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More than 44 teams from New Zealand and Australia took part in the inaugural New Zealand Open Arm Bowling Tournament at Bowls Ōrewa earlier this month.
The tournament attracted competitors from across the Auckland region, as well as a large Australian contingent led by Kawana Bowls Club member Larry Haines from the Sunshine Coast, who organised a group of 28 bowlers and supporters to travel across the Tasman.
Bowls Ōrewa president Kerry Greenhalgh says the event exceeded all expectations.
“It was an incredible success,” Greenhalgh says. “We had fantastic support from club members who volunteered their time to help organise and run the tournament, along with generous backing from our sponsors.”
Greenhalgh thanked the event’s sponsors, including chief sponsor Harcourts Cooper and Co.
The tournament was the first major event to be held on the club’s new covered green.
Bowls Ōrewa tournament organiser Garry Banks says players responded positively to the facilities and the club hopes to make the tournament an annual fixture.
“The feedback was extremely good and we’re looking forward to building it into a regular event,” Banks says.
Over the past few years, Bowls Ōrewa has grown into one of the country’s largest clubs, with the covered greens and regular long-arm bowls events helping players stay involved in the sport for longer, Banks says.
“The covered greens mean people can play year-round, and long-arm bowls allows many players to continue competing and enjoying the game well into later life,” he says.
