Indoor bowls $2m trophy for Rotorua

We anticipate 1500 competitors and we will work closely with them [organisers] to promote the sport ... Martin Croft, Events and Venues events manager Rugby World Cup, Te Matatini, league test matches - now Rotorua can add the national indoor bowls championships to its growing list of events.
The Bay of Plenty Indoor Bowls Centre has won a bid to host the 2013 New Zealand Indoor Bowls National Championships, which is expected to bring a $2 million boost to the Rotorua economy.
It will be at the Rotorua Energy Events Centre from June 6 to 16 2013 and is expected to feature about 1500 competitors.
The same year Rotorua will also host the kapa haka nationals Te Matatini and the Australasian multisport championships.
It will be the first time the tournament has been at the Energy Events Centre, which hadn't been built the last time the city hosted the championships, in 1999.
"It's a matter of getting halls big enough to accommodate enough people but the Energy Events Centre will be excellent," said Bay of Plenty Indoor Bowls Centre secretary Audrey Gray.
Whenever the nationals were in Rotorua more competitors entered as the city offered extra activities and had motel capacity to cope, she said.
The 2013 bidding was between Rotorua and Wanganui but Rotorua was chosen as "there's so much to see and do".
The 2011 nationals are due to be held in Wellington and the 2012 event is in Invercargill.
Mrs Gray, who has been playing indoor bowls since 1970, said a lot of work had gone into the bid and planning would continue until the end of play in 2013.
Events and Venues events manager Martin Croft said it was an exciting time for Rotorua and added to the other national events the city would play host to. In June this year the 3D Multisport event gets under way and will be the Australasian multisport championships for the next three years.
"We're excited to have the championships," Mr Croft said.
"We anticipate 1500 competitors and we will work closely with them [organisers] to promote the sport and make it more well known to those who may not have experienced it."
The $2 million estimate was based on participants.