First Titles, Big Upsets in Opening Championship

What a way to kick off the 2026–27 Bowls Auckland season!

The Men’s Fours and Women’s Singles served up two days of surprise results, close contests and some exciting new names making their mark. And with thunderstorms threatening, the weekend nearly had an unwanted twist before it even got underway!

A Friday afternoon call to move to five covered greens across Auckland saved the day, ensuring the championships could go ahead and our first titles of the season were decided.

In the Men’s Fours, there were a few big names sent packing, some club rivalries and a final with a family connection. Auckland’s Don Faifua, Jamie Hill, Ryan Hill and Rohan Bignell eventually took the honours, defeating Ōtāhuhu’s Fraema Akaruru-Teinaki four 13–4 in the final.

The Women’s Singles provided plenty of excitement, with emerging talent stepping up and some impressive performances along the way. Tia Moka, recently relocated to Auckland from Counties Manukau, showed great composure under pressure to defeat Mt Albert’s Esther Eu and claim her first Bowls Auckland centre championship title. A fantastic start to her bowls journey in Auckland!

A huge thank you to our five host clubs, along with the umpires, markers, volunteers and club personnel who helped make the last-minute relocation run smoothly. It was a great example of the bowls community pulling together.🩵🩵

Congratulations to our champions and finalists, and thanks to everyone who took part. The first titles are in the books, and if this opening weekend is anything to go by, we're in for a cracking season!

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Singles & Fours Set for Another Championship Showdown!

The race for Auckland silverware continues this weekend, with the Men’s Singles and Women’s Fours taking centre stage in the second round of the 26-27 Bowls Auckland Centre Championships.

There’s plenty to look forward to, with a mix of established names, fresh faces and emerging talent ready to make their mark. The Men’s Singles field is wide open, creating an opportunity for a new name to join the championship honours board.

Among those to watch are Steve Campbell, who comes into the event in impressive singles form, and new Auckland residents Shaun Goldsbury and Anthony Ouellet, both keen to make an early statement in their new colours.

Over in the Women’s Fours, defending champion Catherine Bien will be looking to lead her team to another title, while last weekend’s Women’s Singles champion Tia Moka is back for another crack, this time skipping a Papatoetoe four. With plenty of quality combinations across the sections, the road to Sunday's final won't be an easy one!

The Women’s Fours will head to Balmoral for Sunday's showdown, while the Men’s Singles will be split between Blockhouse Bay and Te Atatū, with the final to be played on finals weekend.

Get out and support your clubs, keep an eye on the draws and results on BowlsHub, and enjoy another weekend of great bowls around Tāmaki Makaurau.

Who'll be celebrating with Auckland silverware this time around?

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Pacific Pride Heads to Ōrewa!

The Pacific is coming to Auckland, and there's plenty of local talent ready to fly their flags!

The 2026 Oceania Challenge heads to Bowls Ōrewa from 19–22 November, bringing together 100 players from ten nations for four days of international bowls.

There's a strong Auckland flavour throughout the line-ups, with familiar faces from our clubs and representative ranks pulling on different colours to represent their heritage. From Samoa and Tonga to Tokelau and Aotearoa Māori, plenty of our local bowlers will be proudly flying the flag.

There'll also be plenty to watch in the New Zealand Under 26 team, with Auckland's Adam Blucher, Anthony Ouellett and Hannah Dawson among those taking on some of the region's emerging talent. For these young players, it's a great opportunity to test themselves on the international stage.

And while the medals will certainly be up for grabs, this event is about more than what's happening on the green. It's a chance to celebrate the Pacific cultures, friendships and connections that have helped shape bowls across Tāmaki Makaurau.

With familiar club rivals potentially finding themselves on opposite sides of the green, there should be plenty of friendly competition and some great stories along the way!

Bowls Ōrewa is the place to be, so if you're free, head north, get behind the teams and enjoy four days of international bowls right here in Auckland.

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The Edge and Schweppes are bringing the bubbles, the beats and the bowls this summer with Bubbles N Bowls!

We’re taking over Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin for the ultimate summer sesh, with backyard bowls, music and a Schweppes bar serving your favourite mixes and cocktails. And guess what? You and your plus one could be scoring an invite!

Want in? Register below for your chance to join the hottest summer event around in your chosen region.

• Auckland - Sunday 29 November, Auckland Bowling Club
• Dunedin - Sunday 29 November
• Wellington - Sunday 6 December
• Christchurch - Sunday 6 December

Enjoy a refined refreshment with Schweppes. A journey of taste, savoured over time.

Papatoetoe Intermediate Rolls into Bowls!

--Hannah Neville

Last week marked the beginning of a great relationship between Papatoetoe Intermediate and Bowls Papatoetoe! Across the course of the week nearly 500 students took part in our Rangatahi Roll Up programme thanks to the St George Fund. Thankfully, the weather was on our side, as students walked from school to the club each day before spending an hour and a half on the green learning the basics of bowls!

As they arrived, students remarked at how amazing it was to get to see inside the new cover they had watched being built over the last year. Most rangatahi had not been inside the club before and were excited to explore a part of their community that has changed so much recently. During their breaks, some rangatahi were at the windows watching members bowl outside and getting a hang of the game! At each session across the week, students jumped in straight away with many showing natural talent on the green and the smiles and kōrero after they’re leaving spoke to the fun they had!

It was a community building week all round! A huge thanks to Murray and the team at Bowls Papatoetoe in hosting these young bowlers and introducing them to their local club!

NZ Blind Association At New Lynn

--Bowls NZ

Being welcomed into the great facilities at New Lynn Bowling Club was a blessing for the New Zealand Blind Lawn Bowls Association on Tuesday as the rain continued to pour. Grateful thanks to the Club, as this meant the singles competition was able to be completed.

The B1 competition was won in style by Glen Putze (Director Rhonda McIntyre) as they completed six game’s undefeated in an impressive performance. Glenn will be part of the Blindjacks side as they compete at the Blind World Championships in Auckland from 14-23 January. Arun Kasim (Director Larissa Samuelu) won the silver medal as they competed in their first nationals together. They also are part of the Blindjacks team preparing for the World Championships. The bronze medal was won by another combination on debut. Kay Kaye-Smith (Directors Na Katae and John Mulka) played ever improving bowls to achieve this after Kay has only been playing bowls for a few months.

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