INTERNATIONAL. Here’s your third chance of 2025 to win a great prize in our Strange Predictions* contest hosted by Strange Nature Gin of New Zealand and this weekend we are featuring what promise to be two epic sporting showdowns.

Part 1

Once again we are including the Men’s Six Nations Rugby Championship in Europe, but this time we are focusing on just one match (to be played on Saturday 8 March).

It is the almost certain tournament decider between unbeaten and supremely confident Ireland and the unpredictable power and flair of France, still smarting from a last-minute defeat to England earlier in the competition to scupper their Grand Slam ambitions.

However, France can still win the tournament if they can beat the brilliantly well-organised Ireland side, the latter enjoying home advantage.

The boys in green or Les Bleus? Have your say.

To enter our competition all you have to do is:

• Correctly pick the winner (or a draw) = 3 points
• Be closest to the correct scoreline = 10 points
• Tell us which region of New Zealand Strange Nature comes from = 1 point
• Followed by…

Part 2

The following day, Sunday 9 March, sees the final of cricket’s ICC Champions Trophy. It will be played between the winners of the two semi-finals taking place today and tomorrow (India vs Australia; South Africa vs New Zealand). 

To enter our competition all you have to do is:

• Correctly pick the winner of the final = 3 points
• Pick the top-scoring batsman from each team = 2 points for each
• Pick the man of the match = 2 points
• Be closest to picking the winning score = 5 points

As with all our Strange Predictions competitions, the winner will receive a bottle of the outstanding Strange Nature Gin, whose spirit base is drawn from Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc. Strange indeed. 

As reported, Strange Nature was recently named one of the ten 2024 Gins of the Year at the prestigious International Wine & Spirit Competition.

Rules:

• • Only entries from bona-fide members of the travel retail and aviation community will be accepted.
  • For the rugby question, entries will be judged first on predicting the victor (or draw) after which those qualifying will be assessed on closest cumulative points differential. So if, say, Ireland beat France 25-21 and you predicted 33-27 you would have a points differential of 14. The lower the differential the better.
  • Judge’s decision is final.
  • For the cricket questions, the rules are pretty straightforward but answering them correctly is about as tricky as taking on the Indian spin attack on a Dubai dustbowl of a wicket.
  • The overall winner will be the entrant who has scored the highest number of points from the various questions.

Send your estimate to: Martin@MoodieDavittReport.com headed ‘Strange Predictions – Rugby & Crickets showdowns’ by noon UK and Ireland time on 8 March.