Bowls finalists decided

Press, 9 February 1982, Page 32

Bowls finalists decided

Dunedin. Manawatu and Auckland will be Christchurch's opponents in the national final of the Rothmans inter-centre bowls tournament on the week-end of March 6 and 7.

The final will be played in Dunedin. Last year's winner. Hawke’s Bay. was third to Manawatu and Wanganui in its zone elimination at the week-end. Manawatu taking the decision on a superior points differential after it and Wanganui had finished equal on match points. Hawke's Bay was. however. without its key player of last summer, the singles specialist. Peter Bryant.

Dunedin was a clear winner of the southern zone and Auckland came with a late bid to snatch victory over Taranaki in the other North Island elimination. Christchurch and Manawatu will also be represented in the junior final, the other two zone winners in this, event being Central Otago and Taranakai.

The final, on the same week-end as the senior Rothmans event, will be in either Palmerston North or New Plymouth.

Format changes ‘unlikely’ PA Auckland Although there are very few South Island competitors at this year’s women's Dominion bowling championships it is unlikely there will be any great changes to the format of the tournament in the immediate future.

There has been talk, particularly among the smaller South Island centres, about regionalising the championships with a central final for the qualifiers in an effort to get more bowlers involved in the Bell Tea tournament.

“The' costs are keeping people away,’’ said Mrs Pat Weaver, the president of the New Zealand Women's Bowling Association. “It’s not cheap to spend a fortnight in a motel and fly the length of the country." A large number of bowlers have saved on accommodation costs by staying at the nurses' homes at Green Lane and Auckland hospitals and last year a similar arrangement was made in Dunedin, with the women taking over some of the halls of residence at the Otago University.

“It might be three of four years before there are any changes to the tournament." said Mrs Weaver. “The older players and the traditionalists would not like to see it go. After all it is the most important tournament of the year."

There have been no formal discussions at national council level about changes to the tournament format and Mrs Weaver herself admits she would be loath to see any made.

There has been some talk in the men’s game of having North and South Island tournaments, with a national final for just the top few qualifiers from each island. “The North Island girls tend to be more competitive and chase the championships. A lot more of them go to the South Island than South Islanders come up here." said Mrs Weaver. The N.Z.W.B.A. is introducing an intercentre tournament next summer, with a similar concept to the men’s competition, in an effort to give more players national experience. Next < year’s dominions are already programmed for Christchurch.