For the purposes of the mixed fours competition New Zealand was divided into nine zones; districts within each zone found two teams to represent them. District winners within each zone met to find the zone winners, then zone winners in each island met to find the island winners. The winners of each island then met in the national final. Expenses for the Island and National finals were paid out of the sponsorship money.
Several major changes have been made in the form of this competition since its inception. The National final, which was rather an anticlimax was combined with the Island finals and all nine zone winners were brought together at one venue to play a round robin competition which decided the National winner. The zones were further refined in 1998 decreasing the number of zones to eight by uniting the six districts at the top of the South Island to form the South Island North Western Zone.
From 1965 to 1979 this event was sponsored by Rothmans, and by the Bank of New Zealand from 1982 to 1985.
Each district finds a team to represent it by competition play. The winners go forward to the zone finals on the first Saturday in July and the zone winners go forward to the national final , which is played on the fourth Saturday in July.
In 2006 it was decided to reduce the number of teams attending the national final from eight to six. The districts were divided into six zones the same as for the Paterson Trophy with the West Coast districts playing off prior to the zone final to find their representative. The six zone winners going forward to the national final.
Mixed Fours Gold Stars
Two players hold Mixed Fours Gold Stars, Sue Meyer and Bruce Meyer from Manawatu.
They won their five titles in 1986, 1993, 1994, 1997 and 1999.
Composition of Zones
North Island
Northern Northland, Counties, Roskill and Districts, Auckland and North Shore.
Eastern Waikato, Thames Valley, Bay of Plenty, Tauranga, and Poverty Bay-East Coast.
Western North Taranaki, Wanganui, Taranaki, King Country and Central King Country.
South Eastern Bush Ruahine, Hawkes Bay, Wairarapa and Manawatu.
Southern Upper Hutt Valley, Hutt Valley, Horowhenua and North Wellington.
South Island
North Western Golden Bay-Motueka, Buller, Nelson, Greymouth, Marlborough and Hokitika.
Eastern Ashburton, Canterbury, South Canterbury and North Otago.
Southern Central Otago, Otago, South Otago and Southland