Tribute to our bowls legend
Irecently drove through to Kleinemonde where bowling legend Rob Owsley lives with his wife Diana, and was allowed to sift through mountains of newspaper clippings, photographs and a personalised diary of his year-on-year achievements stretching 50 years and more.
The former Springbok started bowling in 1966 at the age of 18, while at school at Kingswood College. He inherited his tenacity and skills from his mom and dad, Harry and Erica Owsley, who were both provincial players. Harry served on the EP executive for over 25 years and was also a national selector.
Rob’s list of accolades during his illustrious bowling career would fill an entire page, so I will only mention a couple of standout achievements.
After just a year of bowling, in 1967, Rob won the junior singles Eastern Areas championship. The highlight in that year was when he won the mixed Champion of Champions title with his mom, Erica.
Such was his talent and dedication
that in 1968, he won the title of EP singles champion.
In 1971, ‘72, ‘73, ‘76 and ‘77 he was the Eastern Areas Singles Champion of Champions. In 1975, he started skipping the EPBA fours team, a great honour for such a young bowler.
To list all his accolades of the next six years would take ages, so let’s skip to 1982.
Rob won the first Port Alfred
Sportsman of the Year award, hosted at the Civic Centre by the then mayor, Avro Randall.
This award came as no surprise: Rob had recently won the local EP Pairs and Mixed Pairs titles in 1981 as well as the coveted SA Masters Singles Championship played in Kimberley.
He had played in three previous masters championships, and reached the playoffs, but in January 1982 he was crowned the best in the land.
The local and national newspapers covered the build-up to his famous victory with headings like “Owsley tops his section at SA Masters”, “Five victories in a row for Owsley” and “All the Masters after Rob Owsley’s prized scalp”.
The headlines that followed read, “Owsley wins his first Masters”, “Historic victory by Rob Owsley at SA Masters”, “Owsley is the new Master” and “Viking Rob downs Frans in Masters final”. For the record, because of his mop of red hair and beard, Rob’s nickname was the “Viking Warrior”. He also won the SA masters titles with a viking as the emblem on his winning set of bowls.
Among many other great wins in the years that followed, the one dearest to his heart was when the “Langholm Rebels” team of Owsley, Neil Timm, Harry Bodill and Derek Fish won the SA Nationals in 1986. This, from a single-green country bowling club, with not more than 20 members.
Rob went on to win the Masters singles and 4s in 1987. According to his well-kept diary (and photographic proof) he won the SA Masters Singles Championship again in 1988. In 1990, he went on to win the Masters singles title for the fourth time.
Rob has the distinguished record of representing EP bowls in all formats for over 15 years and has been a servant of the game for more than 55 years. What a champion!
After his team won the Men’s Kowie Classic recently, Neil Burkett, also a Springbok bowler, paid a moving tribute to Rob for all his years of service to the game of bowls. He wished him all the best with his health problems and to loud applause, thanked him in his absence.
Rob, we at the Kowie Bowling Club are very proud to have you as a member of our club and wish you well. —