FIRST BOWLS AT EMPIRE GAMES IN 1930

Press, Volume C, Issue 29712, 4 January 1962, Page 7

FIRST BOWLS AT EMPIRE GAMES IN 1930

JJOWLS did not come into the British Empire and Commonwealth Games until 1930, although in 1911 they were seriously considered for inclusion in the Festival of Empire Games at the Crystal Palace, London, held in conjunction with the coronation of King George V. Several years elapsed before a definite decision was made to hold bowling at the Empire Games, the first being at Hamilton. Ontario, in 1930. The man mainly responsible for the introduction of bowls into the 1930 Games was Mr R Robinson, a Canadian, who was associated with the Olympic Games of 1928. Bowls have been included in all subsequent Games. At Vancouver in 1954 it was recommended that for future Empire Games players could participate only in one section; that this would encourage all participating countries to send seven players. This ruling was adhered to in 1958 at Cardiff, but for the 1962 Games at Perth players may be entered in more than one section. This move has been strongly opposed by the New Zealand Bowling Association, which feels that seven players should be entered by each country. Fair Success New Zealand has met with a fair measure of success in the Empire Games, having won the singles once, pairs three times and fours once. It has been runner-up three tunes, twice in the singles and once in the pairs. Of the six series of Empire Games held it was only in 1934 in London that New Zealand failed to gain a place. Its most successful Games were those in Sydney in 1938 when it won the pairs and fours and was runner-up in the singles. The first players to put New Zealand on the map in Empire Games bowls were F. McWhannell and W. Feilding, who were runners-up in the pairs at Hamilton, Ontario. The results of Empire Games bowls to date are:—

Hamilton, 1930 Singles.—Winner: R. G. Colquboun (England). Run-ner-up: J. C. Thoms (South Africa) Pairs —Winners: T. C. Hills, G W A. Wright (England). Runners-up: F. McWhanneli and W. Fielding (New Zealand). Fours.—Winners: E. F. Gudeon, J. Edney. A. P. Hough, J. Firth (England). Runners-up: New Zealand tied with Scotland and Canada London, 1934 Singles.—Winner: R. Sprot (Scotland). Runner-up: W. S. Macdonald (Canada). Pairs. Winners: T. C. Hills and G. W. A. Wright (Englanl). Runners-up: W. G. Hutchinson and A. A. Langford (Canada). Fours. —Winners: R. Slater, E. F. Gudeon. P. D. Tomlinson, F. Biggin (England'. Runners-up: C. Curran, C. Clawson, G. Watson, P. T. Watson (Ireland). Sydney. 1938 Singles.—Winner: H. Harvey (South Africa). Runnerup: F. Livingstone (New Zealand). Pairs.—Winners: L. L. Macey and W Denison (New Zealand). Runners-up: P. Hutton and H. Mildren (Australia). Fours.—Winners: W Whitaker. H. A. Robertson, E. Jury, W Bremner (New Zealand). Runners-up: N. S. Walker, F. Stevenson, T. H. Samson, J. D. Donaldson (South Africa). Auckland, 1950 Singles.—Winner: J. Pirrett (New Zealand). Runner-up: A. E. Newton (Australia). Pairs.—Winners: R. Henry and E. P. Exelby (New Zealand). Runners-up: W. Gibb and H. L. Van Zyl (South Africa). Fours.—Winners: H. Atkinson, H. Currer, A. Blumberg. N S. Walker (South Africa).

Runners-up: John Cobley, L. Knight, C. M. Cordaly, Jas. Cobley (Australia).

Vancouver, 1954 Singles.—Winner: R. Hodges (Southern Rhodesia). Run-ner-up: J. Pirrett (New Zealand'. Pairs.—Winners: W. J. Rosbotham and R. T. Watson (Northern Ireland). Runnerup: S. Gardiner and R. Williams (Canada). Fours.—Winners: G. L. Wilson, J. W. H. Anderson, F. M. Mitchell, W. A. Randall (South Africa). Runners-up: E. J. Liddell, A. E. Coates, R. A. Gourley, J. A- Da Luz (Hong Kong). Cardiff, 1958

Singles—Winner: P. Danilowitz (South Africa). Run-ner-up: E. P. Baker (England). Pairs—Winners: J. M. Morris and R. E. Pilkington (New Zealand). Runners-up: J. A. Myrdal and R. Van Vuuren (South Africa). Fours. —Winners: N. King, J. H. Bettles, W. F. Phillips, G. H. Scadgell (England). Runners-up: W. A. Randle, E S. Stuart, E. A. Williams, N. S. Walker (South Africa).