ISSUE 15 OCTOBER 2010
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THE OFFICIAL BOWLS NZ eMAGAZINE
SILvER SMITH FORGES LEGENdvAL ‘NEvER SAy dIE’ SMITH PAGE 4
Val ‘Never Say
Die’ Smith 4
Our Team’s
Performance 5
From The Eyes Of
The Media 6
Eventful Managing 7
Sports Science 9
New Uniform 9
Myth Busting 11
A Moment In
Bowls History 13
Have-A-Go At
Lawn Bowls 14-17
Focus On
Greenkeeping 18
Club Scene 19
Focus On Umpiring 21
Blind Bowls 23
Squad6
Youth Bowls 25
TV Coverage The
Magic Bullet? 26-27
issueTHIS
upshotwww.bowlsnz.co.nz
ISSUE 15 OCTOBER 2010
3
‘NEvER SAy dIE’SMITH
Blood, sweat, and tears, in the
strength sapping heat of India,
Val Smith undertakes a marathon
effort, playing three games a day,
dropping only one game in three
days to do the impossible and
make the Gold medal final at the
Delhi 2010 Commonwealth Games
after a slow start in her pool
matches.
Proving that experience does
indeed count, one of the New Zealand
Women’s team’s most experienced
players has added another medal to
her long list of achievements. This
time it was a Commonwealth Games
Silver Medal that Val Smith mounted
the podium to collect.
A member of the New Zealand
team since 2003, Smith has made
a habit of winning, and winning
consistently throughout the years.
However, this latest victory is an
impressive career highlight that leaves
no room to doubt her courage, mental
strength, and determination. Everyone
who witnessed her charge up the table
has been amazed by her stamina and
mental toughness. When the pressure
came on, Val responded the only way
she knew how; to fight for the win,
to push for victory, to never quit, to
never let up, and it was that attitude
that powered her though to the Gold
medal match up.
For coach Dave Edwards, one of
Val’s key attributes came to the fore as
she picked herself up and worked her
way back into contention in those pool
matches. “One thing about Val is just
her sheer guts and determination,” he
said. “She has a never-say-die attitude
and it got her in.”
What makes this performance
really special is when you go back to the
final day of pool play; Val had to win
those last three matches convincingly
to avoid a count back which was
unlikely to do her any favours. This is
where Val made the bowls world sit
up, take a breath and applaud; she
dominated her opposition, and won
each match in straight sets to push her
way into the quarter finals and from
there nothing and no one was going
to stop her getting to that Gold medal
match.
Val Smith is one of those
professional athletes that stand out
from the crowd, when you witness
them play, win, lose, or draw, you
can tell that they haven’t held back,
they have left nothing in the tank.
You can’t help but respect her skills,
will power, and toughness, which are
awe inspiring. This performance will
forever place her in bowls folk law, the
pint sized, gutsy, kiwi, who achieved a
minor miracle on the Bowling Greens
in Delhi.
And what has the elite bowler
got in her sights for the future?
A repeat result at the next World
Championships in Adelaide (2012) is
perhaps the only thing that could top
her Commonwealth Games effort.
Pictured above right, Val receiving
her medal; right, Val celebrating a
brilliant shot.
vAL
upshotwww.bowlsnz.co.nz
ISSUE 15 OCTOBER 2010
4
PERFORMANCEOUR TEAM’S
The results at the 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games were a disappointment to all involved in the High Performance program and build up for our athletes. Val Smith’s courageous efforts rewarded the team with a silver medal, which marginally improves on our performances in Melbourne four years ago.
Women’s SinglesVal Smith lost four of her first six games
in the early stages of pool play and looked down and out of contention for a playoff spot. But Val’s fighting spirit came to the fore, through dogged determination over the last two days of pool play she dropped only one game in six to go through to the knock out quarter final match. From there we witnessed the true nature of Val Smith as she fought her way through Scotland and Australia to get to the final match where she emerged with a Silver Medal.
Women’s PairsManu Timoti and Jan Khan seemed
in devastating form in the early games of their group; however their touch seemed to leave them in the second half of their tournament. Their Commonwealth Games aspirations came down to one crucial moment where, by millimetres, they lost
an important tie break against Northern Ireland which would have guaranteed their position in the playoffs. “It came to a halt millimetres short….We didn’t know that at the time when we lost the tie-break [how important it would be]. Manu joked that I should have played with [slightly bigger] size five rather than size four bowls because we would have got it.” Jan Khan.
Women’s TriplesThis team was probably the hard luck
story of the games, only dropping two games but still knocked out in the pool stages as a result. In their group the top four teams finished on 12 points and on count back the Women’s Triples dropped into Fourth Place and missed out on a playoff spot. Their campaign came down to a loss against Namibia, the one game that the team seemed off its rhythm, which ended up costing them dearly.
Men’s SinglesAli Forsyth rolled through his
opposition in fantastic form during pool play only losing to England; this one loss causing him to lose the all important top spot in his pool - and automatic semi final qualification. In his quarter final playoff Ali drew Leif Selby of Australia. In a battle of titans, the match came down to a tie
break, where in the first end a vagary of the green slipped Selby’s bowl in for shot. This ensured Selby controlled the mat which proved to be the important factor in the competition between the two, with Ali eventually losing the Tie Break 4 – 3 to be knocked out of the tournament.
Men’s PairsRichard Collett and Danny Delany had
a horrid start to the tournament, never quite gelling. When one found his touch the other had lost his and vice versa. It took till the final stages of the tournament to find their rhythm again, but by then the damage was done and they were playing for pride only.
Men’s TriplesAndrew Todd, Shannon McIlroy, and
Richard Girvan had an erratic campaign, playing some sensational bowls in one match, then dropping the next in what should have been relatively easy victories. The surprising factor was the losses in tight tie breaks which this team has had a history of performing well in. Their campaign inevitably came down to a disappointing loss against Niue. This team isn’t about excuses: “In those tight games you just have to take your opportunities and unfortunately we didn’t” Andrew Todd.
upshotwww.bowlsnz.co.nz
ISSUE 15 OCTOBER 2010
5
When they get their chance to step
out of the shadows it’s nice to see
sportsmen and women make the most
of the chance.
Being at the Commonwealth games
has given me the chance to interact with
many of New Zealand’s top athletes,
athletes who normally train and perform
away from the spotlight. It’s a Kiwi fact
that if Rugby, League or Cricket is not your
chosen sport, gaining regular exposure via
all media avenues is not easy.
Which is why it’s refreshing to speak to
the likes of our leading bowls exponents,
boxers and table tennis players….
The Lawn Bowls team. If ever there
was a team that got on with the business
of performing, but understood the
importance of chatting to the media and
broadcasters this is it. They’re great! Like
Meehan (boxing coach), and Chun Li
(Table Tennis coach), head Bowls Coach,
Dave Edwards sets the standard for the
rest of his team to follow. Speak to this guy
and there is no sanitised pap. No crafted
PR speak. Yet his message is delivered in
a relaxed, informative manner that would
put many an experts’ comments to shame.
When his players are doing well he says so.
When they are not, he is equally honest.
Edwards is coach and a people
manager. He allows his players to speak
and does not speak on their behalf - as
too many coaches do these days. Edwards,
Meehan and Chun Li trust their players
and they respond in kind.
His team of 12 are all a pleasure to
interview and in the case of men’s singles
player, Ali Smith, there is a comments
man there if ever he chose to take the
opportunity. Jan Kahn is simply a joy and
her pairs teammate, Manu Timoti’s quiet
manner only just hides a great sense of
humour and ability to educate an audience
on the intricacies of her sport.
The Women’s triples team are equally
pleasant to chat with and whilst they
probably don’t believe it they interview
well. Women’s singles player, Val Smith
is in the same boat. Trust me Val, you’re
a great talent and an interview with you
is a lot of fun. As does the men’s triples.
Skip, Richard Girvan is a leader on and off
the field. He is another with a real knack
of telling his story in a way that educates
and entertains. His teammates, Andrew
Todd and Shannon McIlroy complete a
fine boxed set.
The Men’s Pair of Danny Delaney and
Richard Collett set the benchmark for all
sportsmen who have to talk to the media
after a bad day. They struggled on the first
two days of the Commonwealth Games,
yet were always approachable. Great
guys, who you just want to see do well,
because you know they can - and they’re
bloody good blokes.
Thank goodness now our
Commonwealth Games athletes get the
coverage they so deserve, and have a
chance to promote themselves.
Well done to those who have taken
the chance to do so and thanks to those
who have given me the chance to know
them better. And hopefully, through this
association, many folk at home have got
to know them better too.
OF THE MEdIAFROM THE EyES
By Bevan Sanson, Sky Sports
commentator in Delhi Excerpts from ‘Bowled Over by Kiwi Athletes Attitude’. Reprinted with permission from Sky Sport.
upshotwww.bowlsnz.co.nz
ISSUE 15 OCTOBER 2010
6
By Crispin Anderlini
“Only in India,” people sometimes
say with a wry smile. Only in India can
an 8-Nations Lawn Bowls Invitational
Tournament have the finishing touches
applied with mere hours to spare.
Only in India can you expect to roll up
on greens with a mean temperature of
40 degrees Celsius.
And only in India could you hope
to complete the preparations for a
Commonwealth Games bowls tournament
in the wettest monsoon season for 30
years, with just a professional attitude and
a small team of organisers to assist - but
Bill Fowlie has managed it.
A Delhi resident for the past 16
months, the Christchurch native has been
tested and tried in more ways than one
during his time in the world’s second most
populace country. From a lack of support
and experience with the sport, to madmen
on the roads - and much in between.
“I was a one man band up until
three months ago, when Isaac Denny
arrived from NZ as my Sports Manager,”
Fowlie explains, “but I have always had a
professional attitude that come what may,
I would run a professional tournament.
And it showed when we had the 8-Nations
test event in April. Now I have the full
team on board, we will make it happen.”
Satisfied reports from our bowlers on the
slow-rolling greens, confirm that he has
indeed, ‘made it happen’.
Despite being Fowlie’s “most difficult
event” yet, the veteran bowls events
manager has also seen and experienced
fascinating things. “The most amazing
things about living here have been the
history, the travel and all the wonderful
people I have met. I never in a million years
thought I would ever visit the Taj Mahal -
what a sight. It choked me up, I can tell
you,” Fowlie reports with admiration. “On
the organisational side, I have worked with
a great bunch of competition managers…
and [me and my team] have formed a
bond that will last a lifetime.”
And through all the trials and
tribulations of the project, Fowlie says it
is the love and support of his wife Linley
that has seen him through. Being able to
come home at night to his apartment, in
the noisy, wonderfully lively and diverse
city that is Delhi, and hug his wife before
having a hot meal. “That’s priceless,”
Fowlie says.
Pictured below left: The Fowlie’s Front
Gate in Delhi; below: Bill in Delhi.
MANAGINGEvENTFUL
BILL FOWLIE AT dELHI’S COMMONWEALTH GAMES
upshotwww.bowlsnz.co.nz
ISSUE 15 OCTOBER 2010
7
TEAMWEAR
BOWLS NZ sign new deal with LEGENDZ Teamwear!
Bowls NZ are proud to announce a 4 year partnership with LEGENDZ TEAMWEAR that will change the way you can buy your white wear and teamwear.
The partnership will enable clubs and their members to purchase white wear and teamwear in their local Postie store and be rewarded for it!
Postie has 81 stores nationwide. When your club officially signs up with LEGENDZ TEAMWEAR as their supplier, a range of white wear personalised with your club logo can be stocked locally.
White wear stock will be arriving in store in November.
TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT LEGENDZ TEAMWEAR CONTACT
William LockingRegional Account RepresentativeDDI: 09 820 4409Mobile: 027 224 2944Fax: 0800 802 [email protected]
www.legendz.co.nzSee www.postie.co.nz for store locations
Every sale generates an annual cash rebate to your club of 5%
Sports science is now an integral part of high
performance sport preparation, and bowls is no
exception.
Technique is important for bowlers, and a lot of
effort went into technical analysis for the 12-strong high
performance bowls team to underpin preparation for the
Commonwealth Games.
Under the guidance of expert Matt Ingram from the ASI in
Christchurch, New Zealand is leading the way in biomechanics
technology. Matt, who manages the bowls sports science
programme, has refined a system which films players using
two cameras, codes performance using dedicated software,
plus the latest new “Icode” technology, and links it to player
statistics.
Bowlers can then review performance, picking up
specifics on what they’re doing right and what needs further
work. They then plan for improvements with their coach, and
prepare strategy going into their next competition.
Matt also worked with the high performance bowlers on
fitness as part of their Commonwealth Games preparation.
Obviously biomechanics is just part of the holistic support the
ASI provides; strength and conditioning, physiotherapy and
mental preparation also being integral to the Games focus.
The Black Jacks competed in their great new uniforms
at the Commonwealth Games. The uniforms were made
by new Bowls NZ Sponsor Legendz Teamwear.
Legendz was chosen because they are a New Zealand
owned company, and are able to provide bowling gear to
all our members – not just for the Black Jacks. They have a
factory based in Christchurch, so they can work to short time
frames, and have also provided Bowls NZ with a substantial
sponsorship programme. With all these benefits, Legendz
was the obvious choice.
The uniforms are made with the latest breathable
fabric technology, which helped keep the Black Jacks in top
condition – even in the sweltering Delhi heat! The material is
both strong and flexible, a must for competitive bowling.
The design of the new uniform set the Black Jacks apart
from the other New Zealand sporting teams, with the imagery
of the fern being the prominent aspect. And the uniform has
been approved by the New Zealand Olympic Committee so it
can be used for other competitions in the future.
The new uniform is one the Black Jacks can be truly proud
to wear while representing their country on the world stage.
SCIENCE UNIFORMSPORTS NEW
upshotwww.bowlsnz.co.nz
ISSUE 15 OCTOBER 2010
9
Classic II Tiger II
ABT-evo Alpha
BOWLS BIAS TRAJECTORYApproved 15/09/09Bias chart is a relative guide only.
Performance characteristics will vary due to different surfaces and playing conditions
Choice of Champions
AlphaAlpha is a full fit bowl with a unique non-slip grip to provide bowlers with superior hand comfort. Alpha has a holding line for ‘up shots’ and an even draw to the jack, especially for dead draws, allowing it to perform to perfection on weighted shots. A combination of precision engineering and advanced design has given Alpha its superior stability in windy conditions.
Tiger II A mid biased bowl with an even and predictable trajectory. The predictable line of the Tiger II makes it very easy to adjust to for experienced and new bowlers alike. The Tiger II pro-vides comfort in the hand, control on the delivery, and consistency in results.
Classic II The well established, traditional and popular wider drawing bowl, with a “hook” finish, well suited on greens with a speed of 12-16 seconds
ABT Evo A full bodied bowl providing on green stability, giving maximum performance on fast running greens. A true holding line to maximise accuracy and results on run shots.
For information on Henselite Lawn Bowls, Clothing, Footwear, and Accessories Vist:
www.henselite.co.nz
Val SmithWorld Number 1Winner singles & pairsWorld Champs 2008
Bowls Bias Trajectory
Key Fact: The High Performance
programme operates off a separate budget.
The revenue comes from SPARC, through
their high performance programme, and
specific corporate relationships which
desire a tangible link with the Black Jacks
due to their history of achievement.
Key Fact: SPARC funds sports through
a performance model, which means that
if the Black Jacks are not successful at
specified events they are likely to lose
funding. For example, the current goal they
needed to achieve was at least 3 medals at
the Commonwealth Games. This funding is
reviewed every second year, and the Black
Jacks must reapply for funding each time.
Key Fact: This performance funding
model means that the Black Jacks cannot
afford to have a bad day at the office.
Their funding relies entirely on how
well they do at World Games and
Commonwealth Games, so to
ensure the continuation of the
high performance programme
they must achieve results - there
are no second chances.
Key Fact: The goals of the high
performance programme are easily available
in Bowls New Zealand’s Strategic and
Operations plans – which are both posted
on the Bowls NZ website, paraphrased
“They want to dominate the World of
Bowls and win Medals.”
Key Fact: Currently no Membership
fees go towards the High Performance
programme to fund the Black Jacks
programme.
What many people don’t know is
that the Black Jacks’ trips, coaching,
and any other expenses incurred are
almost completely funded by SPARC.
The remainder of the revenue is sourced
through sponsorship arrangements, such
as the Legendz sponsorship for the uniform
requirements of the Black Jacks.
BUSTINGMyTH
Bowls NZ, in the interest of transparency, is introducing a
“Myth Busting” segment, specifically dedicated to busting
some common “myths” with facts. Let’s look at…
MyTH #3:Membership fees that go to Bowls NZ fund the Black Jacks’ trips overseas.
n Corporate Sponsorship n SPARC
SPARC
CorporateSponsorship
upshotwww.bowlsnz.co.nz
ISSUE 15 OCTOBER 2010
11
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COR100079 CT Bowls A4.indd 1 10/08/10 1:28 PM
By Amy WilliamsThe 1986 Edinburgh Games was steeped in controversy, and
none were more affected than the New Zealand Men’s bowling team.
At the time only amateur sportsmen could compete in the games, and if a player received any cash prizes for their sport they were deemed to be semi professional, and as such were ineligible. This affected athletes across many countries and disciplines, and most of the first choice NZ Men’s bowling team were among them.
To deal with this problem new players had to be selected, and prepared as much as possible in a short space of time for the challenge ahead. Kerry Clark was the Coach Manager for the New Zealand Men’s Team at the time, and as Coach Manager it was his responsibility to deal with the mammoth task of selecting the new players.
One of the players selected was Ian Dickison, who had previously won a gold medal in the Australian Games Singles, as well as National Titles in both Singles and Pairs. The other players selected were Stewart McConnell, Morgan Moffat, John Murtagh, Wayne Nairn, Maurice Symes and Keith Slight. Most of these players had experienced domestic success, and some had competed on the world stage, but the pressure of achieving Commonwealth Games success was a new experience.
The conditions the players faced in Edinburgh were both dreadful and a completely foreign encounter for bowlers used to Kiwi conditions. Daytime temperatures averaged just 8°C and it rained through the entire tournament. Ian Dickison put in a strong performance, ignoring the weather conditions he swept through the competition with style and finesse. He went on to win the Gold medal in the Men’s Singles and bring glory back to New Zealand. Unfortunately none of the other NZ Men’s bowlers placed in the competition, although the Men’s Fours just missed out with a fourth place finish.
But it was the support of Kerry Clark that really brought the success to this team. Kerry recalls “coaching was very much in the development phase at the time, and my job really was to be a Jack of All Trades”. Beyond coaching he was also responsible for travel, accommodation, and outfitting, as well as being a confidante to the players. He credits the volunteers who worked alongside him for their hard work towards the success of the team.Pictured right: Ian Dickison, Men’s Singles Gold Medalist
BOWLS HISTORyA MOMENT IN
1986 EdINBURGH COMMONWEALTH
GAMES
upshotwww.bowlsnz.co.nz
ISSUE 15 OCTOBER 2010
13
By Crispin AnderliniKids, put down your Playstation
games and pick up a bowl. Teenagers, get out in the sun and roll up on a green. Adults, discover why so many competitive and social New Zealanders play this classic game. That was the call that went out on the airwaves, through letterboxes and over newspaper pages in the lead up to the second National Have a Go at Lawn Bowls Day on Sunday, October 10.
From the Far North to the Deep South, 186 bowling clubs joined in the effort to get more people playing bowls and raise the sport’s profile. After all, it’s a Commonwealth Games sport; it enjoys a sizable, and growing, fanbase in a huge variety of countries; it’s a very sociable, interactive and fun sport to try; the great thing is anyone can play.
Have A Go, has been designed with one simple purpose, getting more people into clubs, trying the game we all love, and hopefully catching the addiction. In most clubs the success of this day has been fantastic with expressions of interest for casual bowls and
members being well beyond expectation. At the Hutt Bowling Club they had 61
members of the public turn up to Have A Go, the club made sure these new people to the sport were given a variety of on green fun activities and relaxed Bowls lessons. They turned the day into an event with on and off green activities for all age groups, with three different food stalls to keep the visitors and the many club volunteers well fed, every half hour they had a spot prize draw - with the Prizes being donated by club members. As a result of the day they were able to recruit three new Mates In Bowls (MIB) teams and fill two more with casuals. They also now have 5 new applications for membership “this was such a fantastic outcome for our club to have in one concerted effort 18 people decide to participate in bowls at our club on a regular basis.”
Errol McFarlane (Vice-President and Club Captain of Ponsonby Bowling Club) points out: “The only way to keep the game alive is to bring in younger people, to open your doors and let bowls be fun again.” At his club
it’s been a great turnout as well, with over 60 people giving bowls a go for the first time. He explains it doesn’t just happen by chance, they’ve done a lot of groundwork, and John Ivory (President of Ponsonby Bowling Club) has been driving advertising for the day in all directions: web, newspaper, radio, and letterboxes to get the word out.
On rink seven there’s Julius (9), who’s just completed another solid end, and is about to teach older brothers Desmond (11) and Dylan (18) a lesson. “It’s good to get out of the house,” he says with a shy chuckle.
A bustling, laughing family is having a go on rink one. And rink three has a full complement of sharp-looking hipsters, chortling at their errors while paying studious attention to their line. They saw the flag outside, and decided to try their hand at the game. It’s more difficult than they thought, but also much more fun than they imagined.
Meanwhile, next door in rink five, 11-year-old Aidan is already an expert. “I’m here with my dad and grandfather today.” He laughs as he explains proudly they are having a Boys
IS ALL ABOUT THE FUN, THE SKILL ANd THE PEOPLE
OUR GREAT GAME
upshotwww.bowlsnz.co.nz
14
day out at the Bowls Club.Have A Go gives us the chance to show
the community what makes bowls such a great game.
I asked Point Chevalier Bowling Club Manager Jenny Jones, an energetic, something-under-40-year-old, with a passion for the game and a desire to show people why bowls is the game of kings and serfs alike, just what makes Bowls great, “there’s no age to it. You don’t have to be physically fit, strong or the greatest athlete. You just have to turn up and get an idea of what the bowl is going to do; then just practice.” And judging by the busy greens, she’s quite persuasive at getting people to Have A Go.
Success doesn’t just happen, and that is the same with Have A Go, the clubs that really put the effort in, turn the day into a promotion of their club, their facilities, and its people, see real value in the day with many expressions of interest from the participants to play bowls regularly. The clubs that made sure they included as much fun, laughter, and enjoyment into the day reaped the rewards
of more participants, more members, and increased awareness of their facilities, they made Have A Go a success through their own efforts.
Richmond in quake ravaged Christchurch still found the time and energy to run Have A Go, the impact on the people who participated in the day was expressed by Colleen a stalwart volunteer of the club “All (the participants) actually came up and thanked us for a great afternoon out” it was such a great opportunity to simply enjoy the game of bowls with the community. Richmond also took the opportunity to get donations for the Earthquake appeal, and managed to raise over $100. “We had a lot of help with advertising, with the Radio station and the local paper promoting the day, and of course the flyers we distributed around the town and public places like the local Mall, Library and council offices really helped to get the message out and let people know we are here.”
Kia Toa Bowling Club in Hastings opened its greens to anyone who wished to Have a Go. The response to the event was very
pleasing”, says Gordon Berry, with 24 non bowlers turning up to see for themselves what this game of bowls is all about.
186 Clubs ran Have A Go in its second year, each took advantage of the marketing support provided by Bowls NZ (signage, templates etc) to take the chance to put themselves in front of the wider public, they actively advertised and marketed themselves, they put the effort into creating an environment for new people to try the game in a fun and positive manner, they actively opened their doors to their local communities, rebuilt their appeal, and showed what this great game is all about, the fun, the skill, the people.
On a final note from Michael O’Keefe Bowls NZ’s marketing manager “To every club, volunteer and person involved I would like to say a personal thank you for taking the time and effort to show off this great sport. Without your efforts, the success of the day would not have been possible. You have all done an amazing job in promoting the sport to our communities in a positive and fun way.”
upshotwww.bowlsnz.co.nz
15
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IS ALL ABOUT THE FUN, THE SKILL ANd THE PEOPLE
OUR GREAT GAME
GREENKEEPINGFOCUS ON
SCRIMS, SCRIMS, SCRIMSBy Martin Christensen
Scrims have been catch cry for
green keepers so far this season. I’m
aware of two clubs who on opening
day, against better judgment, didn’t
use them “so that the greens would
look their best”.
They are now paying the price of
having slow healing dumping and scuff
marks evident well into the season. Club
officials must be resolute insisting that
scrims are used whilst the playing surface
remains soft. I would refer club officials to
the excellent article “dumping” by David
Ormsby in the August Turf Management
Journal. Club Officials must not succumb
to pressure from players against using
scrims, they will pay for it in the long run.
Regional CentresRecently Region Two held a green
keepers forum, in view of forming a
Leadership group of Greenkeepers.
Experienced Green keepers and
Contractors from the Region’s eight
Centres attended, together with members
of the NZ Sports Turf Staff. An outline of
the new Regional pathways was given
by CEO David Hewitt, and an excellent
exchange of ideas on all aspects of
Greenkeeping followed. A resolution was
made to reactivate activity at local level,
especially in relation to field days and
cluster meetings involving Sports Turf and
Bowls NZ.
Greens Evaluation FormThe Bowls NZ Green Keepers
Association fully supports the use of the
evaluation form by all Centres when
selecting club greens for Centre events
into this season, as it is vital that all clubs
throughout NZ are evaluated to the same
criteria. It was surprising to find at the
recent Region Two forum that awareness
of the approved evaluation form was not
evident in some Centres.
For a copy of the evaluation form,
visit www.bowls.co.nz/greenkeeping/
reporting
upshotwww.bowlsnz.co.nz
ISSUE 15 OCTOBER 2010
18
STOKE CLUB SEASON OPENINGTo celebrate opening for the season Stoke Club held a ‘blind bottle auction’ to raise
funds for resident Black Jacks Richard Collett and Shannon McIlroy. The auction was a
great success, with Club President Allan Griffiths presenting each with $600 towards their
Commonwealth Games trip. One of the highlights was a beautifully presented and well
wrapped bottle that turned out to be a hot water bottle – that went for $20. Patron Ferrers
McCarthy also paid $20 for a bottle of water!
BAy OF PLENTy JUNIOR BOWLERS
Dianne Ratcliffe (J2 Matua BC) and Carol Rough (J5 Matua BC) made their debut for the
Bay of Plenty Junior Ladies Bowls Squad against Gisborne/Poverty Bay at Ohope Bowls Club
on Sunday 19.9.10. After initial nerves the pair warmed up to the challenge, and enjoyed
their experience under the leadership of skip, Gill Lamprey (J4 Arawa BC, Rotorua).
TIMARU BOWLING CLUB MAKES A GENEROUS dONATION TO BOWLS CANTERBURy
Bowls Canterbury have received a cheque from Timaru Bowling Club for $10,000.
This money has been offered to assist those Clubs affected by the earthquake. This is an
outstanding contribution from this Club and Bowls Canterbury would like to show their
appreciation for their amazing generosity.
WELLINGTON REGIONAL SERvICE CENTRE UNdERWAy
At the latest Bowls New Zealand AGM, Wellington RSC presented to the audience of
Club representatives and delegates from around the country it’s progress and learnings as
it has moved down the path of developing the models required to deliver the objectives
around Youth Bowls, Quality Green keeping, Coach development, Technical Officials, and
Capability development within their region.
What was highlighted throughout the presentation was that the process and relationship between Wellington and Bowls New Zealand
has been one of cooperation and a desire to see the environment of Bowls improved.
Dave Hewitt presented how the centre had worked with key individuals, such as Sharon Sims, to develop plans around each aspect so
that they had developed a clear pathway for the next twelve months. The core focus in the early stages has been identifying passionate
capable people to take ownership of core activities within their areas of concern, and to provide those individuals with all the tools and
support required so that they could work within their centres and clubs to deliver world class programmes, and improve the sport’s delivery
and infrastructure to the bowls community.
CLUB SCENE
Send your updated club contacts to Bowls NZ at [email protected]
upshotwww.bowlsnz.co.nz
ISSUE 15 OCTOBER 2010
19
By Helen Stallard
The biggest positive to umpiring
internationally is the opportunity to
mix with umpires from around the
world and to be able to discuss and
compare the state of umpiring in other
countries.
It is then that you realise that all
countries face an aging population
of umpires, a declining full bowling
membership and the increasing difficulty in
attracting and retaining quality umpires.
With World Bowls now taking a
leading role in examinations and providing
a standard DVD to ensure the training
across the world is technically all the same,
the measuring procedures should all be
the same, and umpires should be umpiring
the same all across the world.
Despite this uniformity there are still
local differences it seems. The Northern
Hemisphere loves their boundary thread
and loathes the use of a boundary scope.
In the Southern Hemisphere the thought
of using a boundary thread to check if
a bowl or jack is live seems antiquate.
Northern Hemisphere umpires run up
the green and move their feet a lot when
marking to check whether a bowl is going
to touch the jack. Southern Hemisphere
Umpires walk up the green, and stand in
a position on the head where moving to
check touchers is not required and a lean
of the body is sufficient to have a clear
view.
The Eight Nations was held in early
April and the reaction from the Indian
teller in the bank when I first enquired
about purchasing rupees should have
warned me of what was to come. “Not
even native Indians go to Delhi in April”
I was told “it is too hot!!” Officiating at
45 degrees is an experience, and the air
conditioned floor of the ITO’s room was
certainly a welcome respite for your feet
when you had finished your duty. The
ground temperature reached 57 degrees
one day!
It was noted that the English were
most impressed when Jan Khan called out
“Umpire, rink 4, callipers please”. While
we take this for granted in New Zealand
as the accepted way to call for an umpire,
it is not done anywhere else in the world.
In other countries players just call for the
umpire and when you arrive at the rink
you find out what equipment is required.
Hopefully it will catch on worldwide as
all could see how much better the New
Zealand way is!!
UMPIRINGFOCUS ON
INTERNATIONAL UMPIRING
upshotwww.bowlsnz.co.nz
ISSUE 15 OCTOBER 2010
21
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By Greg Johnson
The Browns Bay Bowling Club
hosted the 2nd Annual Nicholls and
Associates Optometrists Blind Bowls
Triples event on Saturday the 4th of
September 2010. A fun and competitive
day was enjoyed by all.
Twenty five bowlers from Auckland
Blind Lawn Bowls were placed in teams
with Browns Bay Bowling Club members.
The tournament was held to give blind &
visually impaired players the opportunity
to play a competitive tournament, and
to increase Browns Bay club members’
awareness of the issues encountered by
blind bowlers. This was enhanced by all
of the sighted players having to wear
international travel eye shades and play
their bowls “blind” for one end during
each of the four games. This resulted in
a large increase in concentration and
communication levels amongst all bowlers.
It was great to see and hear the Browns
Bay club members breaking down barriers,
assisting each other in how to hold their
bowl, and positioning each other on the
mat.
The winning triples team in the event
comprised of Glenn Hanneman, President
of the Auckland Blind Lawn Bowls
Association, Bill Sharpe and Browns Bay
Club stalwart, Peter Beg.
Major sponsor, Bruce Nicholls and his
colleague, Catherine, came along to join
in the fun, both displayed a high degree of
skill, and we were overjoyed when Bruce
announced that Nicholls and Associates
Optometrists would sponsor the event
again in 2011.
We would also like to thank the
generous sponsorship from Bowls Planet;
who made a large donation to the
Auckland Blind Lawn Bowling Association
to support blind and visually impaired
players’ participation in this great sport.
Thanks go to the Browns Bay Club
for hosting and fundraising for this event,
particularly to Club Captain, Kevin Smith,
for his organisation of the tournament.
If you would like to host a blind bowls
event at your club please get in touch with
one of the contacts on the New Zealand
Blind Lawn Bowlers Association website
www.sportsground.co.nz/nzblba
The Blind Lawn Bowls National
Championships will be held at Gate Pa
Bowling Club in Tauranga from the 29th
of November to the 2nd of December.
BOWLSBLINd
AT BROWNS BAy
upshotwww.bowlsnz.co.nz
ISSUE 15 OCTOBER 2010
23
PRACTITIONER AND PROFESSIONAL RETAILER PRODUCT TRAINING INFORMATION
Product Code Product Name Pack Size
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SUGGESTED DOSE: Adults: Take 1 capsule 2 to 3 times daily with food, or as professionally advised.
INDICATIONS: • Glucosamine provides the raw materials that may assist the body to make new cartilage. It forms proteoglycans and creates “bone” netting for
a healthier joint. • Chondroiton stimulates the body’s production of proteoglycans helping to normalise cartilage from prema-ture breakdown from enzymes, and acts like a liquid magnet attracting fluid in to the netting.• While glucosamine sulfate and chondroitin have been taken orally since the 1960’s in Europe, it is only recently that these supplements have been used in the United States as an alternative treatment for osteoar-thritis or degenerative joint disease.• Sea Cucumber – Beche de mer – provides additional chondroitons.• Celery is widely used to help reduce pain and swelling in Arthritis.• White Willow is a natural pain reliever, with an ingredient similar to aspirin.• Devil’s Claw has anti-inflammatory properties that help reduce swelling and pain while also improving mobility of the joints.
CONTRA INDICATIONS: Avoid if you have severe allergy to seafood. If you have Scleroderma, rare excess collagen disease associated with thickened skin body organs and excess collagen to joints, do not use NZ Health Naturally's Joint Rescue.
ACTIVE INGREDIENT INGREDIENTS (PER CAPSULE): Glucosamine HCL 500mg Chondroitin 120mg Beche-de-Mer (Sea Cucumber) 50mg Herbal Extracts Equivalent to Dry:Celery (Apium gravelens) Seed 200mg 34mg White Willow (Salix Babylonica) Bark 800mg 54mg Devil's Claw (Harpagophytum procumbens) Root 300mg 100mg Encapsulating Aids
EXCIPIENTS: Contains no added lactose, corn, gluten, sugar, starch, yeast, artificial flavour, colour or preservatives.
COMMENTS/ NOTES: Use as directed and if conditions persist, please consult with a medical or health professional practitioner for advice.
Not intended for consumers use. Information is to assist professionals provide a knowledgeable and effective service. NZHN do not intend to replace professional advise, if consumers symptoms persist, consult a Professional Practitioner.
JRE90 Joint Rescue 90 Capsules
All three once stood on the dais as
winners of National Secondary Schools
Championship titles.
Genevieve won her singles title in
2002, Shannon had a three year strangle-
hold on the singles from 2002-2004 and
Andrew secured a singles title in 2005.
Furthermore, these players are now at the
pinnacle of our sport, with Genevieve and
Shannon representing New Zealand at the
Commonwealth Games.
But it hasn’t been by chance that these
three, and others of their generation, are
now forging a new chapter in the New
Zealand bowls history books, it has been
the firm commitment by us as a sport
to develop youth within bowls and the
growing force of youth bowls supporters/
coordinators / ambassadors / coaches
throughout the country.
The National Secondary Schools
Championships has developed into
a challenging and competitive event
endorsed as an official secondary schools
championship. The Kittyhawks National
U20’s Singles has been an established
event on the youth bowls calendar for
years and is regarded as one of the best for
identifying future talent. In February this
year, New Zealand secured a historic win
over Australia in the Under 18’s tests.
So where are we now? The pool is
growing, the talent identification and
development pathway is demonstrating
success, and our dedication to a High
Performance programme will go a long way
to ensuring that we continue to ‘dominate
the world of bowls’. But to keep this going,
we need to look at our sport holistically –
what are we doing to make bowls appeal
to younger people, to get more young kiwis
playing more bowls, more often?
Squad6 is the nationally branded
and SPARC supported secondary schools
participation model. Squad6 is not
a championship to find winners; it is
designed to grow student participation at
a base level.
Youth bowls is now a priority.
Traditional club membership will continue
to be the backbone of our sport, but unless
we continue to promote and encourage
youth to play bowls, clubs will close and
the sport could die. Before the mat is pulled
out from under us, let’s get more young
people playing bowls – the future is now.
What can you do to help? Support
youth bowls by creating a positive and
welcoming environment for all youth.
Support youth bowls coordinators in your
club and centre, attend events, run Squad
6, and develop youth focused coaching.
Our youth bowlers are the future of
the Black Jacks and among the great Kiwi
names such as Khan, Skoglund, Bellis will
go the names of Baildon, McIlroy and
Kelly.
Pictured right from top: Andrew Kelly
in 2005, and 5 years later wins the
World Junior Cup; Shannon McIlroy
claims his third secondary title in 2004
and 6 years later is a Commonwealth
games athlete; the victorious Area
2 Team in 2002 including Genevieve
Baildon (right).
THE FUTURE IS NOWWHAT dO CURRENT BLACK JACKS
GENEvIEvE BAILdON, SHANNON McILROy ANd ANdREW KELLy HAvE IN COMMON?
yOUTHBOWLS
upshotwww.bowlsnz.co.nz
ISSUE 15 OCTOBER 2010
25
By Mike O’Keefe
During my time with Bowls New
Zealand I have come across constant
arguments by members and personalities
that TV will solve our sport’s woes, it’s
the magic bullet, and it will inject money,
fame, and prestige into our sport. That
simply having bowls on the box will be
the path to our salvation.
It’s an interesting argument, and one
which completely and utterly ignores the
facts.
Usually when TV is mentioned Australia
or the United Kingdom are highlighted as the
models to replicate. The proclaimers of this
fallacy state “Australia have had bowls on TV
for years and look at the strength of Australian
clubs.” It’s great to be in a position where you
can make such comments in ignorance of the
reality of the situation; fortunately for the
bowls community those employed to market
our sport don’t have that luxury. Yes TV adds
benefits to bowls in Australia in promoting
the sport, but does it solve the issues at club
level?
No, because Australian clubs face the
same issues we do: traditional membership is
declining and casual membership is increasing.
At Bowls Australia’s AGM it was noted in their
key challenges, “Membership is disappointing,
and the recent decline in 2008-09 follows a
steady drop in membership over the last 25
years (our membership is currently nearly 50%
of what it was in 1983)”. This shows that the
trend from traditional to casual membership
has nothing to do with television coverage of
bowls, and everything to do with how society
is changing. Has the TV coverage attracted
more people to the sport in Australia? The
simple answer is no - their membership is in
decline.
I can say that by simply looking at the facts.
To attract new people to the sport Australian
clubs have had to undertake targeted casual
and youth programmes to get people back
to their clubs, volunteers have had to get out
in the community and promote themselves.
It’s exactly the same in NZ; the clubs that are
successful are the proactive ones. In short
TV hasn’t driven the masses to the sport and
there are no membership facts to support this
argument.
Now let’s consider the UK position,
where the BBC run a format developed
specifically for TV and where the concept of
a professional circuit was developed, the PBA.
TV hasn’t solved the issues in the UK either. All
UK countries (England, Ireland, Scotland and
Wales) unsurprisingly face similar issues from
the changing dynamics of the player base. The
PBA as a professional circuit has lost sponsors
and prize money, and as a result the circuit
is decreasing because it isn’t generating the
audiences required to continue to maintain
corporate involvement.
The fact is that we have had bowls on
TV in New Zealand, such as the 2008 World
Bowls Championship, and the New Zealand
Open. Every time a bowls game is shown on
TV it comes at a cost. The 2008 World Bowls
coverage, in production and airtime alone cost
the event $100,000 - because bowls does not
generate the ratings. The feedback from the
coverage of the World Bowls event was that it
underperformed in ratings and failed to meet
the expectations of the free to air channel
covering the event. Rugby generates it’s
revenue from TV rights because people watch
the games. In New Zealand bowlers and the
general public don’t watch the game to a
level that will attract sponsors and make the
BULLET?THE MAGICTv COvERAGE
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ISSUE 15 OCTOBER 2010
26
channels proactive in their desire for coverage,
so we have to pay the channels for the time
and production required to put our sport on
TV.
If we want to see our sport able to
generate revenue and increased exposure
through TV, then it is up to us, those that love
this sport, to make the effort to watch it when
it is available, so that ratings increase, and TV
executives start to see some tangible returns
from the sport being televised.
So what are we doing to build our sport?
We are giving our volunteers, those people who
make a difference in our clubs, every support
we can. We have Club Plan in place so clubs
can build sustainable welcoming environments
and Community Development Officers to aide
clubs in planning and development. We have
established national brands to target those
growth areas in sport with programmes such
as MIB, Squad6, and Have A Go. We have
learnt lessons from our international partners
and are putting our resources into delivering
programmes that aide our clubs and ensure
they are able to attract people to their clubs,
rather than investing all our resources into
TV coverage which mainly benefits a small
number of elite players.
Does TV coverage have a place in our
sport? Hopefully. It is an option continually
being investigated, but is it the magic bullet to
our salvation? No. The reality is any coverage
will come at a cost, and any benefit gained will
be only for elite players. If you hear someone
proclaiming otherwise, ask yourself, are they
simply uninformed, joking, or trying to benefit
themselves in some way?
upshotwww.bowlsnz.co.nz
ISSUE 15 OCTOBER 2010
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GRANT’S CORNER 2 CORNER TOURNAMENTJoin in the fun and get adifferent angle on our favourite pastime. From November 2010 to April 2011 at participating clubs.
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GRANT’S CORNER 2 CORNER TOuRNamENT
Join in the fun and get a different angle on our favourite pastime. From November 2010 to April 2011 at participating clubs.