Special Award Finalists revealed

The countdown is on for the Bowls Auckland Annual Awards Luncheon on Sunday, 6 July, and we’re thrilled to announce the finalists for four Special Award categories!

• Club Person of the Year
• Young Bowler of the Year
• Women’s Bowler of the Year
• Men’s Bowler of the Year

These outstanding individuals represent the very best of our bowls community — passionate, driven, and inspiring in everything they do.

Winners will be revealed at the Luncheon. Good luck, one and all!

Combos ready for Mixed Pairs

This weekend’s 2025 Shade Systems Champ of Champs Mixed Pairs is the final event in this series - it promises plenty of high-class competition. With 22 club pairings descending on Royal Oak Bowls, expect fireworks from combos like Prideaux & Beckham, Blucher & Hakaraia, and the red-hot junior duo from Blockhouse Bay.

The format always adds an extra layer of intrigue – can opposites attract on the green? Watch as seasoned veterans and rising stars put club pride on the line in pursuit of the mixed pairs title. There's talk of more than just medals this year... reputations and rivalries are on the line too!

Catch all the action on Saturday – free sausage sizzle courtesy of Shade Systems from midday, the unclaimed Bowl-a-500 from 2pm and the return of Des’s famous scones and a buzzing crowd, and you’ve got the recipe for a cracker weekend. Royal Oak is the place to be!

👉Check out the full Mixed Pairs preview

Australian Open Pairs title

-- Source: Bowls Australia

In a see-sawing affair, the New Zealand and Australian duo of Selina Goddard and Chloe Stewart were able to clinch the women’s pairs final against the Malaysian superstar pairing of Nurul Alyani Jamil and Emma Firyana Saroji.

Saroji was superb in the first half of the match, converting heads with precision and drawing on a dime, to help the Malaysian team to an early 8-2 lead. Two consecutive threes on end 13 and 14 flipped the game in favour of Goddard and Stewart, but a four to the Jamil and Saroji on the second last end brought the scores back to one, the difference in favour of team Stewart with an end to play.

With the title on the line, Saroji played a superb last bowl to trail the jack to hold four before the recently retired Right at Home Jackaroo drew second shot to send the game to an extra end.

It was not to be for the Malaysian pairing, with Goddard leading superbly for Stewart in the tiebreak to hold three shots on the crossover before Stewart, who was feeling unwell during the game, drew one more to claim the championship 20-16.

It is the first Australian Open pairs title for Goddard and Stewart and adds to Stewart’s three prior fours titles.

Building stronger clubs – one member at a time!

The final Club Leaders Workshop for the season wrapped up on Tuesday, 24 June, drawing 20 club representatives for a session focused on one of the most important pillars of club success – membership structure.

This workshop encouraged leaders to take a fresh look at how their membership models support (or hinder) growth. With an insightful presentation by Pt Chevalier’s president, Simon Munro, along with hearty discussions, attendees were challenged to consider whether their current setup is fit-for-purpose, future-ready, and welcoming to all.

A key takeaway? A thoughtful, well-designed membership structure can do more than boost revenue – it can help position a club as a vibrant and inclusive part of the community for years to come.

Epsom Bowls is saddened to announce that Lyn Kimpton, our President and a wonderful stalwart of Epsom Bowling Club, passed away on Tuesday, 26 June at 3.15pm after a fierce fight against illness.

Lyn was a shining beacon of our club for over thirty years, tirelessly supporting members as they played for the club all over the region, following on from her own many titles. She won 11 club titles in her own right, and the one she was most proud of was the Singles title in 2013.

Lyn served on the Board for eight years and managed our sponsor relationships for nine. She was a kind and wise woman, always with a smile on her face, and she will be very sadly missed by all of us. We are better for having spent time with her.

We love you, Lyn. Lyn’s funeral will be held at Davis Funerals, Dominion Road, on Friday, 4 July at 11am, with a gathering at Epsom Bowls to follow.

Resthaven Fours a full house of fun and talent!

-- Kashmira Umrigar

Howick's Resthaven Fours was a sell-out success once again, with 18 teams hitting the greens for a day of competitive bowls, good banter, and top-notch hospitality. Proudly sponsored by Resthaven Funerals Howick, the event had all the ingredients of a great day out — even the wind couldn’t spoil the fun!

It was an early start for volunteers with a 7.30am set-up, followed closely by players arriving from 8.30am. After the H&S briefing and quick trial ends, the action kicked off at 9.00am with two games back-to-back before everyone tucked into a delicious lunch featuring glazed ham, roasties, fresh salads and more.

Two more games followed in the afternoon before prizegiving at 4.30pm, where ham sliders were served up to close out the day. Congratulations to the winning team of Frankie Lim, Esther Eu, Jamie Chen, and Garry Banks — what a fantastic effort!

A huge shoutout to the volunteers who made the day run smoothly, with a special thanks to Wade Brealey, the mastermind behind this much-loved tournament. The bowls were brilliant, the food was fantastic, and the company even better — bring on next year!