QBA Profiles

RICHARD WARD

Richard Ward grew up in Townsville. There was a strong interest in bridge within his family environment, and he was introduced to club bridge by his mother at the age of seventeen. From there can be traced a long and varied history of contributions to the game at both the administrative and player levels.

He participated in the setting up of a bridge club at James Cook University while a student there, was in charge of the first Townsville Congress at the age of 21, represented Queensland in a number of youth championships, won the State Pairs Championship with Brian Blyth in 1976 and then with Lindy Vincent, and became President of the QBA in 1981-22. He was also heavily involved in the planning and organization of the Gold Coast Congress for several of its early years, and was a member of Queensland’s first ever winning team in the Open ANC in 1988.

Add to this several other state titles, a prominent role as a Congress Director, a heavy involvement in community activities, and a successful career in education, and you have some inkling of the busy life he has led. With tongue in cheek, he says his idea of a blissful existence is to play heaps of congresses with his favourite partners and never sit on a committee again.

Further details on Richard Ward may be found in Mind Games – A Biographical History of Bridge in Queensland.