PORT AUX BASQUES — Branch 11 of the Royal Canadian Legion had a reason to celebrate over the March 3rd weekend after a successful showing at the ‘A’ Southwest Coast Ladies League Dart Tournament.

Ten teams competed from communities along the Southwest coast, from Rose Blanche to South Branch and team ‘The Home Girls’ took home first place.

“It was wonderful, we won,” said Amy Bennett, Bookkeeper and manager at the Royal Canadian Legion in Port aux Basques. “The Legion had two teams in Legion 1 and Legion 2. It’s the first time the Legion won in many, many years.”

The tournament is something that has been an integral part of the Royal Canadian Legion for a long time.

“My mother was doing it for 30-odd years,” said Bennett.

Even though she hasn’t always been in Port aux Basques, it didn’t take her long to pick darts back up as soon as she returned.

“I’ve only been home four years and I’ve competed in the four years I have been home,” said Bennett. “Years before that it was 20-odd years that I played it and I was only ‘C’ then.”

The Home Girls consists of Amy Bennett, Michelle Bunter, their non-playing Captain, Tammy Adey, Judy Coley, Judy Hennebury, Cindy Billard, and Irene Bragg.

“Tammy Adey had the number two average for the whole weekend,” said Bennett. “She did really good, everyone did really well.”

Each team played numerous games over the course of the weekend, with the tournament taking place at 10:00 a.m. on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

“(There were) 10 teams and you played each team 5 times for a total of 45 games of darts,” explained Bennett. “It all goes by games. There is first place, second place, third place, and fourth place.”

Sunday was reserved for the championship games to close out the tournament.

“The first place was automatically in the championship, so first and second played off and the second place won. Then third and fourth played off, and third and fourth were tied, which was us and Loud and Proud from out in the Valley, then we beat them. Then we had to play the winner of the first ones and we beat them, then we played for the championship and we beat them, so four games straight.”

The excitement was palpable as The Home Girls inched closer and closer to that first place finish.

Bennett said her voice suffered the following week from all the cheering, as the team blew the roof of the place, coming from being tied for third place to winning in the span of four games.

The tournament was very successful, with quite the crowd gathering to play.

“It was a very good turnout, very good. There were 60 players on the 10 teams, 6 on each team.”

The dart tournaments didn't end there. The Men’s ‘C’ Provincial Dart Tournament took place from, March 8-11, giving Branch 11 a chance to clinch the championship again.

Jaymie White, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Wreckhouse Weekly News