Northland Bowls: Winter season starts this weekend - Gwen Lawson

Northland Bowls' winter programme comes into play from this weekend.

With Queen's Birthday weekend ahead of us, the focus for bowlers now transfers from summer bowls to a winter programme which continues to give a tournament every day of the week to play - if bowlers wish.

More and more clubs have laid artificial greens and each one of them has a winter programme for players to ponder.

Check your handbook for tournaments that are played every week from now to the end of August.

Northland Centre have joined the party and introduced a winter mixed interclub competition which starts on June 19.

Subject to entries, the tournament will be a round-robin and each side will consist of two pairs and a four. Teams must be mixed and have at least three players of the opposite gender. Entry forms have been sent to all clubs and entries close next Thursday.

Clubs of fewer than 20 female or men members may combine. Players may also be substituted if necessary each day of the event.

Entries to gwen.northbowls@slingshot.co.nz.

This tournament was going to be played last winter but unfortunately got interrupted by Covid 19.

The centre AGM will be held on June 27 starting at 1pm at Bowls Whangārei. Please ensure that your club delegate has been appointed and will be there.

Nominations for the Northland Centre Awards will close on June 30 with the centre office. Nomination forms and the criteria for these awards have been sent to all clubs.

The centre prizegiving and awards day will be held at the Kamo Bowling Club on August 28. The day will start with a mini tournament at 9.30am and will be followed by lunch, prizegiving and awards.

The new 2022 bowling season will then be declared open and this will be followed by afternoon tea.

The mini tournament will be any combination fours.

The open tournament programme for Bowls NZ, centre and clubs has also been distributed to clubs for their perusal. If you, as a club, wish to change any of your tournament dates contact the events manager by email (address above) and apply for a new date.

July will see our Champion of Champion teams competing in the NZ Champion of Champion events.

Our centre will be represented in the pairs at Dunedin by Whangārei (men) and Kensington (women).

The triples will be at Hastings and our representatives will be from Hikurangi (women) and Dargaville (men).

The fours will be played at Pukekohe and we will have Onerahi (men) and Mangawhai (women) representing Northland.

Good luck to you all.