She was leading the tournament on 621 points [scored in a game] until the last day of the tournament when she was pipped at the post by the overall winner from New Zealand who reached 624 points in a game.
Describing it like scoring an Olympic medal, she said it was incredibly difficult to win a tournament on pure Scrabble talent alone and a lot of it came down to how hard you’ve studied.
Winning the inaugural Australian Scrabble Championship in the 1980s, Moana said she had always loved any kind of word game and was an avid reader.
Known to help expand your intellectual abilities, concentration and creativity, Moana said playing Scrabble made her feel happy and sociable.
“One of the effects of playing Scrabble is learning new words, but playing this game will also have a direct impact on the performance of your brain,” she said.
Playing regularly with the Sydney Scrabble Club which is the oldest club in the country and based in Balmain, Moana she hoped a regular club might start up soon in Revesby.
“It’s a great passion or hobby to have and ideal for a child or anyone for that matter, especially if they are not keen on sports,” she said.
“There’s nothing better than sitting down with some like-minded people and enjoying a game of Scrabble.”
