Newcomer wins spoofing championship

This year’s Queenstown spoofing championships came thick with banter as well as a test of the competitors’ coin-guessing abilities.

Friday night marked the 19th year of the event and about 30 contestants gathered at the Boat Shed Cafe and Bistro in Frankton.

Organiser Murray Cockburn, a 30-year veteran of the game, reckoned it was "the most diverse group of spoofers" ever for Queenstown, as the event included players from Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States.

Spoofing is a globally played contest where each spoofer in a group holds between zero and three coins in a clenched fist.

Wearing distinctive blazers at the Queenstown spoofing championships are (from left) Hugh Bannerman, Scott Fairclough and Jonathan Lane. The blazer — whose coloured stripes represent the eight major rugby playing nations — is only worn by those who have competed at a World Spoofing Championship outside their country of residence. PHOTO: RHYVA VAN ONSELEN

In each round, the aim is to guess the collective number of coins held in the hands of the players, without repeating another person’s guess.

At the end of each round, the group opens their fists and the spoofer with the correct estimate steps back for the rounds following until there is a last man standing.

There are also plenty more obscure rules, including a zero-gloating tolerance, usually resulting in the gloater buying a bottle of port for the other spoofers, but as no port was available on Friday, a $20 fine replaced the penalty.

Friday’s spoofing saw Greg McGaw prevail in his first appearance at a championship.

melissa.ready@odt.co.nz