Saturday 1st September marked the conclusion of the 2012 Maver Mega 'Match This' campaign. A gruelling five month qualification campaign starting on Saturday 7th April at Woodlands View and finishing at Larford Lakes on Sunday 12th August produced a truly fantastic final with twenty four of the UK's finest match anglers going head-to-head for angling's richest prize.
It was Matrix / Bait-Tech rod Les Thompson who secured victory on the day, thus placing his name firmly in the sport's history books alongside the first ever Mega 'Match This' Champion Andy Power. Saturday 1st September 2012 will be a day Les will never forget after winning UK match angling's richest prize, leaving Larford Lakes with a life-changing cheque for £50,000.
No sooner has the dust began to settle on the 2012 event, we now turn our attention to 2013's event, with January 1st marking the beginning of the next chapter in the Mega 'Match This' story. Twenty four qualifiers spanning twenty one different venues up and down the country begin on Saturday 6th April in search of the twenty four 2013 Mega 'Match This' Grand Finalists.
The 2013 Maver Mega 'Match This' campaign brings with it the introduction of a key fundamental change to proceedings with each venue (with the exception of Maver Larford Lakes and White Acres) having just a single qualifier. This now means there are more venues than ever before covering a larger geographical area, thus catering for an even greater number of anglers.
Your chance to qualify for angling's most prestigious final has never been better!
Tickets will be available to purchase on-line as from Tuesday 1st January 2013.
Next years final will take place on Saturday 31st August 2013 with the Mega 'Match This' Team Championship taking place on Sunday 1st September 2013.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How do I buy tickets?
In order to buy tickets for the event, you will first need to register an account. Simply click the 'Login / Registration' link once ticket sales go live and follow the on screen instructions. Please note, if you registered for a "Match This" ticket during the 2011 or 2012 campaign, you can login to purchase a 2013 ticket using the same e-mail address and password. You do NOT have to register again.
Having trouble logging in to your account?
If you cannot remember the password you created during the registration process, you can request a replacement password be sent to the E-mail address provided at time of registration. Please note the replacement password may arrive in your spam/junk E-mail depending on your E-mail account filter settings. If you experience any further difficulties, then please contact Maver (UK) Ltd on 01527 406 300.
Can I purchase tickets using my smart phone?
NO. We recommend tickets are purchased via a desktop or laptop computer to ensure the best compatability with the site.
How much does it cost?
Match This will cost £50 per qualifier to enter with anglers being able to enter as many qualifiers as they wish.
What is the format?
There are 24 qualifying events throughout the country, held at the most professional and popular fisheries. The winner of each 120 peg qualifying event will progress through to the Grand Final. The Grand Final event will take place on Saturday 31st August 2013. There will also be a team championship event taking place on Sunday 1st September 2013 that will see teams of four compete for a large cash prize and impressive team trophy.
Unlucky enough to finish second in a qualifier?
The top five anglers from each qualifier will automatically qualify for the 2013 Maver British Pole Championships. Please note, the £5,000 runner's up final will NOT feature as part of the 2013 campaign.
What if the qualifiers don't sell out?
If the qualifiers don't sell out, then Maver Managing Director Phil Briscoe has personally guaranteed a sum of £50,000 for the winner, still double the largest prize currently on offer. But if the qualifiers do sell out, the winner will walk away with £100,000 guaranteed!
Do I need to join a club to be able to purchase tickets?
Absolutely not. There are no loyalty clubs or favouritism with Match This. All tickets are sold on a first come first served basis.
What's the latest I can book a ticket for a qualifying event?
Tickets can be purchased up until one week before the date of the qualifying event if you are paying by cheque. If you are paying for tickets via a debit / credit card, you can pay up until the 12 noon on the Friday before the match. Tickets cannot be purchased after such time. Please also note that tickets cannot be purchased on the day. If you have not booked your ticket(s) in advance, you will not be able to fish on the day.
What date will the final be held on?
The Grand Final will be held at Maver Larford Lakes on Saturday 31st August, 2013. The Team Championship event will take place on Sunday 1st September 2013.
It's all about drawing an end peg in the final?
End pegs have notoriously dominated finals in prestigious events such as this. However, the Mega Match This final will feature four end peg blockers, who will fish a mini match between themselves, in order to remove the all important advantage of an end peg.
Bought a ticket but can no longer fish or have previously qualified?
All tickets are fully transferable. You are free to sell on tickets to friends who wish to take part in the event.
Will the final be televised?
Maver are currently in discussions with various television networks about live coverage of the event. Watch this space for updates.
How much do Maver make from this?
The very simple answer is absolutely nothing. 100% pools entry will be paid out in the way of prizes on the day of the grand final. Maver are proud to be organising an event such as this. It is vital that we take our sport to the next level, where it deserves to be. Obviously organising an event such as this incurs many costs, with pegs fees alone amounting to almost £20,000. But rest assured, if all 24 qualifiers sell out, then the winner WILL walk away with that life changing £100,000.
You've got to be in it to win it.
There is nothing else to say other than THE VERY BEST OF LUCK.