Bowls: Games medallists reunited for fours showdown

Colleen Ferrick

Hawke's Bay bowler Colleen Ferrick and Northland's Ann Muir will play together for the first time this weekend since helping New Zealand win a bronze medal at the 1994 Commonwealth Games in Canada.

Ferrick will play three and Bowls New Zealand president Muir will skip their composite team in Bowls Heretaunga's second annual Invitation Two-Day Women's Fours tournament. At Victoria, Canada, in 1994 Ferrick played two and Muir three alongside skip Adrienne Lambert and lead Marlene Castle in the Kiwi women's four which captured bronze.

Ann Muir

"It will definitely be a reunion of sorts. It's all part of Ann's goal to visit every centre in New Zealand and to meet grassroots bowlers during her two-year term of office," Ferrick explained.

Ferrick's Heretaunga clubmate Elaine Lange and a yet-to-be-decided Whangarei clubmate of Muir's will also play in their team at this weekend's 16-team event, the Bay's most prestigious women's fours event which has attracted players from throughout the North Island.

A retired teacher, Muir, has achieved as much as a national administrator as she did as a player at national and international levels. She is also a BNZ coach and trainer and a key member of the Blind Jacks coaching selection panel.

Muir has the honour of being the first BNZ president in modern times to be a national title winner. In 2013 Muir and Carolyn Crawford beat the international pair of Jo Edwards and Val Smith in the national open women's pairs final.

Ferrick and Muir were in a star-studded New Zealand bowls team in Canada. Singles player Judy Howat and the pair's combo of Millie Khan and Marie Watson completed the women's contingent. The men's contingent included the bronze medal-winning four of Bruce McNish, Peter Bellis, Rowan Brassey and Stewart Buttar and singles kingpin Gary Lawson.

Liffy Law, Susan Belcher, Josephine Connolly and Heather Leyland of the Havelock North club will attempt a second consecutive title this weekend.