Swords Club

tournament results.

The Wellington Provincial Handicap Tournament was held in Bulls (of all places) over Anzac weekend. This tournament is especially interesting as senior fencers are heavily handicapped with points against them before they start, to give junior fencers a chance to win. Vic Swords Club entered a large number of entrants, as usual and as usual club members figured in the placings.

Five out of the six finalists in the women's division were from Victoria, and although that damned first place eluded us, Stephanie Grant-Taylor gained second place only after a lond and bitter struggle with the eventual winner. Sue Norris, Viv McLean, Sue Grant-Taylor and Jennifer Stacey took the other placings. The men's event was tougher. The guy that eventually won the event had just re-turned from representing New Zealand at the Pan-Oceanic Games in Australia. Martin McCaffery fenced well to take third place in the final and Dave Grant-Taylor was unlucky to be put out in the semi-final. Especially pleasing was the performance of junior fencers, most fencing in their first tournament: all of them won some bouts and show great potential as typical aggressive Victoria fencers. Everybody enjoyed the bunfight and binge put on by the hosts, Ohakea Fencing Club, after the fencing, although some of our members did not seem to enjoy Sunday morning! Thanks to Ohakea for a great tournament.

The next event on the competition calendar is the North Island Championships to be held in Waitara over Queen's Birthday weekend. Victoria will be fielding a large number of entries and we hope to take home some of the prizes, especially the junior men's (visual) events.

Sue Norris.