Trophy draws six clubs

Like any proud parent, Graham Adams has enjoyed watching his baby grow.

Adams is co-founder of the Academy Men's 5-Year and Under Intercentre Bowls Hexagonal hosted by the Wanganui Bowling Club each year since 1993.

This weekend six clubs - Bowls Wanganui, Bowls Manawatu, Bowls Kapiti Coast, Bowls Wellington, Bowls Hawkes Bay and Bowls Taranaki - will again battle it out for the Guscott Bros Trophy on the Nelson St greens.

"The tournament came about when we were having a few snorts after the 1993 John Flett Trophy for junior bowlers which Wanganui won," Adams recalled yesterday.

"My co-founder Eric Rowney was then a Wellington selector and general manager of a plumbing merchandising company called Guscott Bros.

"He said after the John Flett tournament, 'what are we going to do for junior bowlers in the off-season?' I put my hand up and said' let's hold a tournament in Wanganui'. At that time the Wanganui club had just had two artificial greens installed, so could easily cope with off-season conditions," Adams said.

Adams and Rowney got their heads together and arranged for other clubs to commit to the concept and the hexagonal tournament was born.

"It's designed to give bowlers with five or less years experience on the greens a chance to get tournament time and selectors a chance to watch them play and develop," Adams said.

Each club sends a team of 10 players who are generally accompanied by managers and supporters. The titleholder is Taranaki and while Adams no longer has hands-on involvement in the tournament, he was sure Wanganui had won the Guscott Trophy at some time, but could not remember dates.

"I'm sure Wanganui has won it before, but Taranaki currently holds it. They weren't in the original six, but are major players now," he said.

Meanwhile, the original format catered only for junior men, but in September, 2008, provision was made for a junior women's Academy Hexagonal tournament, also played each year in Wanganui.

Play in this weekend's tournament starts at 10am on Saturday and 8.30am on Sunday.