COST OF BOWLS

Southland Times, Issue 25538, 5 December 1944, Page 7

COST OF BOWLS

£2406 IN ENTRY FEES AT N.Z. TOURNEY By JACK HIGH There is big money in the game of bowls, but not necessarily for the player. No less than £2406 in entry fees has been received by the New Zealand Bowling Association for the New Zealand championship tournament which will be Held at Auckland next month. That huge sum—for an amateur fixture—is represented in the total of 1722 entries from bowlers all over New Zealand. The latest figures, now completed, show that there will be 744 players in the singles, 626 pairs and 352 rinks, an easy record for New Zealand bowling tournaments, and probably the biggest entry for any sporting event, amateur or professional, ever held in the Dominion. Six years ago at Auckland the entries totalled 1000 and the entry money amounted to about £ll5O. Then the rinks entry was £3 a rink; now it is £4 a rink. TROPHIES WORTH £BO/17/No fewer than 1408 players will take part in the rinks event in January and they will contribute £l4OB to the expenses of the tournament. There are some big items of expenditure in the conduct of the fixture but, comparatively speaking, the item for trophies is not one of them. The rules of the New Zealand Bdwling Association provide that the value of the trophy shall not exceed £5/5/-. In the championship tournament provision is made for four prizes; the total value of the prize money (three events) is £BO/17/-. In addition there is the minor expense of framed certificates and championship badges to winners. Over all, a sum several pounds less than £lOO will cover the cost of all awards—and the entry money totals £2406! NEED FOR OVERHAUL In the light of cold figures, the disparity between administration expenses and prize values would appear to be too great, and certainly in need of an overhaul. Bowlers generally are good fellows and good payers, but they are paying too much for their tournament play in a game which is held up as an example of the finest principles of amateurism. The winner of a trophy order cannot lawfully use the money to buy himself a cream flannel shirt or to reimburse his outlay on the tournament;, the law says that a trophy is an article that can be kept by the player as a lasting memento. An additional rule which closely guards the “lilywhite” amateur status of bowlers is that which states: “The Council or any centre or any club shall not accept a donation or trophy which is in the nature of an advertisement, and shall not issue a programme of any tournament which contains an advertisement thereon.” Either a reduction in tire entry fees or an increase in trophy values is needed. The tournament bowler is not likely to raise his hand against a first prize worth £lO/10/- or a cut by half of the entry fees. And if a reduction in the entry fee is made, the tournament will go on just the same, even if there is no cake to accompany the biscuits with the afternoon tea.