New Zealand and Australia will be providing commentary throughout the weekend.”  

Some fun facts about the Trans-Tasman Scrabble Challenge: 

• The concept was agreed upon at the World Scrabble Championship in 1995 in London, as Australians and New Zealanders happened to be staying at the same venue there.
• These co-founders were: Jeff Grant and John Foster of New Zealand, and Bob Jackman and John Holgate of Australia.
• Each player plays 24 games of Scrabble over three days in a double team round robin i.e. each of the 12 players from each country plays each of the 12 from the opposing country twice.
• The first challenge in 1996 was won by Australia.
• Multiple World Championships winner Nigel Richards (who is a Kiwi) played for New Zealand in the 1998 Challenge which New Zealand won.
• Four players in the 2024 Challenge - Bob Jackman (AUS), Howard Warner (NZ), Patrick Carter (NZ)  and Esther Perrins (AUS) - competed in the first Challenge in 1996.
• Bob Jackman and Patrick Carter have played in every Challenge 1996-2024.
• Although the Australasian team shield is the coveted prize, there are also trophies for the best individual player overall and the best individual kiwi player.
• Bob Jackman won the first challenge in 1996, and the most recent one in 2022.
• Other individual winners playing in this weekend’s challenge include 

2002 - Howard Warner (NZ)

2008 - Rod Talbot (AUS)

2010 - Joanne Craig (NZ)

2018 - Dylan Early (NZ)

• Commentator Scott Chaput has represented NZ in 2014 (Dunedin) and 2018 (Australia)

Meet the New Zealand Scrabble Team: 

Howard Warner (captain): 

• Lives in Wellington
• 2024 NZ National Champion and NZ Masters Champion
• Has won a total of 183 tournaments: NZ, Australian and international - goal is 200!
• Current #1 ranked player in New Zealand
• Three-times World Senior Champion
• Won individual award at 2002 Trans-Tasman Challenge

Chris Tallman:

• Lives in Hamilton
• Originally from Vancouver, Canada
• Winner of 8 NZ tournaments in 2024
• Current #2 ranked player in New Zealand
• Spearheading the streaming project along with producer Alexander Gandar

Dylan Early:

• Lives in Wellington
• Originally from South Africa - Multiple wins at South African Nationals
• 2018 NZ National Champion
• Won the individual award at the 2018 Trans-Tasman Challenge
• Current #3 ranked player in New Zealand

Blue Thorogood:

• Lives in the Christchurch area
• 2013 NZ National Champion
• 2016 NZ Masters Champion
• Has represented NZ in the Trans-Tasman challenge, most recently in 2014
• Current #4 ranked player in New Zealand

Joanne Craig:

• Lives in Sydney, but from Timaru
• Three times NZ National Champion (2009, 2017 and 2022)
• World Senior Champion 2017
• Has represented NZ at seven World Championships since 2007
• Won the individual award at the 2010 Trans-Tasman Challenge
• Current #5 ranked player in New Zealand
• Retired actuary

Andrew Bradley:

• Lives in Auckland
• 2023 NZ Masters Champion
• Has represented NZ in the Trans-Tasman Challenge, most recently in 2018
• Current #9 ranked player in New Zealand

Patrick Carter:

• Lives in Auckland
• Has played in every Trans-Tasman challenge since 1996
• Played for the NZ National Bridge team in Argentina last month
• Current #10 ranked player in New Zealand

Lawson Sue:

• Lives in Auckland
• Has represented NZ in the Trans-Tasman Challenge, most recently in 2018
• Has a side business selling Scrabble-themed T-shirts
• Current #11 ranked player in New Zealand

Anderina McLean:

• Lives in Whanganui
• Has represented NZ in the Trans-Tasman Challenge, most recently in 2022, but never before in NZ
• Has performed poorly in her two previous TTCs, finishing close to the bottom each time
• Former co editrix of Forwords magazine (the journal of the NZASP) 2014-2019 (24 issues)
• Has twice represented NZ in WESPA Championships: Nairobi 2017 and Goa 2019
• Current #12 ranked player in New Zealand
• Non-Scrabble hobbies include music (choir, church, recorder), reading, baking, and playing other board games 
• Happily married for 24 years, with two delightful children (now aged 13F and 10M)
• Works full time as a librarian
• Gets a kick out of playing compound words, obscure animals, Maori words longer than five letters, and words learned from reading or song lyrics.

Cicely Bruce:

• Lives in Whangarei
• Has represented NZ in the Trans-Tasman Challenge, most recently in 2022
• Current #13 ranked player in New Zealand

Stanley Ngundi:

• Lives in Wellington
• Originally from Kenya
• Current #18 ranked player in New Zealand

Jason Simpson:

• Lives in Whangarei
• 2019 Gerald Warner Trophy Winner - Most Impressive Newcomer
• 2 NZ Tournament Wins
• Avid Pickleball Player
• Current #21 ranked player in New Zealand

The Australian Scrabble Team: 

Esther Perrins Ranked 8th nationally (NSW)

Rod Talbot 10th (NSW)

Victor Tung 11th (NSW)

Russell Honeybun 12th (WA)

Ryan Sutton 13th (NSW)

Bob Jackman 19th (NSW)

Jane Taylor 20th (SA)

Paul Richards 33rd (QLD)

Rocky Sharma 62nd (NSW)

Karen Richards 69th (QLD) (Captain)

Asanka Dissanayake 75th (NSW)

Chris Ostrowski

 82nd (NSW)

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