Rising curlers learn from the best at champs

• Published date: 04 November 2021

Nelson Ede, a selector for the under-21 national team, said many of the weekend’s competitors had also taken part in the South Island secondary schools event earlier in October, and four — Hunter Walker, Will Becker, Zoe Harman and Lucy Neilson — were part of the Youth Olympic Games team.

The teams were selected to mix elite players with less experienced curlers, making the championship event fairer and giving players the opportunity to learn from each other.

This year’s national team will miss out on representing New Zealand at the world championships in Lohja, Finland, in January 2022, as MIQ booking issues made overseas travel too difficult, Ede said.

Most of the curlers competing at the weekend should still be young enough to be eligible to compete internationally next year.

Grace Apuwai-Bishop, who with her twin Temika is one of the oldest members of the team, said they were unsure whether they...