5 Jul 2024 – The Men's and Women's titles at the NZ Curling Championships both went to a decider in their best-of-three final series at Naseby's Maniototo Adventure Park.

Bridget Becker, Holly Thompson, Natalie Thurlow, Cassie Becker and Abby Peddie beat edged Team Courtney Smith 5-4 in their round robin match, which counted as the first match in the series. Smith - with cousin Jessica Smith, and Dunedin sisters Grace and Temika Apuwai-Bishop, won the second 6-5. The decider was also a close contest, Team Becker claiming the championship with a 6-4 win.

The seven Women's teams had earlier played a full round robin. Team Becker topped the standings with a 5-1 record to qualify directly for the final, and Team Smith were second with the same win-loss record. Chelsea Suddens and Tahlia Peterson both had four wins, but Suddens won their head-to-head match to earn a semi-final against Smith, which the latter side won 7-3.

The ten Men's teams played in two pools of five. Defending champions Anton Hood, Ben Smith, Brett Sargon and Hunter Walker swept their pool to earn one place in the preliminary final. Darcy Nevill (3-1) and Garion Long (2-2) claimed the other two playoff spots.

The other Men's pool had three teams finish with a 3-1 win-loss record. Peter de Boer, Jared Palanuik, Gordon Hay and Phil Dowling's superior draw shot results earned them top ranking and the other place in the preliminary final ahead of Teams Sean Becker and Sam Flanagan.

Team de Boer also had the distinction of scoring a rare 8-point end during the pool games. With his last stone of the end, Peter de Boer played a delicate shot to chip out an opposition stone from the edge of the four-foot ring and score the first 8-ender of his career.

In the preliminary final Team Anton Hood scored a single with hammer in the last end to qualify for the final series. This sent de Boer to the semi-final where they met Sean Becker who won through the qualifier playoffs. This was another tight match which de Boer won 5-4 in an extra end to set up a rematch against Hood.

Hood took the first game of the series comfortably 6-2. The teams fell foul of the tournament's slow play rule and missed the cutoff time to start the eighth end of their second game, meaning the 5-4 scoreline to de Boer after the seven ends would send the series to a third game decider.

Team Hood were unstoppable in the crunch game, Team de Boer offering handshakes after six ends with the score at 9-1.

In the prizegiving immediately after the finals the Wendy Becker Sportsmanship Award was presented to Rachael Pitts and Dean Fotti, selected by the players as best representing the Spirit of Curling throughout the tournament.

The winning sides also earned themselves the right to represent New Zealand at November's Pan Continental Curling Championships in Canada. This tournament is a qualifier for both the World Championships and the Winter Olympics.
 

• Full results
• Championship history – Women
• Championship history – Men

Phil Dowling, Gordon Hay, Jared Palanuik and Peter de Boer, Men's silver medallists

Hunter Walker, Ben Smith, Brett Sargon and Anton Hood, Men's Champions

Cass Becker, Nat Thurlow, Holly Thompson, Bridget Becker and Abby Peddie, 2024 NZ Women's Champions

Courtney Smith Grace Apuwai-Bishop, Temika Apuwai-Bishop and Jess Smith, Women's silver medallists

Ariel Webber, Sophie Tran, Chelsea Suddens and Thivya Turner, Women's bronze medallists

Rachael Pitts, joint winner of the Wendy Becker Sportsmanship Award, with Peter Becker

Team Peter de Boer scored an 8-ender in the Men's round robin