The Sydney Spring Nationals once again lived up to its reputation as NSW”s largest bridge congress and delivered an event to remember across nine action-packed days.
Held at Canterbury Park Racecourse, SN25 kicked off with the new five-day double knockout Open Teams Championship, which attracted 48 teams across eight pools. The top two from each pool advanced to the Championship bracket, while others battled it out in the Plate and Shield events. Teams Hung, Gumby, Dalley and McCallum all qualified undefeated.
Developing players win big
Alongside the Open Teams, the Intermediate, Restricted and Novice Teams drew a strong field of developing players.
The Poynten Team (Michael Young, Mary Poynten, Tony White and Martin Clear) claimed the Intermediate title with a perfect record.
Team Poynten: Michael Young, Mary Poynten, Tony White, Martin Clear
The Payne Team (Cia Benecke, Kim Dalling, Merle Payne and Anthony Smuts) took out the Restricted category, while the Sunter Team (Melissa Iverach, John Fitzpatrick, Andy Sunter and Anne-Marie Kelly) topped the Novice category.
Sunter Team: Melissa Iverach, John Fitzpatrick, Andy Sunter. Anne-Marie Kelly (absent)
Early midweek saw a burst of energy from newer players during Mini Monday, an initiative designed to introduce “newish-to-congress” players to national-level play. With guidance from teacher Joan Butts and director John McIlrath, the event was a hit. A mini competition held was won by Susan Emmett and Lillian Clark, with Ramarathin Krishnamachari and Joe Gomes runners-up.
Mini Monday winners Susan Emmett and Lilian Clark with host Joan Butts (L)
Open Teams nailbiter
As the week unfolded, spectators followed the action online, with RealBridge’s Vugraph providing live coverage of crucial matches.
After several nail-biting rounds, the Open Teams came down to two giants — Team Hung (Ben & Jamie Thompson, Sartaj Hans, Andy Hung) and Team Milne (David Wiltshire, Jessica Brake, Susan Humphries, Shane Harrison, Liam Milne, James Coutts).
Their 56-board final was tense. Team Milne trailed at stages but clawed back with brilliant play, including a crucial 6♣ contract that swung 17 IMPs in their favour. It was enough for team Milne to emerge as victors. With it, David Wiltshire achieved a rare feat: three consecutive Spring Nationals titles with ten different teammates.
Team Milne: Dave Wiltshire, James Coutts, Jess Brake, Shane Harrison, Liam Milne and Susan Humphries.
The Jacob Team (Lysandra Zheng, Zachary Yan, Ella and Nick Jacob, Leon Meier) claimed the Open Teams Plate, while the Wilkinson Team (Michael Wilkinson, Stephen Fischer, David Appleton, Brad Coles) only took the lead in the last round to triumph in the Shield.
Jacob Team: Lysandra Zheng, Zachary Yan, Ella Jacob, Nick Jacob, Leon Meier
Full results are available here.
Lively Gumby-Lazer Mixed Teams
The closing days of the Sydney Spring Nationals saw the spotlight shift to the ever-popular Gumby–Lazer Mixed Teams.
The Morgan Team (Lauren Morgan, Liam Milne, Sophie Ashton and James Coutts) topped the qualifying rounds and carried their momentum straight through to victory. They dominated their semi-final against the Mundell Team, winning by an emphatic 86 IMPs, before meeting the formidable Lazer Team (Warren Lazer, Pauline Gumby, Kate McCallum and Axel Johannsson) in the 56-board final.
With just a 4.6 IMP carry-forward, every board mattered. Both sides traded big swings: a precise defence earned Morgan 9 IMPs early, while Lazer struck back with 13 IMPs after Johannsson’s coolly judged 3NT. Bidding was bold throughout. Ashton and Morgan fearlessly competed to the five-level on several hands, showing the aggressive, spirited play that defines this event.
In the end, consistency and clever card reading saw Team Morgan lift the trophy. For Milne and Coutts, it capped off a remarkable fortnight with both featuring in the team that won the Open Teams event earlier in the week.
Morgan Team: Liam Milne, Sophie Ashton, Lauren Morgan, James Coutts
Full results are available here.
Parade of Pairs winners
The second half of SN25 showcased the Pairs events.
Congratulations to the following winners:
- Dick Cummings Open Pairs: Ian Thomson and Matt Mullamphy
Ian Thomson and Matt Mullamphy (with Shannon Queree C and Michael Green L)
- Gerda Stern Mixed Pairs: Maurits Van Der Vlugt and Dagmar Neumann
Maurits Van Der Vlugt and Dagmar Neumann with Danielle Stern
- Spring Nationals Intermediate Pairs: Christine Hanley & Craig Mietzke
Christine Hanley and Craig Mietzke
- Ted Chadwick Restricted Pairs: Louise Cowan & Susan Bezette
Louise Cowan and Susan Bezette
- Avi Kanetkar Restricted & Novice Pairs: Tim Jackson & Shane Grogan (overall and Novice winners)
Tim Jackson and Shane Grogan with Lalita Kanetkar
- Two Day Butler Open Pairs: John and Charles McMahon
John McMahon and Charles McMahon
- Two Day Intermediate Pairs: Roy Bentley and Harish Patney
Roy Bentley and Harish Patney
- Novice Matchpoint Pairs: Denise Reid and Judy King
Denise Reid and Judy King
The Best Youth Pair award went to rising stars Aadhi Hariharan and Yiwei Qi, who impressed with strong play against senior opposition.
Aadhi Hariharan and Yiwei Qi
Full results are available here.
The Wrap
Kudos too to trainee directors Kelly Barber, Bricet Kloren and Dave Havyatt, who earned praise for their calm professionalism under pressure.
Trainee Director Kelly Barber, Convenor Shannon Queree and Jeff Carberry
As Convenor Shannon Queree summed up in her closing remarks, the real joy was “watching first-time winners — like toddlers taking their first steps, except these toddlers know Stayman and will never be the same.”
A huge thank you to Shannon, Tournament Director Matthew McManus, the dedicated team of directors and volunteers, and everyone who made the 2025 Sydney Spring Nationals such a success.
Full results are available here. And you can access all five bulletins on the SN25 MyABF page.
Only 356 sleeps until SN26 — October 17–25, 2026!
