Holly Thompson at last year's Winter Games NZ. Photo © WCF / Clare Toia-Bailey

17 Apr 2019 – Entries are open for the five National Championships to be held this season.

Entries for all will close in May, with three – NZ Mixed Doubles, NZ Nationals and NZ Juniors – closing on Monday 13 May.

Curlers should also note a major change in the calendar.

The Mixed Doubles Championship will be held in mid-June, two months earlier than in past years.

This will aid selections for the Winter Games at the end of August.

Tournament dates and entry details are:

4 Apr 2019 – Yes, winter IS coming! And if you've ever thought "Curling ... wouldn't mind trying that one day", then that day is almost here.

Auckland Curling invites you to come along to Paradice Avondale on Sunday 5th and/or 12th May, and give it a go.

Come and find out all about sliding, sweeping, and yelling at granite. We'll give you an introduction to curling, some coaching, and get you started in your first game.

We supply everything you need to play the game. You just need to wear warm gear that you can stretch out in and clean, flat-soled shoes.

Scott Becker at the 2019 World Qualifying Event. Photo © WCF / Clare Toia-Bailey

To all Competitive Curlers

The NZCA Exec and National Coach welcome all athletes to self-nominate to be considered for selection for several International events through the 2019-2020 curling season.

Deadline for self-nomination is April 30th 2019.

Specifically, the events where teams will be selected are:

• Mixed Doubles – Winter Games NZ (Naseby, late August)
• NZ Open Fours, Women and Men – PACCs (China, early November)
• NZ Under 21s, Women and Men – Junior Bs, Finland, December (Women) and Junior As, Russia, February (Men).

Bridget and Sean Becker. Photo NZCA / Peter de Boer

29 Mar 2019 – The 2019 New Zealand Curling season kicked off in fine style in Naseby last weekend with the annual MCI Doubles event.

Originally developed as a pre-Mixed Doubles Worlds training event, the competition is now a favourite way for many to get together and look forward to the season ahead.

This year was no different with 14 teams entered, everyone having at least six six-end games, and the top four from each pool qualifying for either the main event or plate semi-finals.

Once the dust had settled, the main event was contested by Jess and Ben Smith, a Simon / Matthew / Lucy Neilson combo, Courtney Smith and Peter de Boer, and Bridget and Sean Becker.

Ben Smith and Anton Hood, NZ v Switzerland. Photo © WCF / Richard Gray

24 Feb 2019 – New Zealand's Junior Men's Curling side achieved their major goal at their first-ever World Championship, which has just concluded in Liverpool, Nova Scotia.

Their four wins saw them finish in sixth place overall, allowing them to automatically re-qualify for next year's event and avoid the World Junior "B" qualifier.

This is by far the best result for any New Zealand Junior side and could herald a step change for New Zealand curling.

Although their sixth-place finish was guaranteed before their last game against Canada, the team were still keen for a good performance.

Team China after their playoff win to qualify for the LGT World Women's Curling Championship 2019. Photo © WCF / Clare Toia-Bailey

23 Jan 2019 – China and Finland claimed the final two places at the LGT Women’s World Curling Championship 2019 when they won their playoff games at the World Qualification Event in Naseby today.

At the same time, Korea and the Netherlands earned their entry for the Pioneer Hi-Bred World Men’s Championship 2019.

Eight teams of each gender had started the 6-day tournament, and when the round robin ended yesterday the top three from each had qualified for today’s two playoff sessions.

Top qualifiers Finland met China in the first Women’s playoff.

NZ Men played the Netherlands in their final game. Photo © WCF / Clare Toia-Bailey

22 Jan 2019 – Korea, England and the Netherlands will contest the Men’s playoffs at the World Curling Qualification Event in Naseby tomorrow. The New Zealand hosts were eliminated by millimetres after a countback.

The winners of the two playoff games will complete the field for the 2019 Men’s World Curling Championship in Canada.

At the same time, Finland, China and Hungary will play off for the remaining two places in the lineup at the Women’s World Championship in Denmark.

The Women’s playoff contenders were known after their second-to-last round robin session, but it took both final sessions for the Men before the playoff lineup was known. England and Korea went into the morning session unbeaten, but they were beaten there by New Zealand and the Netherlands respectively, the other top-three contenders.

L-R: Peter Becker (coach), Jayden Apuwai-Bishop (Alternate), Hunter Walker (Lead), Ben Smith (3rd), Anton Hood (vice-skip, 4th), Matthew Neilson (skip, 2nd). Photo © WCF / Alina Pavlyuchik

11 Jan 2019 - New Zealand Curling history was made in Lohja, Finland overnight when the NZ Men's side won the gold medal at the World Junior B championships.

With the medal came an entry to the full World Junior Championships in Canada next month – the first by any Kiwi side.

The team of Matthew Neilson, Anton Hood, Ben Smith, Hunter Walker, and Jayden Apuwai-Bishop beat Italy 8-4 in the final.

They qualified from their pool with a 5-2 win-loss record. They then defeated Russia 6-4 in their quarter-final, and stole an extra end to pip China 6-5 in the semi to earn their shot at the gold.