No pokies, just people

How an Auckland bowls club survived by kicking out the gambling machines

A few years ago, Auckland’s Point Chevalier Bowling Club was in deep trouble.

It was losing money, fewer people were coming, and it had lost touch with the local community

“Unless something changed, its future was at risk and could have gone to the wall, just like Rawhiti, Hillsboro, Te Papapa, Avondale, Glenfield, Silverdale, and Mission Bay bowling clubs had done across Auckland over the past decade.

Those running Point Chev Bowling Club faced a choice. Either continue doing things as they’d always been done and eventually go bust, or make drastic changes.

They chose the latter, and the first big decision they made was to get rid of their pokie machines.

👉 Read Stuff's full article

1-5 Reps head to Cambridge for Winter Quad!

Auckland’s 1–5 squad for the upcoming Winter Quad in Cambridge has been confirmed... and it’s full of rising talent!

This revamped event replaces the former Battle of the Manukau and offers an exciting new format featuring Auckland, Thames Valley, Waikato & Counties Manukau.

Focused on development, the selectors have given opportunities to players not yet capped this season, setting the stage for a bold showing from emerging talent.

With Thursday night trainings open to aspiring 1-5s and simulated match play included, the build-up is getting underway. Game day is Saturday, 5 July – let’s go, Auckland! 💙

👉 Read the full preview & find out who's in the squad

Big names, bigger stakes in COC Triples 

Get ready for a blockbuster weekend of bowls as the Shade Systems COC Triples kicks off! All eyes are on Te Atatū’s Adam Blucher, chasing a rare “triple-triples” feat—but he’ll have to get past a stacked field including an experienced Mike Galloway and the in-form Darral Gordon sides.

Over in the women’s draw, Prideaux and Motu are chasing back-to-back titles with new teammate Kimberley Hemingway, while the likes of Helen Van der Walt, Rima Strickland and Philly Akaruru look to crash the party.

It all starts Saturday—men at New Lynn, women at Remuera—before converging for finals day on Sunday at New Lynn. Don’t miss what’s shaping up to be another exciting event in the Series!

👉 Read the full preview

Kiwis taking on the 2025 Australian Open

The Australian Open is back and bigger than ever for 2025! From 7–20 June, more than 4,000 bowlers will descend on 15 top-tier clubs across the Gold Coast for two weeks of world-class competition, epic match-ups, and bowls brilliance.

This year’s event is a double celebration – marking 10 years on the Gold Coast and 20 years since the tournament began. And with the milestone buzz in the air, it’s set to be one for the history books.

Among the thousands of hopefuls, a strong contingent of Kiwi bowlers is crossing the ditch, ready to take on the challenge. It’s no easy task – the pace of the greens, the Aussie conditions, and their aggressive style of play offer a whole new level of challenge. But that’s exactly what makes it such an exciting proving ground for our players.

We’ve seen success before – who could forget the brilliant 2022 Women’s Pairs win by Olivia Buckingham and Paris Baker. Could this be the year we see more Kiwi champions crowned? Let’s go Kiwis! 🖤💚

👉 Follow the action: check the draws & live stream coverage 

Close calls & classy comebacks at ABC's COC Singles

-- Paul Neazor

King’s Birthday weekend brought top-tier action to Auckland Bowling Club as 64 players from 15 centres around the country lined up for the annual ABC Junior Champ of Champs Singles. With Saturday section play and Sunday knockouts, the format tweaks have helped the event grow, and the competition was fierce from start to finish.

Saturday’s action unfolded across four venues—Auckland, Bridge Park, Ōtāhuhu Railway and Remuera—all delivering quality greens and great vibes. Players especially loved the cross-centre match-ups, with each section offering fresh challenges. Big thanks to the umpires and volunteers who kept things rolling, and to Ron Botica for fuelling the teams with homemade morning tea!

By Sunday, 16 players from nine centres returned to ABC. Tensions were high and matches tight, featuring comebacks, countbacks, and some serious clutch play. Among early knockouts were recent Auckland Year 1–5 finalists Stephen Campbell and Fraema Akaruru-Teinaki.

The semis were a local vs visitor doubleheader: Craig Moffat (Blockhouse Bay) overcame Regan Haynes (Okaihau), and Richard Fuller (Rocky Nook) edged Paul Falvey (Taradale)—a welcome turnaround from last year, when locals were shut out.

Under lights, the final was a fitting finish. Fuller led early, but Moffat stayed cool, clawed back, and entered the last end locked at 20-20. With two close bowls on the head, Fuller had one shot left—but his draw veered wide, crowning Moffat the 2024 champion.

Congrats to both players on a stellar final, and thanks to all competitors, clubs, supporters and Bowls Auckland. The event ran smoothly, and spirits stayed high—here’s to seeing even more junior talent on the greens in 2026!

Performance team roles now open!

Want to help shape the future of bowls in Auckland? Applications are now open for the 2025–2026 Bowls Auckland Performance Team Management roles, and this is your chance to step up and make a difference.

We're on the hunt for Head Coaches, Assistant Coaches, Selectors, Team Managers, and a Performance Lead to guide our Open Men, Open Women, 1–5 Year and Under 26 squads. Whether you're passionate about player development, building team culture, or driving high performance — we want to hear from you!

📅 Applications open for

• Performance Lead closes Sunday, 22 June 2025

• Team Management roles close Monday, 30 June 2025

👉 If you're keen to get involved, click here to find out more & to apply

KBC @ KBC

-- Lynley Pritchard

Teams from across Auckland—including Hobsonville, Howick, Mt Albert, Royal Oak, and local players from Kohimarama—gathered at KBC@KBC to celebrate King’s Birthday weekend with a fun 2-4-2 tournament. Some players embraced the royal theme with creative costumes, adding a festive flair to the day.

Despite a lively wind that kept everyone on their toes, the weather held up well. Congratulations to Ian and Mike R, the winning team, and to JD and Pratima, who came in second—both teams were pleased with their Pak’n Save vouchers. Special thanks to Mark, too, for donating six bottles of prize-winning wine, which were handed out as spot prizes.

The day wrapped up with an afternoon tea and a few well-earned drinks. A big thank you to those who helped organise the event and who helped with afternoon tea and the bar.