On Tuesdays Premier One and Division Two teams will play. On Wednesdays, Premier Two and Division One.
Premier matches involve two player teams, with each player playing two best of seven singles and a best of five doubles. Other grades will have the standard eleven match format, each player playing three best of five singles and either one or two doubles.
Sad news with Merv Allardyce passing away on Saturday (July 11) age 88. As a Life Member of the Empire Table Tennis Club he was also well known within the Wellington and indeed the New Zealand table tennis community including as a dedicated administrator for TTNZ in the head office for 11 years. He will be missed by so many, sympathies from us all to Merv’s family.
Here’s Merv on the left back in 2015 in Empire colours following silver at the NZ Vets Over 80 Men’s Doubles with Eddie Moore (on the right)Merv (also in 2015) at the Empire Table Tennis Club prize giving
The 2020 Table Tennis Wellington Veterans Open is now being held on Saturday June 27! The conditions and forms are below or use the online form to enter. Please enter by 6pm on Wednesday June 24.
There are over 40/50/60/70 age groups (if you turn that age on or before Dec 31, 2020) – singles and doubles. The tournament will be held at the Empire Table Tennis Club Hall, Marine Parade, Petone. Round up your friends and car-pool in! Please pass this information on to anyone else you know who may be interested.
Table Tennis New Zealand have confirmed the 2020 tournament calendar going forward and one of the first tournaments to take place will be the North Island Championships from Friday to Sunday, 10-12 July at the Empire Stadium.
This will be the biggest tournament locally for some years and it will be quite concentrated over three full days. If you think you may be able to donate some hours or days to help the tournament run smoothly, we would love to hear from you. We need people to help with entering results into the tournament software (easy job, 10 minutes training), monitoring play so we can keep tables occupied and keep on time, helping with the shop, umpiring, coordinating medals for presenting and other miscellaneous tasks that crop up. No skills needed other than being able to get along with people and a desire to want to help.
Normally about now we would be coming to the end of Series One of Winter Interclub. The calendar is against us to run a full competition and the reality is also that many players are just starting to pick up their bats again and probably need some time to get up to speed.
Accordingly, starting Wednesday 17 June, we are running a four-week competition, singles only, with players split into groups of 9. Players will be streamed and will play a round robin over two weeks against the other 8 players in their group (four singles a night). They will repeat the process over the following two weeks.
We therefore invite players to nominate themselves, either directly or via their clubs, to me by Friday 12 June. Please only enter if you expect to be able to play for each of the four Wednesdays commencing 17 June.
Gary Hudson Roselli (85) 21/1/1934-13/7/2019 Dies 13 July 2019 suddenly at home aged 85 years. Dearly loved husband of Pam and father of Carol, Annette, Maria, Gina. Lesley, Richard and Gaye (Dominion Post 15 July 2019). photo: 1959 Gary Roselli (National Library Site)
Gary was born in Westport, the youngest of 3 boys. His oldest brother was Peter followed by Leon. He went to Westport North Primary School and Westport Techical High School (now Buller High School). After school he began his pharmacy studies. He was good at sports, especially table tennis and tennis, where he was a junior/senior West Coast Representative.
In 1948 he played a match against former world champion Michael (Miklos)Szabados in Westport and in 1949 played against fomerly World Champion Victor Barna in Westport.
Gary won the West Coast Open Boys Singles (1948,1949 & 1951), Men’s Singles (1953) Men’s Doubles (1951& 1953 with John Allan) and Mixed Doubles (1953 with Miss B Walsh). The Buller Open Men’s Singles (1953 & 1954), Men’s Doubles (1953 with J Allan) and Mixed Doubles (1954 with V Walker). Also the 1954 Buller Closed Men’singles and Mixed Doubles with Miss K Mooney. There was no Buller Open (1950-52) and the 1954 West Coast Open results were not received by Table Tennis NZ.
In 1955 Gary moved to Wellington and worked in 2 pharmacies in the city before moving to High Street, Lower Hutt (1961) where he remained until he retired. He joined the Onslow Table Tennis Club. He won the Onslow Club Singles Champion 3 times (1959-61) and also won the Men’s Doubles and Mixed Doubles 3 times. The Men’s Doubles was won in 1960 & 1961 with Rudd Taylor and in 1962 with Ivan Houghton. The Mixed Doubles was won in 1959 with his then wife Margaret Roselli and in 1960-61 with Madeline Hooker.
He played Wellington A Grade for Onslow. The team finished 5th (1957) 5th (1958), 4th (1959), 2nd (1958), 4th (1959), 2nd (1960) 5th (1961) and 2nd ( 1962).
Gary won reached the Quarter Finals of the 1958 NZ Men’s Singles, beating the 8th seed George Smith (Auckland) and Ron Foster (Otago) before losing to the winner Bob Jackson (Auckland). He was ranked Number 9 on the NZ Men’s Ranking List that year. In 1959 He won the Hutt Valley Open Men’s Singles defeating John Crossley (Wgtn) 3-2 (21-23 21-14 15-21 21-19 21-17). In the 1959 North Island Men’s Doubles Final Gary and Roy Lea (Wgtn) lost to Murray Dunn/John Crossley (Wgtn) 0-3 ( 15-21 19-21 19-21). In 1961he won the Hutt Valley Open Mixed Doubles with Val Smythe (Wgtn).
Gary was ranked on the Wellington Men’s ranking list 6 times (1957 (9) 1958 (3) 1959 (3) 1960 (3) 1961 (2) and 1962 (6). He was selected in the Wellington Men’s Team to the NZ Championships (1958-61). In 1958 Wellington were runner up to Auckland with their match tied at 6-6 (Auckland winning on games 15-13). Wellington were again runner ups in 1959 losing to Auckland 0-12. In 1961 Wellington ( Murray Dunn (Captain, Geoff Jennings, Gary Roselli, John Crossley, Mike Beder) won the Kean Shield ( NZ A Grade Men’s Team) winning all 5 matches including beating Auckland 9-3 in the final.
Gary was in a Wellington Team that won the Croudis Shield against Hutt Valley (1958 17-11 1959 16-10 1960 score not in annual report 1961 19-9). The Claphaw Trophy against Canterbury was won in 1958 22-6 and 1961 15-13. The Gordon Cup against Auckland was won in 1961 at Taumarunui 18-10 which was the last time the Cup was completed for. He was in the Wellington team that beat Wairarapa 1958 12-0 and 1961 32-16. In 1958 he was in the Wellington Men’s Team that beat NZ University 11-1.
Gary later played for the Empire Club and was mainly a reserve for the top team in A Grade interclub (1965-76). He played 4 matches (won 10 lost 2) for the 1972 Empire A Grade No 1 Team (with Hone Ridley, Warren Evans and Keith Pointon) which won the Hutt Valley A Grade. He was in the 1973 A Grade Team (with Hone Ridley and Pat Low) that won the Hutt Valley A Grade where he won 23 out of 36 matches. 1981 was his last year of interclub for Empire for the A Reserve No 1 Team (with Tony Rutledge, Keith Pointon and Merv Allardyce) which finished 3rd.
In Tennis Gary was a Life Member of the Avalon Tennis Club. He won 5 NZ Veterans Men’s Doubles and 4 NZ Veterans Mixed Doubles Titles. They were:
1985 NZ Over 50 Men’s Doubles with Ivan Easton 1986 NZ Over 50 men’s Doubles with Geoff Lankow 1993 NZ Over 55 Men’s Doublies with Viv Hargreaves 2000 NZ Over 65 Men’s Doubles with Tom Wotherspoon 2001 NZ Over 65 Men’s Doubles with Tom Wotherspoon 1993 NZ Over 55 Mixed Doubles with Mary Ryan 1995 NZ Over 60 Mixed Doubles with Ann Stephens 1997 NZ Over 60 Mixed Doubles with Mary Ryan 2000 NZ Over 65 Mixed Doubles with Jean Stevens In 1990 Gary with Geoff Lankow were runner up in Australian Over 55 Men’s Doubles Gary represented NZ in the following Veterans teams tournaments overseas 1994 Men’s Over 60 – Von Cramm Cup, Florida USA with Larry O’Neill & Russell Blewden 1995 Men’s Over 60 – Von Cramm Cup, Portschach Austria with Don Tayor & Larry O’Neill 1998 Men’s Over 60 – Von Cramm Cup , Fort Lauderdale, USA with Larry O’Neill, Don Taylor & John Hempsted 1999 Men’s Over 65 – Britannia Cup, Costa Brava Spain with Larry O’Neill & Don Taylor
Information for this article came from Peter Roselli (details on Gary before his move to Wellington) , National Library site, Wellington Table Tennis Annual Reports, Onslow Table Tennis Club records, Table Tennis NZ Website, Table Tennis Review (July & Aug 1959), Avalon Tennis Annual Report. NZ Tennis Seniors website and Tennis Seniors Australia website.
Betty Irene Thompson (nee Powell) died 5/03/2019 in Wellington, aged 97. Much loved mother of Trevor, Jennifer, Lester and Louise and special grandmother of Michael and Laura. (Dominion Post, 7 March 2019)
Betty first played table tennis in 1939 at work in Wellington during the lunch hour and after work. She played interclub for Railways and Technical (1948) and was ranked in the Wellington Women rankings 1946 (5), 1947 (4), 1948 (6). She was a Wellington Women’s Representative to the 1947 NZ Championships that won the Women’s A Grade Teams and became the first team to win the Herbert G Teagle Memorial Shield. Betty was an allround attacking player on both wings.
In 1946 Betty won the North Island Women Doubles with May Wareham (Wgtn) and the Mixed Doubles with Eric Boniface (Wgtn). Also the Hutt Valley Open Mixed Doubles with Eric Boniface.
In 1947 Betty won the NZ Mixed Doubles with Eric Boniface. The South Island Women Doubles with Audrey Hunt (HV) and Mixed Doubles with W J (Bill) Fogarty (Otg). Also the Wellington Open Women Doubles with A P (Agnes) Knight (Wgtn) and Hutt Valley Open Women Doubles with A Hunt. In 1948 Betty retained the Hutt Valley Open Women Doubles with A Hunt.
Betty moved to Manawatu in 1949. She won the Taranaki Open Women Singles and Doubles,with M Fahey, and gained a NZ Women ranking of 10th.
Betty then moved to Timaru and won the South Canterbury Women Singles (1951 & 1953) and Women Doubles with E A Collins (1952 & 1953). She won the 1952 South Island Women’s Singles and Doubles with E A Collins. She was on the NZ Ranking list 1951 (9), 1952 (4) and 1953 (7). Betty was the only player to defeat Margaret Hoar in the 1953 NZ Women’s A Grade Teams.
In 1954 Betty moved to Otaki in the Manawatu. She won the Manawatu Closed Women Singles (1954 & 1955), Women Doubles with Merle Rolston (1955) and Mixed Doubles with H Jones (1955).
Also 8 more Provincial Open Doubles and 3 Mixed Doubles Titles. They were: 1954 Wairarapa Open Women’s Doubles with N Andrews (Wairarapa) 1956 Wanganui Open Women’s Doubles with Val Rolston (Manawatu) 1957 Bush Open Wpmen’s Doubles with Val Rolston 1957 Hutt Valley Open Women’s Doubles with Val Rolston 1957 Hutt Valley Mixed Doubles with Hugh Lauder (Wgtn) 1957 Manawatu Open Women’s Doubles with Val Rolston 1958 Wellington Open Women’s Doubles with Val Rolston 1958 Wellington Mixed Doubles with Hugh Lauder 1958 Manawatu Open Women’s Doubles with Val Rolston 1958 Bush Open Women’s Doubles with Val Rolston 1958 Bush Open Mixed Doubles with Hugh Lauder
In Veterans events Betty (Rotorua) won the 1978 NZ Over 45 Women Singles and Doubles with D Ord (Manawatu). In 2006 representing Manawau She won the North Island Over 65 Doubles with Merle Sneddon (MN) and Over 70 Mixed Doubles with Bill Otene (WT). In 2009 Betty won the NZ Masters Games Over 70 Women Doubles with Betty Meads.
Thanks to the Dominion Post, TTNZ Annual Reports, Table Tennis Wellington Annual Reports, Table Tennis Wanganui website and the TTNZ photo archives for information that is in this article.
– Malcolm Wong
1947 Wellington Association Representatives L/R back: L M Wilson (captain), J S Crossley, M Gosling, E Boniface seated: A Hughes, D R Croxton, E P Marshall (manager), B I Powell, A P Knight front: R S Gray, B J Eames
1955 Manawatu Women’s Team at NZ Championships – Napier L/R: Janet Oxenam, Merle Rolston, Daphne McLean, Lois Rodgers, Betty Powell
