Cuestars scratch handicaps

Director John Hunter (pictured with Pontin’s under-12 champion Shane Castle) announced this week that all next season’s tournaments will be run as scratch events using a round-robin format leading to a knockout.

Andover-based Hunter, who has been running competitions across the South for 15 years, said the radical plans will make results “more meaningful” and will guarantee players more matches.

He added: “It will accelerate the improvement of our most talented players and help maximize the abilities of all players.”

Most national competitions use the new format which became popular in the last few years.

The Senior tour, with no age limit, will be replaced by a Cuestars South of England Championship Tour.

The Under-21, Under-15 and Under-12 tours will be replaced by Cuestars South of England Junior Gold, Silver and Bronze Tours. Ability, not age, will determine which tour the young potters compete on.

Each of the above four categories will be played out over eight tournaments.

Entry fee for each tour event: Championship, £15; Gold, £10; Silver and Bronze, £6.

In addition, Cuestars will run a four-event South of England Junior Section Team Championship. Entry per three-man team is £15. Sections’ first teams will all compete in the same round-robin group.

Hunter is also planning other one-off events.

This year’s Section Championships at Jesters SC, Swindon, on June 14, will trial the new gold, silver and bronze format. Entry is £6 per player.

In 2008/09 Cuestars ran tournaments in Cardiff, Gloucester, Swindon, Salisbury, Reading, Basingstoke, Westbury, Gosport, Chandler’s Ford, Winchester, Eastleigh and Bournemouth.

Cuestars also has affiliated clubs in Aldershot, Boscombe, High Wycombe, Thatcham and Portsmouth. And it attracts players from Bracknell, Yate, South London, Guildford, Poole, Stubbington, Worcester, Fareham and Oxford.

Many youngsters who cut their teeth on the Cuestars circuit have progressed to represent England.

Picture by Kevin Legg