The Home Internationals |
| |
By Patrick Jourdain |
The Camrose Trophy |
| |
The Home Bridge Internationals for England, Scotland, Wales, Northern
Ireland and the Republic of Ireland (then called the Irish Free State)
was launched in 1937. Lord Camrose, at that time proprietor of the Daily
Telegraph, donated the trophy in 1936. The original trophy has been lost,
but a replacement is competed for annually.
The 1939 series was not completed due to war. The Camrose re-started in 1946,
so the series ending in March 2003 was the sixtieth. This makes the Camrose the
most-played international bridge series in the world, for the European Championships
that began in 1936 has recently only been played in alternate years.
The South of Ireland dropped out in 1951 but rejoined as the Republic of Ireland
in December 1998.
The current format is head-to-head matches played over five weekends, with a
different country sitting out each weeekend, as in the former Five Nations Rugby.
Each weekend is divided into three stanzas of 30 boards victory-pointed separately.
Some of the head-to-head encounters have their own individual trophy. The Camrose
Trophy is awarded to the country with the most victory points over the 12 stanzas
played.
England has won on 45 occasions, Scotland on 12 (most recently in 1998), with
these two countries drawing twice. The Republic of Ireland won in the year 2000.
Wales and Northern Ireland have yet to win.
In the year 2005 the Camrose was played over two big weekends with
all five countries present at a single venue. Thus the 61st series which started
in December 2003 will be the last played over five weekends.
List of winners |
The Lady Milne Trophy Home Internationals for Womens Teams |
| |
In 1934 the Lady
Milne started as the Ladies Team championship of the
National Bridge Association run by Hubert Phillips (see history of the
BBL).
Then in 1950 it became the trophy for the Ladies Home Internationals
with
one team eligible from each country. In 1949 entry was
still open to many teams. In 1950 the winner is recorded as “Scotland”.
It is assumed that in 1950 it became the Home Internationals with only
one team from each country. In the early years England fielded the winner
of the Whitelaw Cup, its womens teams championship.
The event is now played over one weekend for womens teams from England, Scotland,
Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. Teams play two head-to-head
matches of 14 boards against each of the other four countries, each being victory-pointed.
In 53 series to June 2002 England has won on 41 occasions. Scotland won in
1950, 1956, 1980, 1984, 1986, 1992 and 1994; Wales won in 1967, 1968, and 1988;
Northern Ireland won in 1981 and 1985; the Republic of Ireland, joining the
series in 1998, has yet to win.
|
The Junior Camrose Home Internationals for players aged under 25 years |
| |
The series, initially for those under 27, but now for those under 25,
was launched on 18/19th September 1971 in Glasgow. Scotland won. Members
of that team Sandy Duncan, Barnet Shenkin, George Cuthbertson, and Derek
Diamond all went to represent Scotland in the Camrose. The other team members
were David Shenkin and Cameron McLatchie.
Scotland also won in 1973, 1975 and 1976. In 1972 and 1978 Scotland tied with
England.
England won outright for the first time in 1974 and again in 1977 (the event
that year was actually played in December 1976). Since 1979 England has dominated
the event, tying with Scotland in 1998 but winning the rest. Wales, Northern
Ireland and the Republic of Ireland (who joined in January 1999 when the event
was played in Dublin) have yet to win the trophy. |
The Under 20s Home Internationals for the Peggy Bayer Trophy |
| |
The Under 19 Home Internationals was launched on 3/4th
February 1990 in Cheltenham with a trophy donated by the late Palmer Bayer
(also the founder of the Educational Trust for British Bridge) in honour
of his wife Peggy. Only Scotland and England took part with Scotland winning.
The Scottish team contained Geoff Bateman, 13 (the older of the Bateman
brothers who subsequently played many Junior events for Scotland) and his
partner Caldwell, 14. Scotland won again in 1995 and 1997 but England has
won the rest. Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland (who joined
in January 1999) have yet to win.
The youngest-ever competitor was Claire Evans of Wales who competed aged 9 on
30/31 January 1999 in Dublin having been born on 2nd May 1989. |
|
