Women's Open Singles kicks off this weekend

A full field of 96 players from 49 clubs, 12 NZ centres and Australia will line up this weekend for the Women’s Open Singles.

Play starts at 8.30am Saturday, with section play across six venues before the Sunday elimination stepladder. Defending champion Lisa White, 2024 winner Jessie Macaw and Commonwealth Games Blackjack Selina Goddard are among the players to watch.

With a full field, plenty of familiar faces and some exciting emerging talent, there’s sure to be a great atmosphere around the greens. Expect competitive bowls, plenty of close contests and some early-round battles that could shape who makes it through to Sunday. If you’re heading out this weekend, make a host venue part of your plans and enjoy the action from the bank. 

👉Read full preview

Bowls New Zealand is proud to announce the Blackjacks team selected to represent New Zealand in the upcoming NZ v India Test Series, to be played in Auckland from 16-18 November 2026.

Representing New Zealand: • Tayla Bruce • Selina Goddard • Tony Grantham 
• Finbar McGuigan

Representing India: • Pinki • Sunhil Bahdur • Dinesh Kumar • Reshma Kumari

‍The NZ v India Test Series is a key event within the wider celebrations of 100 Years of Unity Through Sport, commemorating a century of friendship, connection and shared sporting history between New Zealand and India.

👉Read Bowls NZ announcement

1–5 Rep training gets underway

The first 1–5 rep training session got underway at Royal Oak this week, giving the squad a chance to meet, get on the green and start working towards the 2026–27 campaign.

The evening began with an introduction to the campaign plan, along with the new coaches and players. It was a good opportunity to set out what the programme is aiming to achieve this season, both on and off the green an opportunity for these standards to flow from reps to clubs to centre events as they continue to develop every part of their game.

With the first team naming just a week away, players were mixed into different combinations of fours and pairs, giving selectors a chance to see how everyone worked together.

There was also a scoring twist to keep things interesting. The first shot scored one point, with every shot after that worth two. So, holding two shots scored three points, while three shots scored five. It put plenty of emphasis on playing the right positional bowls, drawing the second shot when defending and making the most of opportunities when attacking.

There was a good standard of play across the session, particularly for an early-season hit-out, with plenty for players to take away and work on as training continues.

The Premier and Development squads also began training this week, with the first quad fixture coming up on 10–11 October, played undercover around Auckland.
 

November is Looking Busy!

November is shaping up to be a busy one on the greens, with plenty of chances to get your bowls fix in before summer really gets into gear.

Entries are now open across a full month of Centre events, so it’s a good time to get the calendar out, round up the team and start making a few plans. Or, if you’re the organised type, you’ve probably already done that.

There’s something for everyone, from the fast-paced, fun-fuelled Rapid Roll Pairs during the week, through to the Men’s Fours & Women’s Singles, Men’s Singles & Women’s Fours, Auckland Pairs and the Flett Open for 1–5 Year players.

Whether you’re keen on a quick hit of Rapid Roll action, fancy your chances in the Centre Singles, Fours or Pairs, or are looking forward to the Flett Open, November has plenty on offer.

Check out the entry details below under 'Entries Open' and get those dates in the diary. Your November weekends may be filling up faster than a bowl on a good line.

Keep the Game Rolling: Key Changes for 2026-27

Bowls has always evolved. So too has the way we play, compete and experience the changes. Bowls Auckland is continuing to look at how we can keep the game moving forward while protecting what makes bowls special.

Keep the Game Rolling is our commitment to ensuring bowls continues to evolve, connect and thrive at every level.

For the 2026-27 season, this means some changes to the way Bowls Auckland Centre Events are played and delivered, with a focus on more meaningful play, better pace, less dead time and greater certainty for players and clubs.

What’s Changing?
• Restricting Movement • Re-spotting Jacks on Killed Ends • Time Limits 
• Section Winners • Music & Atmosphere

The changes have been shaped by feedback from players and clubs, and we’ll continue to listen, learn and review throughout the season.

👉Find out more

Update your Bowlshub details

With the new season upon us, now’s a good time to check that your Bowlshub contact details are up to date.

Keeping your details current helps ensure you don’t miss important event information including; entry confirmations, draws and event updates.