Bowls: Mandy to miss out on World Champs

Mandy Boyd (right) with sister Angela.

Hawke's Bay-born international bowls representative Mandy Boyd has withdrawn from the New Zealand women's team because of personal reasons.

That rules out the 24-year-old preschool teacher from the Bowls World Championship in Christchurch in November.

The former Bowls Taradale player was named in April to skip the Blackjacks triples and fours at the champs.

Her sister, Angela, 29, also a preschool teacher at Best Start in Christchurch, remains in the Black Jacks women's equation as a lead in the pairs and fours.

Kirsten Edwards (nee Griffin), from Nelson, replaces Commonwealth Games bronze medallist Boyd for the world championship.

While Boyd will be missed, the depth of the women's squad means they are able to call on a lawn-savvy Val Smith now to skip both the women's triples and fours. Edwards will, therefore, slot into Smith's previous positions.

Edwards, whom many thought unlucky to miss out on original selection, now gets the chance to return to the greens of Christchurch where she has performed so well over recent times.

At this year's Heartland Bank National Open Championships she was a finalist in the pairs and part of the championship winning fours.

Her international debut at April's transtasman, followed by her performance at the invitational Six Nations event were both very impressive.

In announcing Boyd's replacement, Bowls New Zealand CEO Kerry Clark said "while Mandy having to withdraw is unfortunate Kirsten has been part of the squad and team for the most recent international events so will, I'm sure, fit seamlessly into her roles with the triples and fours".

"In a way we are lucky this change has been made now and not right on the eve of the event," Clark said.

"It means not only Kirsten, but the rest of the Blackjacks, can use the two coming camps and pre-event time to work on systems, processes and combinations."