The 4Fun Teams is a recent, and very welcome, addition to the bridge calendar.  The concept was initiated in 2009 by Frank Kelly.  The format is designed to encourage players who haven't played bridge in formal competitions outside their home club to do so in a fun and friendly setting, and to introduce new players to Teams bridge.

The format is a team of four, with each team consisting of a Novice, and Intermediate B, an Intermediate A, and a Master.  The Novice and Master plays as a pair throughout, as do the Intermediate A and B.  Only a limited system (described here http://cbai.ie/competitions/documents/BIDDINGSYSTEMFOR4FUNTEAMS.pdf) is permitted, to eliminate the need to be familiar with a lot of bidding conventions.   The Master players are specifically asked to to be as helpful and unintimidating as possible to their less experienced partners, and the Tournament Directors have specific instructions to be sympathetic to the Novice players.  So it is a great way to experience outside competition, and to learn from more experienced players, and we would encourage as many people as possible to play in this year's event.

There is a national 4Fun teams final held every year for the Frank & Brenda Kelly Trophy.  The 2076 national final will be held on Sat 27 May 2017.  Here in Dublin South, we will hold two qualifiers for the national final, with at least three teams qualifying from each.

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The first of this year's two 4Fun teams qualifiers was held in the RDS on Monday 17 October.  Our thanks to the RDS for hosting the event, and to Maurice O'Leary for directing.  21 teams took part, a record number for this venue, split into three sections, and the results were close in all three sections.  All three section winners will qualify for the national final, with the runners-up possibly qualifying depending on the countrywide take up of spots.  In section order, the winning teams, pictured with DSR  President Dermot O'Brien, were:

Section 1:  Joan McKiernan (Novice), Carol Cussen (Intermediate B), David Sanderson (Intermediate A), Eamon Keogh (Master) 

Section 2:  Kerri Nolan (N), David Connolly (B), Teresa Gavin (A), Jim Mullally (M)

                 This team has an excellent 4Fun pedigree, in that Teresa, David and Jim were part of last year's national final winners. One to watch for a repeat this year?

Section 3:  Joe Carty (N), Catherine Egan (B), Pat Egan, John Reilly (M)

Full results from the event may be found here. RDS 4Fun Result 2016.pdf