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Thanks to Murray Landon and John Baird, instant results from all NZASP tournaments (including the
Trans-Tasman Challenge 2024) are now available after each round of games finishes, from this link:
Elixs Results
New Zealand wins against Australia at Scrabble
New Zealand decisively beat Australia this weekend to win the Trans-Tasman Scrabble Challenge for the first time since 2010. This first livestreamed Scrabble tournament in New Zealand attracted a wide international audience over the three days.
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. Since its inception in 1996, New Zealand has only won the challenge three times – in 1998, 2000 and 2010. Out of the 288 games played over three days, New Zealand had 165 wins to Australia’s 123.
Howard Warner from Wellington, the captain of the New Zealand team, took out the trophies for the best individual player overall and the best individual kiwi player. Howard won 18 of his 24 games. His closest Australian rival was Russell Honeybun who had 16 wins.
Left to right (back) Cicely Bruce, Jason Simpson, Chris Tallman, Andrew Bradley, Howard Warner, Joanne Craig, Blue Thorogood (front) Stanley Ngundi, Dylan Early, Anderina McLean, Lawson Sue, Patrick Carter
Howard says it was a very successful weekend for New Zealand Scrabble:
“I’m very proud of the New Zealand team, who redressed the balance between our two countries. Australia has beaten us ten times out of the 13 times we have played for the Trans-Tasman title. We also successfully livestreamed the event for the first time which ushers in a new world of brain sports being accessible to the world and puts New Zealand at the forefront of this revolution. And I had a great tussle for the individual title with fellow New Zealander Dylan Early. It was very close at the end. It is my first Trans-Tasman title since 2002, the only other time I’ve won it.”
Technical co-ordinator Alexander Gandar says streaming the event live meant the public was able to watch the tournament free on the New Zealand Scrabble YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/@ScrabbleNZ and was a significant step forward for New Zealand Scrabble:
“Aided by prominent international Scrabble players and streamers, for the first time in history NZ Scrabble was able to stream one of its major tournaments online, with the broadcast being viewed live by thousands of people in New Zealand, Australia, and around the world. Viewers were delighted by the commentary provided by top class players. Watching commentated online Scrabble is totally addictive. Next year we aim to broadcast our national championships and our masters tournament as we look as we look to grow the profile of our established and emerging New Zealand’s players on the digital stage. Live streaming Scrabble is definitely the way of the future.”
VIRTUAL INTERNATIONAL YOUTH TOURNAMENT
On Saturday October 12th, 8 brave young Australians plus 2 NZ players (Maheu and Cooper, pictured below), took on the world’s best youth in the annual Virtual Youth Tournament hosted by Happy Home School in Pakistan, where Waseem Khatri teaches Scrabble fulltime.
The Pakistanis have organised numerous international online events, including the virtual WESPAC in 2021 plus 3 World Youth Championships. This is their second annual youth event in non-COVID times. All games are invigilated, so no cheating would be possible. Players have cameras on them at all times.
10 games were played on one day, with 10 countries competing. Of course, most winners were from Pakistan, given the quality and quantity of young players there who are willing to compete.
Well done Maheu and Cooper from New Zealand for your outstanding results! 
Australian and NZ Results (field was 84 players from 10 countries, 10 games)
The inaugural Wairarapa Open tournament during September was a huge success thanks
to Sue McRae and team, and was featured in the Wairarapa Midweek newspaper – see Media
The A Grade WOST winner both days was Lawson Sue (centre) flanked by Dylan Early (left) who came 2nd and Stanley Ngundi (right) who was third, on Day 1 of the two-day event – congratulations!
NEW SCRABBLE CLUBS!!
Players in the Wairarapa district now have a choice of attending the new Featherston club or the (also new) Martinborough club, along with the Masterton club that has been established for a short while. Celebrations will be in order at the inaugral Wairarapa Open tournament on 21 & 22 September 2024 in Greytown. Get along there and enjoy the competition!
To find out how to join one of these clubs, go to: NZ Scrabble Clubs
Howard Warner was interviewed in the ‘Guest Who’ segment of TV3’s 7 Days show by Jeremy Corbett and six comedians. The high point of being ‘celebrity for a week’ was receiving a coveted 7 Days mug to take home. Despite all the fame and fortune, Howard just wants to see more people, especially younger ones, to enjoy the game, at club and eventually tournament level.
His advice to new players? “You don’t have to have a vast knowledge of words – you can do a lot with your own everyday vocabulary. All you need is a love of games and a strategic craftiness”.
44th National Scrabble Championship
This was held in Wellington over King’s Birthday weekend 1-3 June amidst a plethora of publicity – see Media coverage. Howard Warner took out the honours of 2024 NZ Scrabble Champion which was his 12th National title – congratulations! Presentations were made to the winners by NZASP prez Cathy Casey.
From left – A Grade: Gil Quiballo 3rd, Howard Warner 1st, Peter Sinton 2nd. B Grade: Glenyss Buchanan 3rd, Nick Ascroft 2nd, Anderina McLean 1st. C Grade: Yvette Hewlett 3rd, Vicki Robertson 1st, Clare Wall 2nd.
From left – D Grade: Suzanne Liddall 2nd, Nola Borrell 1st, Alexander Gandar 3rd. E grade: Suzanne Harding 3rd, Sue Hensley 1st, Calum Henderson 2nd. Team winners from Wellington: Vicki Robertson, Nick Ascroft, Howard Warner.
High game trophy was awarded to Dylan Early (612 points). Cicely Bruce was awarded the Eileen McLean trophy for the most tournament games played in the last year, plus her badge for 2000 Tournament games played overall. Jennifer Smith read one of her unique poems at the awards ceremony, and Suzanne Harding won the prize for the most ‘Kingly’ word.
Saturday 13th April is National (and world) Scrabble day in honour of the birthday of Alfred Butts. Alexander Gandar from Mount Albert club was interviewed about Scrabble and National Scrabble day on TV1 breakfast.
The 40th Masters was held in Christchurch over Easter weekend, with some interesting word plays according to Peter Johnstone … ” Congratulations to our champ Howard who was helped when Herb played the amazing YTTER[B]Ic to win over Dylan. As our previous champ Andrew said, anyone else would have played pRETTILY off a P in the top middle TWS. And also a shout out to Val who won a tight game over Blue by going out with wonderful FORZATo (onto an existing O)”.
Howard Warner is our Masters champion for 2024, Dylan Early 2nd, Blue Thorogood 3rd, Gil Quiballo 4th (not pictured), Lawson Sue 5th, and Peter Sinton 6th. Traditionally, at the Masters, the president gives a bottle of wine to the first person to reach their expectancy – and this was Murray Rogers! NZASP Treasurer, Cicely Bruce and NZASP Secretary, Liz Fagerlund presided at the prizegiving. Congratulations to one and all!
Our NZL-based Zebra Word Judge app is now available for Android (non-Apple) devices. You can download it from the Google Play Store. See installation instructions. Before you can use it, you will need to install the NZL21 (New Zealand Lexicon 2021) file. Apply to scrabblenz@gmail.com for a link to this file.
The versions for iOS (Apple devices such as iPhone) and Windows (PCs and laptops) are under development. We hope to get them to you soon. Note, all versions will include accessibility features for blind players. A huge thank-you to Dylan Early for all his hard work in designing, developing and testing the app. It will allow us to continue word-judging using our own unexpurgated word source.
Check out the widespread public interest in the NZ Scrabble scene in Media coverage.
Anyone, regardless of age or ability, can join one of our many friendly NZ Clubs, enjoy playing Scrabble with others, and improve their game. See who has been winning the recent club, independent or national Tournaments.
To contact NZASP, email scrabblenz@gmail.com
SCRABBLE® is a registered trademark of J.W. Spear & Sons, England (a subsidiary of Mattel Inc.) within New Zealand and the rest of the world (except North America).