Update 19^th Mar 2013.

Congratulations to all involved with the annual Hospice tournament and fund raising. A marvellous effort all round and a great day on the greens as a bonus.

Wanganui East paid a return visit to our club on Sunday. For those who don’t know, Northern managed to scrape home winners overall by 1 game. Very close, and a lot of enjoyment for all those involved.

A great day of bowls played with our good friends from the River City.

Bowling On - 19^th March 2013.

Bowls can provide some great sporting moments on the green but for those gathered at the Northern Club last Saturday the feel good generated by the annual Hospice tournament would be hard to match.

It brings the entire Manawatu bowling fraternity (with other centre support)  together for a common cause and this year there was an additional sense of poignancy with the loss of Fran Frith, one of Manawatu's very best women bowlers, two day beforehand at Arohanui Hospice.

While the three greens had a capacity field of 48 teams the bowls seemed of little consequence as the crowd set about raising what looks like a final figure of over $10000 to go to the Hospice. One of the highlights is always the auction and this year was no different with that aspect of the day raising $6500 by itself, with a lot of spirited competition and good banter. The Gush family with "Dadio" Barry and son Craig with his partner Erin are the principal organisers of the day but all the Northern members and many others bend their backs and open their hearts and wallets to make the day the success it is.

• Regional Club Championships were held last week and the Palmerston North men's triple (Chris Barrett, Steve Toms and Graeme Cooley)  and Northern women's four (Feona Sayles, Anna Davis, Jacinta Cousins and Julianne Mills) were the the only teams to win and thus qualify for the National finals at Invercargill in June. It is a surprisingly small success for Manawatu Clubs against the other centres in the region, Wairarapa, Gisborne/East Coast and Hawkes Bay. Perhaps it was the Napier greens that tripped our bowlers up or dare I suggest that using champion of champion winners rather than an open tournament meant we sent less capable bowlers to the event? I look forward to the howls of protest on that one!

It is a big financial impost on players to have to head to Invercargill for the second year running and I frankly believe Bowls New Zealand executives must have rocks in their heads to go back to a venue so close to the Antarctic  in mid-winter, even if it is indoors. Travel costs to such an outpost are ridiculously high.

Last year Terrace End and Palmerston North had teams travel there and got together to organise a fundraising tournament to raise funds which was most successful so hopefully a similar event will take place.

• The centre is light on for open tournaments this coming weekend and a mixed triple at Himatangi on Sunday is the only option. That should ensure they have a full field. I found a two day fours at Manakau in the Kapiti area and am looking forward a tournament on a green I've never been on.

 Terrace End tell me there are still a few vacancies in their 2-4-2 mens pairs on 20 and 21 April. It is usually a top weekend. Unfortunately I'll miss it this year as I'll be performing in "Joseph" at the Regent.

• One of the reasons for the lack of tournaments in the Manawatu this weekend is Palmerston North are hosting the National Inter club finals. Good luck to Palmerston North men and Northern women in the second Division.

• The loss of Frances Frith on the day the first Pope Francis was appointed was someway fitting. If there is a bowls sainthood she would be right up there awaiting canonization or at least beatification. Fran was a very, very good bowler winning 21 Manawatu titles to add to the six she won beforehand in Kapiti. On top of that she had a myriad of successes in Interclub, Representative teams and other tournaments. It was as a skip I remember Fran best - no pressure was ever too much and she could bail any team out of trouble.

• Palmerston North RSA won the national RSA tournament last week for the second consecutive year. Brian Looker, Paul Tregoweth and Graham Gosnell were the successful bowlers on both occasions.

A good club member at Terrace End Fran did her share in administration, coaching and umpiring and she had not long become an internationally accredited umpire when she became ill. We have lost a few bowlers this season but no one could have anticipated we would in the one season lose three such quality younger bowlers and people as Fran Frith, Laurie Gordon and Bob Williams. A huge lose to us all but first and foremost to their families.

TONY JENSEN

Thanks Tony.