Team Jess Smith win NZ Women's title three-handed

Brett Sargon and Holly Thompson, winners of the Wendy Becker Trophy for Sportsmanship. Photo © NZ Curling / Liz Matthews

21 Jun 2022 – Team Sean Becker and Team Jessica Smith are the New Zealand Men's and Women's Curling Champions for 2022 following the national championships at MCI Naseby last weekend.

Smith's win was remarkable as they lost the experienced Bridget Becker from their squad to illness after the opening game. So Jessica Smith, Holly Thompson and Natalie Thurlow played their remainder of the tournament three-handed, winning every game along the way.

Five Women's teams and eight Men's – the biggest field in 12 years – started their event on Thursday afternoon. Each Championship played a full round robin, with the top four from each gender then qualifying for playoffs.