Carrick teams a bridge to future success

The 2013-2014 season has been the most successful to date for the Carrickfergus Grammar School Bridge Club at junior and senior level in the Ulster Schools competitions with some good results at Irish level also.

Two of the school’s senior players have now gone on to represent Northern Ireland at U20 level and have been asked to represent Ireland in the upcoming European competition in Amsterdam.

Derryvolgie Bridge Club in Belfast was the venue for the first event of the season, the Ulster Schools pairs, which took place in November. Craig Smylie and Aaron Wilson won the competition, beating off over 20 other pairs. This is their second year in a row winning this event.

Following the success of the Ulster win, Craig and Aaron made their way to Malahide in early December to take part in the Irish Schools pairs competition. On this occasion they were just pipped at the post, coming second.

In early February, Carrick Grammar returned to Derryvolgie for the Schools team event and ‘cleaned up’.

“Our junior team of Min Soeg Kim, John Brodison, Craig Lindsay and David Purvis won the gold medal in their section; and in the senior section Jack Robinson and Andrew Newbold teamed up with Aaron Wilson and Craig Smylie to win Ulster’s main event of the season. This is the first time our school have won this tournament so well done to all involved,” said a school spokesperson.

“Craig and Aaron’s incredible form this year didn’t go unnoticed and the representative selectors picked them both to represent Northern Ireland under 20s to compete against England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales during February. They also have now been selected to represent Ireland in a European tournament in Amsterdam. Many congratulations go to both boys for such an achievement.”

One of the highlights of the bridge calendar is the Irish team competition in Galway, which drew three sets of players from Carrickfergus Grammar. The first team came second in the silver section which saw them qualify to represent Ulster in the Irish Inter-provincial Championship. Teams two and three were well placed in their sections.

“In all it has been a fabulous season for Carrickfergus Grammar School bridge and as ever we have plenty of young up and coming players in the junior school who will be a force to be reckoned with in the future.”