Barry Eskrigge Memorial: Good vs Evil (Croatia vs The World)
The MABC community saw themselves split into two teams from Croatia and around the world. Members and their invitees gathered for a friendly tournament that promised a day of remembrance, competition, and celebration. The atmosphere was buzzing with excitement as the Croatian team were sporting their matching shirts and the rest of the world showing an array of nations.
There was plenty of action on and off the green throughout the day. Laughter and cheers echoed across the green as bowls rolled, with plenty of friendly banter to be heard. The players kept the umpire, Pat Curtis, busy with many close calls on the head. Our toilet seat saw some action with several players being yellow carded for anything from slander to wrong biases. The Kumarich team worked away on the delicious feast, with spit fired up all day.
The tournament kicked off with random drawn triples teams battling it out in the sun. After the first round it was neck and neck, with the Croatian team and the rest of the world both having won three games each. The next two rounds of triples saw the rest of the world creep ahead, with an overall score of 24 to Croatia’s 20 points. In the final round the teams selected their top six players to go head-to-head in two triples games, each worth 8 points each. In the end it was the rest of the world who were victorious, with a final score of 40 to 20.
A special note of gratitude goes out to the dedicated members who worked tirelessly behind the scenes to make this event a reality. From organising registrations and teams to ensuring everyone was well fed, their efforts did not go unnoticed. The success of the tournament was a testament to the teamwork of these individuals who contributed their time to create a memorable experience for everyone: Nathan Haturini, Jeffrey Eskrigge, Nick Kumarich, Marisa Posa, Suzy Weeks, Sam Madden-Hart, Eva Bell and Neven Grgicevich.
The day was more than just a sporting event – it was a celebration of whanau, community, friendship, and the universal joy of competition. The success of the Barry Eskrigge Memorial Cup has set the stage for an annual tradition. The Croatian team are sure to be out for revenge next season.
