The New Zealand Professional Bowls Association is preparing for the start of
another winter bowls programme with entries closing Friday night for events
around the country next weekend. The NZ circuit will start at four venues over
Queen's Birthday Weekend with play at the Takapuna Bowling Club in Auckland,
Frankton Railway Bowling Club in Hamilton, Heretaunga Club in Hastings, and
the Dunedin Bowls Stadium. Auckland bowlers will be at the whim of the outside
weather due to the previously used indoor venue at Pukekohe playing host to the
Catholic National Indoor bowls champs over the weekend.
Three events will be played at each of the four venues over the weekend
including qualifiers for the Scottish International Open Singles, a repeat of
last year's successful Henselite Shanghai Singles where each match consists of
three players rather than two, and a Ranking Pairs event. Winners from the
Scottish Singles and Shanghai Singles will play off against each other at the
PBA Finals Weekend in September in Hamilton.
The highlight of the season will once again be the
BCIB Australia v New
Zealand PBA Challenge at Tweed Heads from the 23rd to 25th July with the NZ
PBA's representatives being Chris Lourie (Waikato), Murray Glassey (Hawke's
Bay), Peter Wilson (Dunedin), Raika Gregory (Waikato) and Ken Walker (Dunedin)
who gets in as the sponsor's wildcard having reached the final last year.
The NZ-PBA Programme for the winter is as follows:
Sat 4th June: Henselite Shanghai Singles qualifiers in Hamilton and
Dunedin; Scottish International Open Singles qualifiers in Takapuna and
Hastings
Sun 5th June: Henselite Shanghai Singles qualifiers in Takapuna and
Hastings; Scottish International Open Singles qualifiers in Hamilton and
Dunedin
Mon 5th June: Ranking Pairs in Takapuna, Hamilton, Hastings and Dunedin
Sat 25th & Sun 26th June: Welsh International Open Singles
qualifiers in Hamilton, Hastings and Dunedin
Sat 30th & Sun 31st July: World Indoor Singles qualifiers in
Hamilton, Hastings and Dunedin
Sat 20th & Sun 21st August: Ranking Singles & Ranking Pairs in
Hamilton, Hastings and Dunedin
Sat 3rd & Sun 4th September: NZ-PBA Finals Weekend in Hamilton
Thanks to Richard Corry