Bowls: Una's bowls legacy all in the family

The extended Purves family gather for their annual feud on the greens at the Wanganui Bowling Club on Saturday. Photo/Supplied

The outcome of the annual extended Purves family battle of the bowls mirrored last year's result when husband and wife Margaret and Noel McLeod, from Tauranga, claimed both coveted trophies in the Una Purves Memorial Cup at the Wanganui Bowling Club on Saturday.

Una Purves was a great in lawn bowling circles and each year her extended family gather at a different venue to celebrate what was the love of her life - bowls.

Saturday marked the fourth time the family had gathered to contest the cup and Wanganui played host for the first time.

The vice-president of the Wanganui Bowling Club, David Gunn, who also happens to be the late Una Purves' son-in-law, said the extended family included several top bowlers, including former national women's singles champion Margaret McLeod, who won this year's Una Purves Memorial Cup, while her husband Noel won the wooden spoon.

"The memorial cup is a coveted trophy to win in our family, but so is the wooden spoon," Gunn said yesterday.

"Ironically, Noel won the memorial cup last year and Margaret received the wooden spoon. This year we had six teams of three for a total of 18 bowlers and Margaret skipped the team that included Glenda Death, from Te Awamutu, and Una's son Graeme Purves, from Wanganui.

"Noel skipped the wooden-spooners that included Keith Rea, from Wanganui, and Sarah Searancke, from Wellington."

"It's a unique tournament," Gunn said. "I don't think there are too many tournaments in New Zealand restricted to just family members.

"The tournament came about at Una Purves' funeral in 2010 when a few of us came up with the idea of a bowls match involving just us.

"Una was a very good lawn bowler in her day and loved the sport. She played at the Nelson St club and represented Wanganui in women's competition.

"If she was looking down from above I'm sure she would have had a tear in her eye."

Gunn said the entire clan, including non-bowling family, thoroughly enjoyed their weekend i and wanted for nothing, with secretary Cynthia Adams and her catering team doing a superb job.

"It will be another five years before it returns to Wanganui and next year it will be played in Tauranga," Gunn said.