Cue the community: Snooker at the Town & Country Club
The Town and Country Club, in the heart of the small Waikato town of Morrinsville, is a club with a community that loves to socialise and play snooker.
The club was founded in 1974 and has long served as a social hub for many, offering a welcoming environment for those who come to play snooker, share kai, or simply enjoy a drink with familiar faces.
Most of the players have been coming here for years, drawn in by habit as much as love for the game. While some members gather for a drink from the bar or a lovely meal from the award-winning chef in the restaurant, the snooker players head straight to the tables where their competitive behaviour begins.
The club’s weekly membership draw, and the snooker nights are held on a Thursday. The snooker competition brings together regulars and newcomers alike. What begins as a few friendly games soon turns into spirited competition, with laughter, good natured banter and the occasional compliment from fellow players. The weekly prize draw grows if unclaimed which keeps the wider Morrinsville community coming back for more.
Beneath the surface of friendly rivalry lies something deeper, a sense of whanaungatanga – connection, respect and relationships that bind the players together. Steve Blezard, a long-time member and one of the top snooker players at the Town and Country club, describes the atmosphere as
“very relaxed and chilled with older people”.
Steve said that snooker is a dying sport as there are no young players coming or joining the clubs and “pool is the way that it’s going”. He said clubs seem to be getting rid of snooker tables and replacing them with pool tables as it is an easier game to play and may attract more younger players.
The club provides a space where both pakeha and Māori players come together and are guided by shared tikanga (values and practices) that show how members treat one another. From a respectful handshake before and after each match to the friendly korero exchanged between games, the atmosphere is built on mutual respect.
While the Morrinsville Town and Country Club may not host massive crowds, its snooker community represents something enduring, a group of locals who have built friendships and memories through their passion for the game. It’s a reminder that in small towns, it’s the people, not just the places, who keep the heart of the Morrinsville community alive.
