Update 29th November 2012
Bowling On 27th November.
For some time I have been concerned Bowls New Zealand is trying to mask the decline in the sport's playing numbers and a resolution passed at it's November meeting does not allay my unease in any way.
The resolution passed and circulated to all Clubs read "Increasing participation is critical to the survival and growth of the sport. Casual participation programmes and their delivery must be a key priority for the Whole of Sport Plan development. There must be transparency around the number of casual bowls programmes being held, the numbers participating and all who take part must contribute to the growth of the sport. Casual Bowls Leagues need to be part of the annual tournament approval process that Centres conduct and the Clubs holding Casual Bowls Leagues need to have details listed in Centre handbooks. A Regulation outlining the process of Registration needs to be developed as part of the Whole of Sport Plan development. All casual engagement with the sport needs to be promoted under a known brand (MIB) and a review of brands also needs to be carried out as part of the Whole of Sport development process. This exercise needs to articulate the value of operating under a known brand and the benefit it brings to all levels of the sport."
So what does all that mean? Well for my money it is all part of a plan to introduce a Bowls NZ capitation fee on casual bowlers most of whom play a version of Business House or twilight bowls. Clubs have been running these events since daylight saving was introduced in the early 1970s and their popularity has been maintained while traditional aspects of the sport have declined.
I may be overly suspicious but this suspicion is shared by many in bowls particularly the small country clubs. The last thing Bowls NZ needs is for clubs to secede from their centres and organise their own competitions. These discussions take place regularly and for those clubs containing few of what we would regard as "competitive bowlers" going alone is a real option.
I believe casual bowls tournaments are so popular because they don't dominate your entire leisure time and it is short and sweet in every way. Play a game for one and a half hours, a couple of cold ones and a sausage with your opposition and away home. Back in the 1970s there was an enormous amount of socialRugby and Cricket played and the baby
boomers from that era are the ones playing casual bowls. No longer interested
in competition but still loving the cameraderie. I'll be interested to see how
this turns out. I may be entirely wrong in my assumptions. Read the resolution
again and work it out for yourself.
• The delayed final of the Centre mixed 2-4-2 will be played at Terrace End this coming Saturday at 12-15pm and I expect it to be a cracker. Janeen Noble and Barry Wynks will be against playing through champions Sharon Sims and Mark Noble. It has everything, husband versus wife, disabled man versus disabled man and a three time world champion. Get along and see some top bowls.
At the same venue Men's Division two interclub will also be playing and it looks a contest between Palmerston North A, Johnston Park A and Terrace End. Anything could happen yet but to win it the formula is simple - win seven of your nine games and you'll take some beating.
Tony Jensen
Thanks Tony.
For some time I have been concerned Bowls New Zealand is trying to mask the decline in the sport's playing numbers and a resolution passed at it's November meeting does not allay my unease in any way.
The resolution passed and circulated to all Clubs read "Increasing participation is critical to the survival and growth of the sport. Casual participation programmes and their delivery must be a key priority for the Whole of Sport Plan development. There must be transparency around the number of casual bowls programmes being held, the numbers participating and all who take part must contribute to the growth of the sport. Casual Bowls Leagues need to be part of the annual tournament approval process that Centres conduct and the Clubs holding Casual Bowls Leagues need to have details listed in Centre handbooks. A Regulation outlining the process of Registration needs to be developed as part of the Whole of Sport Plan development. All casual engagement with the sport needs to be promoted under a known brand (MIB) and a review of brands also needs to be carried out as part of the Whole of Sport development process. This exercise needs to articulate the value of operating under a known brand and the benefit it brings to all levels of the sport."
So what does all that mean? Well for my money it is all part of a plan to introduce a Bowls NZ capitation fee on casual bowlers most of whom play a version of Business House or twilight bowls. Clubs have been running these events since daylight saving was introduced in the early 1970s and their popularity has been maintained while traditional aspects of the sport have declined.
I may be overly suspicious but this suspicion is shared by many in bowls particularly the small country clubs. The last thing Bowls NZ needs is for clubs to secede from their centres and organise their own competitions. These discussions take place regularly and for those clubs containing few of what we would regard as "competitive bowlers" going alone is a real option.
I believe casual bowls tournaments are so popular because they don't dominate your entire leisure time and it is short and sweet in every way. Play a game for one and a half hours, a couple of cold ones and a sausage with your opposition and away home. Back in the 1970s there was an enormous amount of social
• The delayed final of the Centre mixed 2-4-2 will be played at Terrace End this coming Saturday at 12-15pm and I expect it to be a cracker. Janeen Noble and Barry Wynks will be against playing through champions Sharon Sims and Mark Noble. It has everything, husband versus wife, disabled man versus disabled man and a three time world champion. Get along and see some top bowls.
At the same venue Men's Division two interclub will also be playing and it looks a contest between Palmerston North A, Johnston Park A and Terrace End. Anything could happen yet but to win it the formula is simple - win seven of your nine games and you'll take some beating.
Tony Jensen
Thanks Tony.
For those of you who may have missed Tony's column from last week the 20th of November, here it is.
Bowling On 20th November.
In spite of the unavailability of seven players the Manawatu Women's bowling team scored a hard fought but very meritorious win over Wanganui and Taranaki at their annual tournament atHawera
Park
It is never easy travelling and playing the same day but with furthest to travel our women were well awake and ended up with 15 points to just head off Wanganui on 14 with Taranaki on seven trailing it's visitors.
Selector Viv Lozell would be well pleased with all combinations. Janeen Noble performed extra well winning both singles and Feona Sayles will have her work cut out to reclaim her singles spot after she was unavailable for this event.
The new pair of Christine Quinn skipping and Robyn Schischka off the front looked extra good and Sheryn Blake and Mere Freyer looked right at home in the top end of the four. Who to leave out will be Lozell's quandary when she narrows to a top seven for future events.
Our men's team on the other hand was third in their two day event played at Wanganui East and featuring the same three centres but were very competitive in some disciplines. Points were Taranaki 29, Wanganui 23 and Manawatu 20 and while Taranaki were never going to lose a little extra luck could have seen Manawatu finish second.
It was a vastly improved effort from last season when Manawatu were a distant third but the real headache for selector Eric Watson is fours. The green team four of Phillip Skoglund, Graeme Cooley, Steve Toms and Ross Ellery won only one game from four and the white combination of Brian Little, Barry Wynks, Terry Curtis and Scruff Anderson had but one draw.
For some years Skoglund has carried an enormous workload in fours but no player can respond every end. For my money too few bowlers really understand the discipline required in the two bowl game. It is so different to three and four bowls where any mug can get one in the head. Not so in fours. You often hear corrupt thinking bandied about tht "if the lead is not there the whole team is off". If the lead's not there the two has a job to do and so on.
Fortunately Chris Barrett went well winning three of four singles and Scotty McGavin had a fifty percent return in the other singles spot.
Manawatu finished second in the Development competition with Mike Hodge playing outstanding bowls and Bruce Harris, Ian Lewis and Mike Bowey looking at ease at that level.
If we were marking exams we would grant an honours pass to the women but the men would receive that comment "can do better" that most of us were familiar with growing up!
• Interclub will resume this Saturday and any player at the front end of a four could well do with putting their hand up when they mark Watson in the premier grade. Palmerston North and Northern are only separated by a point and I'm not bold enough to predict who'll come out on top. Takaro and Terrace End are close enough that any team could still win but they would probably need other results to go their way. A clean sweep in any round could turn the tournament upside down.
• Manawatu Bowls has dramatically improved it's website thanks to the skills of secretary Ian Lewis. Have a look at www.bowlsmanawatu.co.nz and see what I mean. It's one of the best around.
• Congratulations to Northern's premier seven that won the Manawatu women's team prize at the recent Manawatu Sports awards. I often admire the women of this club for their club spirit. They achieve highly on the green but when you look deeper they are nearly all involved in administration, coaching, selecting and aren't too proud to front in the kitchen as well.
• Adam Johnston, Brian Looker and Clayton Simpson all played at the New Zealand Open recently and performed with credit.Johnston
• The time Honoured National Tournament will be played in the Taranaki this season and it will be interesting to see how many Manawatu Bowlers make the relatively short journey to greens that are unmatched in theNorth Island
• There are tournaments galore coming up in the next few weeks and clubs need to remember that if you expect others to support your tournaments you need to reciprocate. They need further remember that if greens are not up to scratch your visitors don't return. So get your centre books out and get on the phone and enter a tournament or two - you might even take home a prize even if it is just the raffle.
Email news to tony.jensen@aon.com
TONY JENSEN
In spite of the unavailability of seven players the Manawatu Women's bowling team scored a hard fought but very meritorious win over Wanganui and Taranaki at their annual tournament at
It is never easy travelling and playing the same day but with furthest to travel our women were well awake and ended up with 15 points to just head off Wanganui on 14 with Taranaki on seven trailing it's visitors.
Selector Viv Lozell would be well pleased with all combinations. Janeen Noble performed extra well winning both singles and Feona Sayles will have her work cut out to reclaim her singles spot after she was unavailable for this event.
The new pair of Christine Quinn skipping and Robyn Schischka off the front looked extra good and Sheryn Blake and Mere Freyer looked right at home in the top end of the four. Who to leave out will be Lozell's quandary when she narrows to a top seven for future events.
Our men's team on the other hand was third in their two day event played at Wanganui East and featuring the same three centres but were very competitive in some disciplines. Points were Taranaki 29, Wanganui 23 and Manawatu 20 and while Taranaki were never going to lose a little extra luck could have seen Manawatu finish second.
It was a vastly improved effort from last season when Manawatu were a distant third but the real headache for selector Eric Watson is fours. The green team four of Phillip Skoglund, Graeme Cooley, Steve Toms and Ross Ellery won only one game from four and the white combination of Brian Little, Barry Wynks, Terry Curtis and Scruff Anderson had but one draw.
For some years Skoglund has carried an enormous workload in fours but no player can respond every end. For my money too few bowlers really understand the discipline required in the two bowl game. It is so different to three and four bowls where any mug can get one in the head. Not so in fours. You often hear corrupt thinking bandied about tht "if the lead is not there the whole team is off". If the lead's not there the two has a job to do and so on.
Fortunately Chris Barrett went well winning three of four singles and Scotty McGavin had a fifty percent return in the other singles spot.
Manawatu finished second in the Development competition with Mike Hodge playing outstanding bowls and Bruce Harris, Ian Lewis and Mike Bowey looking at ease at that level.
If we were marking exams we would grant an honours pass to the women but the men would receive that comment "can do better" that most of us were familiar with growing up!
• Interclub will resume this Saturday and any player at the front end of a four could well do with putting their hand up when they mark Watson in the premier grade. Palmerston North and Northern are only separated by a point and I'm not bold enough to predict who'll come out on top. Takaro and Terrace End are close enough that any team could still win but they would probably need other results to go their way. A clean sweep in any round could turn the tournament upside down.
• Manawatu Bowls has dramatically improved it's website thanks to the skills of secretary Ian Lewis. Have a look at www.bowlsmanawatu.co.nz and see what I mean. It's one of the best around.
• Congratulations to Northern's premier seven that won the Manawatu women's team prize at the recent Manawatu Sports awards. I often admire the women of this club for their club spirit. They achieve highly on the green but when you look deeper they are nearly all involved in administration, coaching, selecting and aren't too proud to front in the kitchen as well.
• Adam Johnston, Brian Looker and Clayton Simpson all played at the New Zealand Open recently and performed with credit.
• The time Honoured National Tournament will be played in the Taranaki this season and it will be interesting to see how many Manawatu Bowlers make the relatively short journey to greens that are unmatched in the
• There are tournaments galore coming up in the next few weeks and clubs need to remember that if you expect others to support your tournaments you need to reciprocate. They need further remember that if greens are not up to scratch your visitors don't return. So get your centre books out and get on the phone and enter a tournament or two - you might even take home a prize even if it is just the raffle.
Email news to tony.jensen@aon.com
TONY JENSEN
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