The Devon Knock-Out Teams of Four Championship for the Western Morning News Trophy 2023-24

The Devon Teams of Four Championship for the Western Morning News Trophy 2023/24

Entries have now closed for this competition. As only six teams have entered, there will be no Plate competition. To ensure each team plays in at least two matches, each team has been randomly assigned to one of two groups of three teams. Teams will play the two other teams in their group and the winners of both groups will play off against each other. Results will appear in the table below.

 The winning team will represent the County in the EBU’s Pachabo Cup on the weekend of June 8–9, 2024.

The Matches

Match Location

Matches can be played at your Bridge club, in your home, or online on RealBridge, subject to agreement between captains. If there is no agreement, the match will be played online where the homes of the two captains are more than 20 miles apart, or where any player has good cause due to personal circumstances. If the above doesn't apply, the match must be played F2F.

The Final will be played F2F if at all possible.

 Scoring & Master Points

Scoring will be in IMPs and Green points will be awarded.

Fixing a Date

Team captains will be notified of a 'must be played by date' when they receive notification of the draw for each round.

If the two teams fail to agree on a date to play (or in the case of any other dispute) the matter shall be referred to the TD, who may refer to the Appeals Committee, to which committee the disputants also have the right to appeal.

All matches up to and including the semi-finals should be played by the end of March 31, 2024, to allow the final, which will be F2F if possible, to be played on a suitable day in April or at least by May 12, 2024.

For teams playing F2F, the hosting team are responsible for:

1. Organising the venue (after consultation with the away team captain).
2. Providing a playing environment (tables, boards, bidding boxes. stationery, etc.)
3. Providing refreshments and a suitable break from play in which to consume them.

For teams playing online on RealBridge, the home captain should inform the TD of the date and time chosen. Both captains will then be informed of the access arrangements.

The Tournament Director

The tournament director (TD) Jeremy Child will be on call for all matches.

Number of Boards

All group matches will be of 32 boards. The final will be 48 boards in six sets of 8, subject to change if agreed by both captains and the TD.

Seating Rights

There are no seating rights.  

For F2F matches, pairs containing the captains will play against each other in odd numbered stanzas, and on separate tables in even numbered stanzas.

Online, pairs containing the captains will sit N/S, and RealBridge will organise the seating.

Notification of the Result

Both teams must forward the result with the names of their players to the TD and the tournament administrator as soon as possible.

The Tournament Administrator

Jacqui Munns

The Teams

Group 1 Teams (Captains in Bold)	Brent Wormald (BW), Alison Pollok, Carmen Ruiz-Castell, David Southcombe	Warner Solomon (WS), Alex Maddocks, Stefan Lindfors, Jim Grant, Jacek Pietrzycki	Nigel Wain (NW), Doug Dunn, Ian Dalrymple, Norman Botton
Group 2 Team Captains in Bold)	Stephen Rafferty (SR), Richard Watkins, Linda Rafferty & Neil Marsden	Richard Lingham (RL), Ann Slee, Ruth Edmondson, Brigid McElroy	Paul Hide (PH), Les Ellis, Julie Rotchell, Roger Gowland

The Results

The EBU Pachabo Cup

It is a condition of entry that the winning team, or the runners-up, will represent the County in the EBU’s Pachabo Cup (The Inter-Counties Teams of Four event) on the weekend of June 8–9, 2024 on RealBridge. The entry will be made by the DBA on behalf of the team, and the DBA will also pay the entry fees.

The Holders

2023 Winners: Richard Lingham, Ann Slee, Brigid McElroy, Ruth Edmondson.