Gwen Lawson on Bowls: Some new laws for the game came in on April 1

Northland bowls reps are playing in the NZ National Interclub event this weekend, while some new rules have come into play.

This weekend the stage for bowls shifts to the NZ National Interclub event where our Centre is being represented by Hikurangi men and Kensington Women.

You can watch the matches on Bowls NZ website. Good bowling both teams.

The first of our postponed events will be played next weekend, when the 1-5 Year Interclub competition gets underway at Kensington. Three greens will be used and 10 clubs will take part playing singles, pairs and triples.

April 29 and 30 will see the Centre Champion of Champion Triples and Fours being played, triples at Kamo and fours at Ngunguru greens.

These will be followed on May 5 with the Secondary Schools any combination pairs at Kensington. Entries are to be made through schools to Sport Northland, please.

May 6 sees the regional 1-5 Sixes Interclub being played at the Kamo greens. Teams from the Far North, Northland, North Harbour, Auckland and Counties Manukau will take part.

As from April 1 there have been changes to the laws of the game introduced by World Bowls. Players should note the major ones, which are:

37.1.3 - If a bowl in its original course is deliberately displaced or stopped by a member of the team that delivered the bowl, the defaulting team will forfeit the game.

37.1.5.3 - If a player lifts a bowl at rest on their rink to allow their team’s bowl in its original course to pass, the defaulting team will forfeit the game.

13.3 - A player must not deliver a bowl before the previous bowl comes to rest and possession of the rink has transferred to the opposing player or team.

There are other laws that have been amended and players should check the BNZ website until the new lawbooks are available.

This week’s tournaments are:

Saturday - Leigh Men’s triples

Sunday -

Waipū AC Pairs

Tuesday - Coaching Association AC Fours (Kensington)

Wednesday - Maungaturoto A Triples; Ngunguru AC Triples

Thursday - Dargaville MX Triples

April 22 - Kensington Men 2 bowl Triples

April 23 - Dargaville Classic Fours 2m2w; Centre 1-5 Interclub Sixes.