It’s a wrap! Across an incredibly busy fortnight, associations have fielded their strongest teams to claim the highly coveted Wisden Cup, Slazenger Cup and New Zealand Junior Team Championships.
The Wisden and Slazenger Cup, New Zealand’s Inter-Association Division 1 & 2 Championships were hosted in new venue, the Zhu Badminton Centre in Christchurch, Canterbury. 2022 also saw new updates to the competition, with the expansion to a 12-match format and the incorporation of a qualifying round to begin the competition. With eleven teams in tow, the first-round winners progressed to contest the Wisden Cup and the remaining teams vying for the Slazenger Cup.
First seed, Harcourts Cooper & Co North Harbour 1 automatically progressed into the Wisden Cup draw, alongside Auckland 1, Auckland 2, North Harbour 2, Waitakere, and hosts, Canterbury.
The teams vying for the Slazenger Cup were Waikato, Wellington North, Wellington, Otago and newcomers, Counties Manukau.
WISDEN CUP
Auckland 1 and North Harbour 1 clocked comfortable wins across their first four ties, setting up for a tantalising final round clash with one another. North Harbour were quick to claim all four singles, leading to an 8-4 victory and successful title defence, over Auckland 1.
Final placings for the 2022 Wisden Cup:
- Harcourts Cooper & Co North Harbour 1
- Auckland 1
- Auckland 2
- Harcourts Cooper & Co North Harbour 2
- Waitakere
- Canterbury
Full results: 2022 Wisden Cup
SLAZENGER CUP
Waikato and Wellington North raced to an early lead within the Slazenger Cup draw, setting up for a promising final round clash for the title. Waikato struck early, claiming three of the four singles and three of the four doubles. Holding on through a number of three-game matches, Waikato claimed the 2022 Slazenger Cup with an 8 – 4 victory over Wellington North.
Final placings for the 2022 Slazenger Cup:
- Waikato
- Wellington North
- Wellington
- Counties Manukau
- Otago
Full Results: 2022 Slazenger Cup
A big thank you to event hosts Badminton Canterbury and the Zhu Badminton Centre, and the Event Referees Janice Cudby and Lynne Nixey.
NEW ZEALAND JUNIOR TEAM CHAMPIONSHIPS
In a tradition as old as time, the New Zealand Junior Team Championships opened the July school holidays, with associations' junior teams descending on Palmerston North. This year, a record 65 teams entered, across the U13, U15, U17 & U19 age groups.
The tournament was filled with thriller matches across all age groups. The closest tie decider during the week occurred in the U17 Division 2 between Wellington North and Bay of Plenty - Blue. The tie could not have been any closer, with both sides winning an equal number of matches and games. The count-back resulted in Wellington North taking victory with a 2-point margin!
Congratulations to the 2022 NZJTC podium teams:
| U13 Division 1 (Graham Feist Shield) 1st – Auckland 1 2nd – North Harbour 1 3rd – North Harbour 2 | U13 Division 2 (Richard Purser Shield) 1st – Manawatu 1 2nd – Counties Manukau 3rd – Hutt Valley |
| U15 Division 1 (Marten Young Trophy) 1st – North Harbour 1 2nd – Auckland 1 3rd – Waikato | U15 Division 2 (Hawkesworth Shield) 1st – Wellington North 2nd – Bay of Plenty Blue 3rd – Hutt Valley |
| U17 Division 1 (Neil Gardner Cup) 1st – North Harbour 1 2nd – Auckland 1 3rd – Waitakere | U17 Division 2 (Hawkesworth Shield) 1st – Hutt Valley 2nd – Mainland 3rd - Wellington North |
| U19 Division 1 (Vincent Cup) 1st – North Harbour 1 2nd – Auckland 3rd - Hawkes Bay 1 | U19 Division 2 (Barry Stevens Shield) 1st – Bay of Plenty Blue 2nd – Hutt Valley 3rd – Wellington North 2 |
The Skarrot Shield, recognising the association with the biggest year-on-year improvement in both participants and performance, was won by Wellington North.
For the full results, visit the Tournament Software links:
U13 NZJTC Results
U15 NZJTC Results
U17 NZJTC Results
U19 NZJTC Results
A big thank you to event hosts Badminton Manawatu and Central Energy Trust Arena, and the Event Referees Janice Cudby, Dave Wasley and Linda White.
Thank you to our sponsors of these two events
