Champ of Champs Triples Final doesn't disappoint

Women's Triples Final: Bridge Park 19–17 Te Atatu
Men's Triples Final: Te Atatu 16–10 Pt Chevalier

If the earlier Singles & Pairs championships Finals were anything to go by, the Triples would be a humdinger... and it was!

The competition on the green undercover at Royal Oak is magic, and so too is the waft in the club room that sends the sensory buds into overdrive - something is cooking! Who wants to eat? Cheese scones, date scones, toasted sandwiches, hot chips, filled rolls - we'll take one of each, please!

Yummy food was just one aspect of the magical hospitality at Royal Oak Bowls during the Champ of Champs Triples.

All for One!

By Paul Neazor

The catch-cry made famous by the Three Musketeers is known around the world, but in Auckland bowling circles it has its own special place. Most players would readily recognise who this feature is about already, but just in case you’re new to the game, it refers to a remarkably successful trio who have gathered more than 50 Auckland Centre titles between them.

A match against these guys follows a predictable pattern. You go to the Triples draw, and see Galloway M / Dixon M / Brown G (Royal Oak) standing in your path like a lion. Insert your favourite expletive now. After five minutes of bemoaning your luck, your resolve starts to harden. ‘Well, I’d better play my best against these blokes, or we’re in all sorts of strife.’

Auckland and North Harbour Greenkeepers Association

The Annual General Meeting of the Auckland and North Harbour Greenkeepers Association was held on Monday 22, May at Carlton Cornwall Bowls. We had a fabulous turnout, with Greenkeeper attendance representing 85% of the greens in Auckland and North Harbour.

Tony Rickerby was re-elected President, and the rest of the Committee's members' terms were extended by another year. Following the AGM formalities, Tara McLeod from NZ Sports Turf and Carl from Prebble Seeds gave the lads an update on best practice methods and changes to agrichemical use in the industry. With winter renovations well and truly underway it always helps to have an expert (or two) on hand to bounce some ideas off!

Thank you to the lads for attending, and thank you to Bowls Auckland for supplying a lovely lunch and continuing to support the Association.

-- Jess McKinven

Mea Motu's son a knockout in NZ's lawn bowls scene

She's a world champion boxer but Mea Motu's oldest son has chosen a sporting path worlds away from her brutal, fast-paced life - and he's thriving in it.

David Motu has become a household name in the New Zealand lawn bowls community at the age of just 16, having already represented Aotearoa with a win at the recent Oceania Lawn Bowls Challenge as part of the NZ under-26 team.

-- Source TV One News

Champ of Champs Fours

The Fours is the last championship event for the season and we wish all competitors the best of luck.

All games are played undercover this weekend - New Lynn, Remuera and Royal Oak. We hope many of you will get the chance to get along and watch the competitors in action.

Talking of action, two matches will be broadcast on Sunday:

• 9.00am – Women’s Semi-Final
• 12.00pm – Men’s Final

Umpires' Association

The Umpires' Association held its annual meeting on Thursday 18 May at Remuera Bowls. The meeting opened with a minute’s silence in recognition of those who sadly are no longer with us.

Gerard Hulst acknowledged and thanked all umpires who have carried out duties during the year.

The newly elected officers are Les Smith Chair and President, Sue Curran Secretary, Gerard Hulst Treasurer and the returning Committee members are Amy Cheung and Weng Lim. Alan Jenkinson from Glendowie was welcome to the Committee.

Bowls Auckland CEO, Dean Bartlett commented, “Bowls Auckland thanks all umpires and the executive committee of the Umpires' Association for their commitment and contribution.  We believe that umpires are vital to the continued growth of bowls, and the enjoyment of all involved in our great game. Our aim is to explore ways we can work collaboratively, and we look forward to umpires officiating in Bowls Auckland events in the 2023/24 season.”

If you are interested in becoming an umpire, you can email here... 

Australia win tight PBA Trans Tasman Challenge

Australia beat New Zealand in a tight catch-up 2022 Professional Bowls Association Challenge with the round-robin preliminary rounds proving the closest ever between the two sides. Australia pipped NZ in three rounds to two, though the Kiwis won in 13 matches to 12, however when the top three from each side came through to playoff in the final round, it was the hosts that swept the visitors in all three encounters to win the Challenge at the Mandurah Club in Perth.

21-year-old Jack East lead the Australians with four wins out of five only dropping his match to Gavin Scrivener and winning his play-off against the best Kiwi Sheldon Bagrie-Howley 8-3, 9-7. Bagrie-Howley and the next best NZer Scrivener both also had four wins in the round-robin stages and shared the same number of sets, however, a bigger differential in his last game saw the Southlander take the top spot. Scrivener went down in the battle of the second-bests losing to Blake Butler 11-1, 9-5. In the match between the third-best players from each side, Australia’s Connor Biddle beat NZ’s Craig Merrilees 10-2, 4-8, 2-1.

Bagrie-Howley keeps his spot for the return 2023 edition in New Zealand in September as the best-performed Kiwi, but as he was also the NZ PBA’s number one ranked player last year, the fifth-ranked player from 2022 is added to the top four. Therefore the rest of the team will be Ray Martin, Craig Tinker, Ross Ellery and Merrilees will return for his eighth consecutive Challenge.

The next NZ PBA action will be at King’s Birthday Weekend with action all weekend in Auckland using a new venue Royal Oak, New Plymouth, Dunedin and Invercargill. Wellington will just be playing on Monday for their Shanghai Singles qualifier. Entries close by the Friday the week before.

Information including an application form, entry forms, dates and venues for the NZ PBA can be found here...

--  Richard Corry

2023 Bowls Auckland Awards

Bowls Auckland 2023 Awards is a little more than a month away!  

We have many Auckland bowlers to congratulate and acknowledge, and it would be wonderful to have your club, and winners attend the Awards to celebrate their successes! 

Click the image below for all the details - and you can use this link to book your seats or tables…

WinterClub

Entries are open!

• Qualifying is over three Sundays: 2 July, 9 July & 16 July with a Reserve Day on 23 July
• Post Section is on 30 July 2023
• Each team will consist of one side made up of two teams of four players – any combination
• Two rounds per day
• Games will be 15 completed ends of Bonus Fours with a 2¼ hour time limit