New bowls event attracts big field
The response to a new Timaruhosted bowls tournament for development players across New Zealand has delighted organisers.
Competition in Labour Weekend’s inaugural Old Bank South Island Development Pairs begins tomorrow with 56 teams from around the country with the exception of Auckland and Waikato.
The three-day event will be played at the Kia Toa and Temuka clubs.
The tournament is open to players with up to eight years playing experience, and they will be chasing $6200 in prize money.
Event organiser Danny Johnston said the concept came about in an effort to give young South Island bowlers top level competition which didn’t involve North Island travel.
‘‘It is the first time that such a tournament is being organised in South Island, and it has been sanctioned by Bowls New Zealand,’’ Johnston said.
‘‘There is no tournament for the development category in the entire South Island, and we decided to do one after we have seen heaps of [similar] tournaments in Auckland.
‘‘We wanted to run one, and it has been a great response with 56 teams taking part in the competition from across New Zealand.
‘‘We have a couple of fatherson combinations, wife-husband combinations, who will take part.’’
Tomorrow and Sunday features qualifying rounds followed by the knockout rounds.
Jarrod Barker, a four-year bowler with Kia Toa, who will team with Johnston over the weekend, was delighted about the event being held in Timaru.
‘‘It is good as there is not many events in the South Island for this category (development),’’ Barker said.
Johnston expressed his gratitude towards Bowls NZ for their support.
‘‘When we came up with this idea, Bowls NZ liked the concept and were really behind us and gave us a lot of good advice on how to run it down here,’’ Johnston said.
‘‘They backed us, and we gave it a go and the event just exploded.’’
Johnston tipped Dunedin’s Cook brothers – Cam and Mitch – as a pair to watch.