The Trans-Tasman Scrabble Challenge will take place this weekend in Auckland, where New Zealand and Australian players will compete in a three-day tournament to decide the top Scrabble players in Australasia.

The event, held from Friday 14 to Sunday 16 November, will feature 12 of the best Scrabble players from both countries.

For the first time, the competition will be live-streamed, offering fans around the world the chance to follow the action.

"We’re excited to bring the Trans-Tasman Challenge to a global audience through live streaming," said Alexander Gandar, technical co-ordinator for New Zealand Scrabble.

"This is an important step for New Zealand Scrabble, allowing us to showcase both established and emerging talent."

The live-streaming will be available on the New Zealand Scrabble YouTube channel and embedded on The Spinoff website throughout the event.

Players from both countries will compete in a round-robin format, with each player facing off against their counterpart from the opposing team twice.

Australia has won the event ten times, while New Zealand has claimed victory three times, in 1998, 2000, and 2010.

The most recent Trans-Tasman Challenge in 2022 saw Australia take the trophy.

The event’s significance has grown over the years.

The idea for the Trans-Tasman Challenge was first discussed in 1995 at the World Scrabble Championship in London, where New Zealand and Australian players staying at the same venue decided to create a formal competition.

The inaugural challenge was held in 1996, with Australia emerging as the victor.

Some notable players participating this year include Bob Jackman (ranked #1 in Australia) and Patrick Carter (ranked #2 in Australia), who have competed in every Trans-Tasman Challenge since 1996, as well as Howard Warner (ranked #3 in New Zealand) and Dylan Early (ranked #5 in New Zealand), both of whom have had significant success in previous tournaments.

The competition will also feature commentary from top international players, including Josh Sokol from Canada and Kenji Matsumoto from the United States.

Scrabble fans can watch the live stream here.