How to watch, who to watch out for and everything else you need to know.
What’s all this then?
Only the biggest event on the New Zealand Scrabble calendar, the three-day national championship. This year it’s being held at the Burnside Bowling Club in Christchurch and features over 60 Scrabblers ranging from former world champions to absolute beginners.
Where do we watch?
Right here! Or wherever you normally watch YouTube.
Streams start around 9.00am NZT each morning, and you can dip in and out during the day or watch back at your leisure. Not a Scrabble expert already? That’s OK – the commentary from expert Scrabblers from here and abroad will make you feel like one.
Who’s playing?
All the New Zealand Scrabble personalities you know and love plus a couple we haven’t seen on stream before. Dylan Early is the defending champion who faces a stern test not just from 12-time Nationals champion and current New Zealand number one Howard Warner, but also former world champion Alastair (no relation to Nigel) Richards, who’s returning for his first Nationals after a few years in the Scrabble wilderness. Also in the hunt are New Zealand’s youngest ever grand master Lewis Hawkins (second last year) and Australia-based 2022 champion Joanne Craig.
The exciting thing about Nationals, though, is that we get to see games from the lower grades as well – keep an eye out for young up-and-comers Maheu (13), Lev (13) and Cooper (16), who all represented New Zealand at the World Youth Scrabble Championship in Malaysia last year.
What’s the format?
The 66 competitors are divided into five grades. Each grade plays a 22-game double round-robin (everyone plays each other twice) before two games of “king of the hill” (first plays second, etc) to decide the winners on the final day.
Where’s Nigel?
Scrabble’s undisputed GOAT, New Zealander Nigel Richards, is competing in the enormous (500-player!) Causeway tournament in Bangkok the same weekend as the NZ Nationals. You can watch streams of that tournament on the LetsPlayScrabble YouTube – it’s going to be a big weekend for watching Scrabble.
How do I play in a Scrabble tournament?
Pretty much every tournament on the NZ Scrabble calendar is open to anyone, including Nationals. It’s highly recommended – though not essential – that you join a local club and get a few games under your belt there first.
Where can I watch more Scrabble?
LetsPlayScrabble is the best place to go to watch livestreamed games from other parts of the world, while Will Anderson is for my money the best Scrabble YouTuber. And while you’re at it, give Scrabble New Zealand a follow too.
