The Hogg Crescent complex hosts the three Masterton indoor bowls clubs. PHOTO/SUPPLIED
BOWLS
CHRIS COGDALE
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Wairarapa indoor bowls clubs are gearing up to get under way next week with the move to covid-19 Level 1.
The lockdown has had a serious impact on the season resulting in no representative fixtures, limited interclub, and potentially no national tournaments.
The only interclub to be played will be for the Hikawai Trophy, which is contested by Clareville and the Masterton clubs – Easts, Central, the Cossie Club.
Central Wairarapa Indoor Bowls Association president Donald Leighton confirmed that the representative fixtures had also been canned by the associations involved in running the events.
The national championships, which were to be held this week in Whangarei, have been cancelled and won’t be rescheduled.
However, there was a prospect that some national events could go ahead, Leighton said.
“If the New Zealand Indoor Bowls Federation runs the National Mixed Pairs Championship and the Henselite Champion of Champion Singles, Wairarapa will have to hold events to find our representatives,” he said.
The first Central Wairarapa association event will be a fun drawn pairs tournament on Sunday, June 28, at the Hogg Crescent complex.
“A revised programme for the rest of the year will be drawn up consisting of four championships – the singles, pairs, triples, fours and some social tournaments, finishing with the Christmas Triples in late October,” Leighton said.
The East Club will hold their first club night on Monday at Hogg Cres from 7.30pm. The Clareville club will meet at the Clareville Showgrounds at 7pm on Monday.
The Central Club will open on Tuesday at 7.30pm at Hogg Cres, while the Cossie Club bowlers and the social bowlers will start at 1.30pm on Thursday, June 18 at Hogg Cres.
Leighton urged new players to go along to a club and give the game a go.
“Indoor bowls is a game for all ages and abilities.
“It can be competitive or social, so come along and have some fun.”
