• Latest News

Winners
Lauren Travis, Sophie Ashton, Ben Thompson, Dave Wiltshire, Renee Cooper and Phil Markey

The ABF sincerely regrets the late advice of a change of venue from the Canberra Rex Hotel to the Canberra Bridge Club. For those players holding bookings with the Rex Hotel, the following agreements made between the ABF and the Rex may help you make decisions about your accommodation: There is little or no alternative hotel accommodation within easy walking distance of the Canberra Bridge Club (CBC).

Taxi and ride share transport from the City area including the Rex is a good way to travel to the CBC.

The Rex Hotel will honour the 24 hour free cancellation condition of all existing bridge player bookings.

The Rex Hotel will honour the rate applying to existing bookings should any bridge player need to extend subject to availability.

The Rex Hotel will allow free cancellation once a booking has commenced with a 4pm cut off applying to the next and other remaining days.

Given the tight hotel room market in Canberra at the moment these waivers by the Rex may be worth bearing in mind.

Entries are now open for the 2023 Australian Mixed Team Playoff, closing Friday 18.00 AEDT, 25 November, 2022.

PQPs are now finalised. All prospective entrants should check that their PQPs have been accurately recorded.

 • Purpose of the Playoff

The primary purpose of the Playoff is to select the Australian Mixed Team for the next year. By entering the Playoff, all players declare that they are available and intend to represent Australia in any Target Event/s if they qualify.

Participation and performance in the Playoff are also major criteria in deciding to whom the ABF offers the opportunity to represent Australia in any other (non-target) representative events that may arise in that year.

All players who enter the Playoff must be eligible to play for Australia as per the ABF's Eligibility to represent Australia Policy, and be eligible for any Target Events as per their eligibility codes.

 • Venue

Canberra Bridge Club, 5-7 Duff Place, Deakin, ACT 2600

 • Accommodation

There is a wide range of accommodation options available within a 5-10 minute drive to the venue from motels and hotels situated in the nearby suburbs of Forrest, Manuka and Kingston. Even if you don't have your own vehicle with you, Canberra has excellent Uber services to take you from any of these suburbs or the City Centre to Deakin.

 • Parking

There will be adequate parking in the Bridge Club carpark for the Quarter Finals as there will be no club bridge sessions on the Saturday and Sunday. When club bridge sessions resume on the Monday, players are advised to use the large free public carpark at the rear of the bridge club (accesses off Macgregor St and Grose St) and not the bridge club car park required by the club regular players.

 • Catering - Light Lunch being provided by the ABF

Due to the shortish period allowed for lunch between Matches 2 and 3 each day (notionally 32 minutes if teams take their full allocation to complete 15 boards), the organisers have made arrangements with a nearby café – Farmers Daughter in Yarralumla – to provide a light lunch to each player.  The menu being provided allows players to choose from the following options each day they are in the competition:

 Sandwiches/Wraps

• Egg, lettuce and mayo sandwich on sourdough or
• Leg Ham, tomato, lettuce and tasty cheese sandwich on sourdough or
• Smoked Salmon Bagel, with smoked salmon, capers, red onion, rocket, cream cheese or
• Vegetarian Wrap – roast pumpkin, zucchini, baby spinach, halloumi cheese and pesto

Individually wrapped, labelled and in a brown paper bag.

Soup of the Day

• Pumpkin Soup with bread and butter; or
• Other flavours as advised each day

Individually packed in a disposable soup container

Salads

• Chicken tenderloins marinated with Ponzu (light citrus and soy sauce) with Iceberg lettuce, Cucumber, avocado, tomato and pickled cabbage or
• Roast beetroot, baby spinach and bocconcini cheese salad with brown rice, orange segments, mint and pistachio nut; or
• Salmon Poke bowl with avocado, pickled ginger, cucumber, sumac spiced pumpkin, edamame beans and brown rice

Individually boxed and labelled

Players with special dietary requirements that don’t conform to the above choices are strongly advised to bring their own lunches to avoid disappointment.  The Bridge Club kitchen has refrigerators for use by those who bring their own food and drink.

The Deakin shopping centre directly across Duff Place has two cafes that provide excellent coffee, other beverages, cakes, pies, sandwiches, and light meals.  Please visit the separate page here for details on each of these cafes websites and menus. 

» Deakin Shopping Centre Cafes

Take away is an option for consumption at the bridge club. There is a large IGA supermarket at the shopping centre which includes fresh fruit, snacks and confectionary items as well as a wide variety of cold beverages and ice cream.

Bottled water is available and can be refilled from Canberra’s excellent tap water.  Instant coffee and tea bags, sugar and milk will be available with mugs for those who require it.

 • BBO Coverage

Subject to the organisers being able to find the necessary BBO operators, one match in each round will be broadcast on BBO. Details of the proposed schedule and coverage will be posted each day of the event.

 • Player Wellness and Responsibility

ACT Covid-19 Rules regulations will apply to this event. (www.covid19.act.gov.au). All players must also adhere to any additions or modifications announced by the TO at any time. Players are ultimately responsible for monitoring their own health and should not turn up to play at the venue if they are unwell. The TO retains the absolute discretion to exclude a player who arrives at the venue and is demonstrably unwell.

 • Fees and Subsidies

The entry fee for the Open Playoff is $1,800 per team including GST.

To simplify administration for interstate players, it has been decided to net off the entry fee from player subsidies to produce a single player subsidy or payment as follows:

Table of Player Payments or Fees

IF YOU ARE A SIX PERSON TEAM

IF YOU ARE A FOUR PERSON TEAM

Teams Eliminated in the Quarter Final will receive a refund of entry fees of $480 per team. Non-Canberra based Players who make the final will receive an additional subsidy of $200 each.

*The ABF policy of discounted entry for Youth applies. In the case of youth players an appropriate adjustment will be made to the entry fees.

Teams with entry fees payable must pay by direct deposit into the ABF Account (BSB: 082968; A/C: 641482644) by 5.00 pm (AEDT), Thursday, December 1, 2022.

 • Format

• 120-board knockout matches, each played over two days;
• teams ranked by PQPs for determining knockout brackets and tie breaking; and
• a maximum entry of eight teams (ranked upon total PQPs - after bonuses are applied).

Session Times

9.30 am - 11.38 am
11.50 am - 1.58 pm
2.30 pm - 4.38 pm
4.50 pm - 6.58 pm

 • Target Events

The Target Event is the Wuhan Cup to be held in Marrakech 18 August to 2 September 2023 as part of the World Team Championship. The Team is also expected to represent Australia at the 2023 WBF Zone 7 Championships, played in conjunction with the APBF Championships

 • Contacts

Tournament Organiser
Roy Nixon
☎ 0423 043 220
✉ 

Chief Tournament Director
Matthew McManus

For further information contact Laurie Kelso and Matthew McManus ✉