A109 Light Utility Helicopter flight with mayor Gisborne City from the air in November 2023.
MOST bowlers are rugby-mad so we are more than happy to make space for the rugby reports.
First event of the season was the centre triples. The Terry Gardiner Memorial Trophy was contested by the men, with the Blair Trophy going to the women’s winners.
Entries for both events stood at 10. The women played their qualifying rounds at Poverty Bay, while the men played at Te Karaka.
The weather on the Saturday was fine in town but steady rain in the afternoon disrupted play at Te Karaka.
Women’s semifinalists were teams skipped by Leoni Renata and Sarah Brown of Te Karaka, Glenys Whiteman of Kahutia and Queenie Takurua of Gisborne.
The final was won by Leoni Renata, Mere Nepia and Holly McIlroy, the score being 21-15.
In the men’s competition, the final four teams were skipped by David File, Arthur Hawes, Vern Marshall and Adam McIlroy.
File comfortably won the final against Hawes, 17-6.
Hawes had a very good win against the McIlroy team, 18-10.
The File/Marshall semifinal was a tight affair, only 19 points being scored and File winning 10-9.
The winning combination were File, Steve Goldsbury and Duncan Macpherson.
Runners-up were Hawes, Bruce Easton and David Beattie.
The Martin Fours and Rahiwi Cup were contested in the first week of November.
Ten men’s teams and eight women’s teams took part.
They had to win three out of their four games to qualify, with a fourth team to take part to ensure semifinals were played.
Men’s qualifying teams were skipped by Steve Goldsbury, Vern Marshall, Adam McIlroy and David File.
The finalists were Goldsbury, who had a comfortable win against McIlroy, and Vern Marshall, who accounted for File.
The final was hard-fought. Goldsbury’s team scored a six on the second end but Marshall’s team levelled the score at 11-all with three ends to play. They won the next two ends to go into the final end with a two-point advantage.
Goldsbury held one shot, with the bowls of Marshall and Robin Jefferson sitting close by.
The only way Goldsbury could win the game was to cut his shot bowl on to the jack and move it about 15 feet to waiting bowls.
This he achieved with the last bowl of the match, and his smile said it all.
Well played both teams.
In the women’s competition, the winners were Lyn Trueman, Judy Taylor, Ann Bates and Pat Murton. They defeated Bobbie Beattie, Ronnie Crone, Karen Higgins and Kay Goldsbury 15-6.
Beattie had beaten Ora Peipi 23-14, while Trueman had defeated Glenys Whiteman 14-9.
The open consolation was won by Queenie Takurua, Adrienne Smiler, Bev Davy and Kym Brown, while the team skipped by Carol Hawes were runners-up.
This week the representative teams travel to Hawke’s Bay for their annual fixture there, the Trust Bank Trophy.
The following have been selected and should be congratulated for making themselves available and for the performances put in to achieve selection.
Women: Leoni Renata, Marie Wright, Carol Hawes, Lesley McIntosh, Queenie Takurua, Lesley Seymour, Glenda Kapene, Anita Vaotuua, Ronnie Crone, Lyn Trueman, Sarah Brown, Erin Sutherland, Dayvinia Mills, Anne Day, Bobbie Beattie and Joy Davis.
Men: Bob McIlroy, Murray Murton, Steve Goldsbury, Jamey Ferris, Arthur Hawes, Bruce Easton, John Dawson, Robin Jefferson, Charlie Ure, Lester Wright, Vern Marshall, Mark Walker, David Beattie, Ben Brown, Peter Robinson and Ricky Miller.