Men’s numbers up, no overseas entries

A surge in men’s participants has more than offset the non-attendance of Australian-based players at the New Zealand bowls championships which begin in Auckland today.

Both the men’s singles and pairs have recorded increases of more than 20 per cent compared to last season’s event, in Christchurch, and two years ago, when the tournament was also in Auckland.

The women’s field is up 10 per cent on two years ago, but down on last season.

Covid-19 quarantine requirements are clearly the main reason for no overseas players, which means Blackjack squad members Ali Forsyth, Chris Le Lievre and Katelyn Inch – champion in both the women’s singles and pairs – will be absent. Jo Edwards, who recently retired from international play, is also missing.

The women start with singles today ahead of a final scheduled for Monday.

Five Blackjack squad members loom as big chances – Tayla Bruce, Clare Hendra, Val Smith, Selina Smith and Debbie White. The latter two are past winners, as is the evergreen Sharon Sims, while the Boyd sisters, Angela and Mandy, are national gold star holders.

Selina Smith led for Inch in the pairs triumph last season. When that event starts on Tuesday, Smith will have a new skip – the 2017 winner, Dale Rayner.

Bruce and Hendra, beaten finalists in 2020, will be hard to beat, as will the Boyd sisters, and White who teams with Ashleigh Jeffcoat. Val Smith and Lisa Prideaux, the champions in 2019, should also be prominent.

The men start with pairs today. The early attention will focus on the Papatoetoe club, where Blackjack squad members Shannon McIlroy and Mike Kernaghan clash in the opening round.

McIlroy skips Seamus Curtin while Kernaghan, who will be desperate for a win given the toughness of his draw tomorrow, skips Finbar McGuigan.

Andrew Kelly was singles winner in 2020 and runner-up in the pairs. He rates a strong chance in both disciplines again, although he has switched allegiances to Gary Lawson in the pairs this time.

The men’s pairs will end on Tuesday, before 336 players contest the singles over three rapid-fire days from Wednesday.