EASTER RINKS TOURNAMENT

Southland Times, Issue 23374, 4 December 1937, Page 15

EASTER RINKS TOURNAMENT

CLASHING OFDATES

There is a note of anxiety in the comment of “Jack,” bowls writer m The Otago Daily Times, about the suggestion made in these columns that the Southland Bowling Centre should favourably consider conducting a rinks tournament at Easter. “Jack writes: The proposal to hold an Easter Rinks tournament in Invercargill at Easter is not likely to be viewed favourbly in the Dunedin Centre, as the entry for the latter centre’s Easter tournament would almost certainly be detrimentally affected. Southlanders in the past have been very generous supporters of the Dunedin tournament, and it would be regrettable If an Invercargill tournament clashed with the long-established

Dunedin fixture. _ The management committee of the Southland Centre, which proposes to discuss the proposal at its meeting this month, is not likely to allow the Dunedin Easter tournament to sway it in its decision on this important matter. It is important for the 1000 bowlers in the Southland province. It is the duty of the Southland Centre to make provision for the many hundreds who cannot conveniently get away to outside tournaments. At present, the Southland and Te Rangi clubs conduct a pairs tournament on Easter Saturday. Players have been accommodated. on two greens, but it has been obvious in the two years the tournament has been conducted that there is plenty of scope for extending such a tournament. Tournament play has become so popular in the last few years that almost every bowler wishes to take part in the play. A rinks tournament has been suggested, probably for the reason that the greater number of players would be absorbed in such an event. Even if the centre decided to conduct a rinks event it would not be necessary for the Southland and Te Rangi clubsto give up their pairs tournament. The two could be run together, but such a decision is not likely to be made. The point the centre has to consider is whether the bowlers of Southland want the tournament at Easter. It has not to consider the dates of other tournaments.

“Jack” says the entries at the Dunedin tournament would almost certainly be detrimentally affected. That is something which can only be proved by time. I say that even though the Southland Centre decides to put on a

rinks tournament, those men who prefer to travel for their holiday bowls will continue to do so. What of the Oamaru Easter tournament, the Central Otago tournament and the holiday attractions at Easter time? Are they likely to be detrimentally affected because the Southland Centre suddenly decides to conduct a tournament? What happened when the Southland tournament was regularly conducted at Easter time, and when there were fewer bowlers than there are now? A number of Southland players visits Oamaru and Central Otago eacii year at Easter. Many more visit Queenstown and other resorts where there are no tournaments to speak of. Yet last year the Dunedin tournament was favoured with an entry of 32 bowlers from the Southland province.

The reason is obvious. They chose to visit Dunedin because they desired to take part in the Dunedin tourna ment. If they choose again to do so they will, whether there is a tournament at Invercargill or not. I have tried to point out that the holiday bowler will go where it suits him, not stay in his home town just because there is a tournament there. Dunedin players regularly patronize the Oamaru and Central Otago tournaments played at the same time as the Dunedin tournament. This season the New Zealand tournament will be held at Dunedin. At about the same time the Australian Bowling Carnival and Empire Games will be attracting many New Zealanders. If “Jack’s” argument applies to Southland players and the Dunedin Easter tournament it must equally apply to those New Zealanders who will be taking part in the events in Australia. But no one seriously would say anything against any bowler taking part in the Australian carnival. Dunedin bowling men need not be unduly worried about the prospect of a rinks tournament being conducted in Invercargill at Easter. They will still see a good number of Southlanders at their popular fixture. There are over 17,000 bowlers in New Zealand today. The numbers have increased ten-fold in the last four or five years and it is now open to question whether there are sufficient tournaments being conducted in the south of New Zealand for the bowlers who wish to take part in tournament play, undoubtedly the best type of competitive play of the lot. In Auckland there are more than 200 tournaments during the season, sometimes three and four on at the same time.