On the mats: Indoor Bowls news

SIBLINGS AND CHAMPIONS: Indoor bowlers Adam Rickard, 10, and his sister Rachael, 15, with the prizes they received for winning the Poverty Bay-East Coast Under-21 Pairs. Picture by Nanette Treloar

A Gisborne boy who is one of New Zealand's youngest indoor bowlers teamed up with his sister and won the Poverty Bay-East Coast Under-21 Pairs.

And they did it after losing their first game in the competition.

Central School student Adam Rickard, 10, and his sister, Lytton High School student Rachael, 15, had three wins for 38 points from their four games.

They started with a 5-4 loss to brothers and Gisborne Boys' High School students Matthew and Dylan Foster.

Adam and Rachael got back on course in their second game — an 11-2 victory over Ilminster Intermediate School students Jacob Brown and Leonard Keelan.

Then Adam and Rachael caused the upset of the day. Playing outstanding bowls, they defeated mixed pairs champions Nathan Trowell (Gisborne Boys' High School) and his sister Kayla (Lytton High)11-4.

The Rickard pair's last game was against Campbell Olsen and Louis Wylie (Ilminster Intermediate) and by then nothing could stop them. Adam and Rachael won 16-3.

Adam has now won the centre opening trios with Rachael and their father Andrew in 2019, the White Family Pairs in 2019 with his father, and now the u21 pairs. He still has eight years left in the junior ranks. Rachael continues to grow her indoor bowls experience, playing well whenever asked to lead in a team. With the help of a great mentor in their father Andrew, the siblings could have a huge future in the sport.