Bowls New Zealand intend to revamp the format for national competitions from next season and this title won't be contested.
The Viggers, who have been playing bowls for only five years and are in their first year out of the junior ranks at Bowls Taradale, recorded four wins and a draw.
To qualify for the national final they had to win the 57-pair Hawke's Bay tournament and then the Zone 3 qualifier.
"It's the most popular of the national tournaments and 500 pairs chased a berth at Browns Bay, so it's a pretty big deal," Piglet says.
The Viggers, who are both 57, took on Black Jack Tony Grantham and his partner Trish Groot from North Harbour's Birkenhead club, who had one loss, in the final game of their two-day round-robin event. Piglet and Goatee won 19-16 on the last end.
"We could have drawn and won the title," Goatee says.
Long-time New Zealand rep Judy Howat and her partner Brent Stubbins of Wellington were another fancied combination to be beaten by the Viggers.
"We've played quite a few times together and we both enjoy pairs and mixed pairs because you are always involved," Piglet explains.
"Goatee was the difference. I was happy for her to skip because she skips a lot of Hawke's Bay senior teams and I lead a lot in the men's stuff. In that game against Granthan and Croot the score was 16-all with two ends to go and we were five down when we crossed over. Goatee hit the kitty clean and sat on it all the way to the ditch ... that was the turning point. You have a bit of luck and you make your own luck too," Piglet continues.
"You have to be able to play all the shots at this level. In the past I didn't have a good drive but it's accurate now. But Goatee's drives were the difference ... when it had to be driven she could do it."
"There were times when our inexperience showed and we didn't have enough bowls at the back of the head but we got away with it," Goatee recalls.
The pair were grateful for the input their coach, former Hawke's Bay selector Graeme Hocking had into their success. Piglet, who has an administration role with Taylor Corporation Ltd, was also rapt with his employers who gave him time off during a peak period in the apple season.
They were also quick to heap kudos on Omarunui club members who allowed them to train at their club on grass as the Brown Bay club had a grass turf.
"It was just as well because when we went to the Browns Bay club the day before for a training session there was six inches of water after some rain and we couldn't train. We also coped pretty well with the strong winds we got both days too," Piglet recalls.
For Piglet and Goatee, who runs an accommodation cottage and is a foliage supplier, it was their first national bowls title.
Goatee, who has represented Nelson and Hawke's Bay in eight different sports and been a coach in at least three of them boasts a bowls CV which reads one World Masters Games age group title, one New Zealand title, three centre titles, five senior club titles and seven junior club titles.
A former national junior squash champion and three-time national runner-up at senior level, Piglet's is almost as good with one New Zealand title, three centre titles, two senior club titles and eight junior club titles. During the 2015-16 season the pair won six junior singles titles they chased.
"I don't think a married couple has ever done that before," Goatee adds.
Their proud clubmates believe last week's national title won't be the last to be won by the pair and nobody would argue with them.
