Tainui team defend title at Aotearoa Māori Bowls tournament

Former New Zealand rep or Blackjack Lisa White and her Te Whanganui a Tara team were one win away from making the women's championship playoffs at the 51st Aotearoa National (fours) Maori Bowls Tournament held in Gisborne over the weekend. Photo / Wynsley Wrigley

Gisborne hosted the Aotearoa Māori Bowls tournament over the weekend and local bowlers ensured the event ran smoothly.

Gaylene Kanawa’s Tainui team successfully defended their national women’s title at the 51st Aotearoa Māori Bowls (Fours) Tournament, which concluded at Kahutia Bowling Club on a hot Sunday afternoon.

“We’re feeling so awesome,” said Kanawa.

“Well done my team.

“Back-to-back is no easy feat.”

The rest of her team was Natasha Grimshaw, Tanya Wheeler and Kaaren Guilford.

Tom Tamati’s Te Waipounamu team, also consisting of Alvin Gardner, Seddon Jury-Jane and Daryl Hancox, took out the men’s title.

The tournament, previously held in Gisborne in 2009 and 2015, with a scheduled 1988 event cancelled because of Cyclone Bola, attracted 98 teams, up from 64 teams in 2015.

Teams played five qualifying rounds at the Gisborne, Poverty Bay, Te Karaka, Kahutia and Tolaga Bay Clubs on Saturday, additional games on Sunday morning before the playoffs for the men’s and women’s championship titles and five “flights” were held at Kahutia on Sunday afternoon.

Tournament convenor Vern Marshall was a busy man, but he was able to watch some of the play.

“There’s some very good players out there,” Marshall said.

He referred to former Blackjack Lisa White, who won a World Championship silver medal in the fours at Adelaide in 2014, national titleholder Karen Hema and Tauranga’s Dan Dickenson, who skippered his team to victory in the 120th Taranaki (fours) Open last month.

White, competing in her second Aotearoa National Māori Bowls tournament in Gisborne, said she had enjoyed the weekend.

Unfortunately, her Wellington team was one victory short of making the championship playoffs.

The teams represented Aotea/Whanganui, Rangitane/Kahungunu, Tainui, Tāmaki Makaurau, Taranaki, Te Tai Tokerau, Te Waipounamu, Te Whanganui-a-Tara and Waiariki.

Marshall said that constitutionally, local teams did not play in the event and instead helped organise the tournament.

“We’ve been full-on for the last eight months.

“There’s been much work going on in the background from everyone, including the cooks.”

He thanked local bowlers who did a “fantastic” job in ensuring the tournament was a success.

Bowls Gisborne-East Coast centre president Jon Davies was also impressed by the event.

“It’s been well organised,” Davies said.

“The players are from out of town ... They’ve enjoyed the bowls – it’s been competitive.”