World Champion of Champion report

North Harbour’s Keiko Kurohara, from the Takapuna club, and Millie Nathan, from Birkenhead, performed creditably at the world champion of champion singles event in Barham, Australia, but without securing major honours.

Millie, playing for Tonga and defending the title she won at Browns Bay last year, won five of her nine matches in qualifying play but finished fifth in her section.

Keiko, playing for her native Japan, just missed out on post-section play, finishing a close fourth in her section, winning six of her nine matches. She was in the same section as New Zealand’s representative, Waikato’s Deb White and gave her one of her toughest contests.

White dropped only one qualifying match and made the final, where she was beaten by Norfolk Island’s impressive Shae Wilson. White thus repeated her silver medal success of 2019.

Despite missing the chance to play for medals it was a commendable effort by both Keiko and Millie, for those who saw some of the Sky television coverage will confirm the standard of competition was high.

New Zealand was not represented in the men’s tournament, which was won by Ireland’s David Copeland.