New venue for Steve Smith Memorial tourney

The Steve Smith Memorial Bowls Tournament is returning, but this year it will be in a different venue.

Named in honour of Northland bowls stalwart Steve Smith, the tournament is now in its 27th year, with bowlers expected to take part from across Northland.

The tournament had been held for those years at Waitangi Bowling Club, but with the club now defunct the Kawakawa Bowling Club had asked if it could host the event, and it will be held there on November 16.

Smith’s son Kevin and his wife Jan were determined that the tournament would not be consigned to history after the Waitangi club folded, and they were delighted that Kawakawa had offered to host it.

“It’s been going since 1995 and Dad spent his whole life bowling and is well known in Northland,” Kevin Smith said. He was pleased the memorial tournament would continue.

The tournament will involved triples play and every club in Northland has been invited to send players, with others possibly coming from Auckland for the event.

Kawakawa Bowling Club Match Convenor Matthew Taylor said the club was happy to have taken the tournament on, but the short time to organise it meant it could not be put on the club’s official schedule for the season so had to be fitted in on a Wednesday.

“’Next year we’ll have it on a Saturday or a Sunday, rather than during the week. Wednesday events can be hard to get people to.”

Taylor said the tournament would start at 9.30am and there were still some spots available.

To enter people can ring Taylor on 022 4122335 or go to the club’s Facebook page.