Quizzers prove whizzers in big contest
Even Shaun Wallace, on right, from The Chase was pleased to get in the photo with these national quiz champions from Timaru.
A group of mostly Timaru general knowledge enthusiasts have proven they are the country’s best pub quiz team.
The eight members of Uramit – Timaru spelled backwards – were first at the 20th annual New Zealand Pub Quiz Championship in Auckland on Saturday, beating more than 600 contestants to claim the top prize.
The team is predominantly made up of members of two four-person teams that have been competing in quizzes at the Sail and Anchor bar in Timaru and a couple of extras were brought on board for the competition – all with Timaru connections.
It is the first time a South Island team has won the championship in its 20-year history.
The team, led by John Wallace, and joined by Fayne Wallace, Willy Crawford, Jasmine Crawford, Paul Phibbs, Frank Ash, Johnny Crawford and Aimee Sanders beat 79 other teams of eight from around New Zealand, with a winning score of 93/110.
Their celebrations continued the next day when the team was shouted to brunch in Auckland with The Chase’s Dark Destroyer, and competition MC, Shaun Wallace as part of their prize package.
John Wallace, a seasoned quizzer and Timaru doctor, has previously competed at the nationals.
‘‘It was unbelievable,’’ he said of the moment the team realised they had won. ‘‘We were in disbelief.’’ Wallace attributed the winning formula to ‘‘experience, having the right attitude and not expecting to win’’.
‘‘I decided I wanted to do it and I went out and recruited.
‘‘I foolishly suggested that if we win, we were to get tattoos, I’m rethinking that,’’ he said.
As well as the brunch with Shaun Wallace, the team won a Google home mini, a Google chromecast, a 12-month subscription to Sky Sport and a gold medal.
Wallace said the competition was made up of 11 rounds of 10 questions.
‘‘We had a strong suspicion in the last two rounds and we were certain in the last round we had won.’’
Team mate Willy Crawford, also a Timaru doctor, said there was no formal preparation, other than attending weekly pub quizzes at the Sail and Anchor bar, after the team was formed a couple of months ago.
The weekly tradition had turned fiercely competitive with both teams, Mashmouth and Team Leon, vying for top placings.
‘‘We had no idea what was going to happen,’’ Crawford said.
‘‘Our goal was to finish as high in the rankings as possible.’’
It was down to a tiebreaker between three teams for second place with a Christchurch team taking silver.
‘‘We are absolutely chuffed, it was amazing,’’ Crawford said.
‘‘It was like a pub quiz on steroids.’’ Crawford said each team member contributed and ‘‘got a question right no-one else did’’.
‘‘The content was a step up from usual quizzes. We have to do it again next year,’’ he said.
New Zealand Pub Quiz Championship marketing manager Brendan Lochead said he was proud of the Timaru team for being the first South Island team to win in the history of the competition.