Lawn Bowls

Urenui Bowling Club Awarded Club of the Year

Urenui Bowling Club named Club of the Year after impressive growth and community impact

Urenui Bowling Club has been awarded Bowls Taranaki Club of the Year, a recognition that celebrates not only its resurgence on the green but also its deepening role at the heart of the local community.

Just three years ago, the club had only 17 full playing members. Today, that number has more than doubled to 35, supported by 25 social members and 200 casual participants introduced to bowls.

A major factor in the club’s success has been the revival of women’s participation. For the first time in a decade, Urenui fielded women in Junior Singles, Pairs, Triples and Mixed Pairs, with several women stepping into tournaments at other local clubs. Regular coaching has strengthened the skills of both new and junior bowlers giving them confidence to play.

The club’s green has also earned widespread praise. Under the care of a new greenkeeper over the past two seasons, the surface has been consistently rated highly by visiting players. This year, the Centre’s inspection team awarded Urenui an A rating, and the club was selected as a host venue for The Devon Hotel Taranaki Men’s Open Fours — an event it ran successfully despite challenging weather.

Hospitality remains one of Urenui’s defining strengths. A dedicated team of volunteers provides home‑cooked meals and afternoon teas for tournaments. Their efforts have helped cement the club’s reputation as one of the most welcoming venues in the region, with all seven of its annual tournaments regularly oversubscribed.

The club’s community reach extends well beyond competitive play. Local groups — from young farmers and school staff to the fire brigade and family gatherings — frequently use the facilities for social events, often discovering bowls for the first time. Twilight Bowls continues to attract newcomers, including holidaymakers from the nearby beach camp.

Sponsorship has grown alongside membership. Urenui now boasts 19 committed sponsors, each acknowledged through signage, promotions and an annual sponsors’ day designed to recognise their support.

In recent seasons, the club has also invested heavily in facility upgrades. Improvements include new bucket seating, kitchen furniture, a dishwasher and freezer, refurbished veranda, additional club bowls, upgraded storage, a new chiller unit, bar stools and an outdoor noticeboard to keep the community informed.

Looking ahead, Urenui Bowling Club is planning further enhancements, including improved shade options, solar power installation and continued green development. Early discussions have also begun for the club’s centennial celebrations in 2029 which will widely anticipated.

Bowls Taranaki would like to thank the club for its “impressive combination of growth, community engagement, volunteer commitment and forward‑thinking development,” noting that Urenui Bowling Club was well deserving of the Club of the Year Award for 2025-26.

Ian Lewis
Bowls Taranaki

Bowls Taranaki Awards for 2025-26

Congratulations to the following winners of our Bowls Taranaki Annual Awards for 2025-26. There were many notable achievements and candidates for awards throughout the year, and after much discussion it was decided to award the following winners:

Club of the Year: Urenui Bowling Club
Men’s Player of the Year: Dean Elgar
Women’s Player of the Year: Jackie Moeahu
Youth Player of the Year: Luca Dobson
Greenkeeper of the Year: Mike Werder and Phil Kuklinski (Tower)
Coach of the Year: Amanda Crehan
Umpire of the Year: Betty Brunton
Administrator of the Year: Megan Peters

Congratulations to you all and thank you to all those volunteers and clubs who made the 2025-26 season a great one to remember.

Lepperton legend passes on

The Taranaki bowls community wishes to acknowledge the loss of Ellie Goble, a Lepperton stalwart whose influence stretched far beyond her extraordinary record on the green. Ellie was the kind of champion who didn’t need fanfare — her quiet resolve, sharp skill and generous spirit spoke for her.

Across a glittering career, she claimed two national titles and 17 Taranaki titles, forming formidable partnerships with fellow Lepperton names like Margaret Cole, June Ward, Mary Maxwell and Elaine Miller. Her success included standout wins in the New Zealand Intercentre (2000), New Zealand Club Fours (2003) and multiple Champion of Champions and Open events.

Ellie also gave deeply to the sport she loved, guiding the Taranaki women’s representative side as selector and manager from 2008 to 2012. Her leadership earned her the honour of Bowls Taranaki Coach of the Year in 2011.

To Howard and the family, Bowls Taranaki offers heartfelt sympathy — and sincere thanks. Ellie Goble leaves behind not just titles, but a legacy of grace, strength and service.

Winners found after Bowls Taranaki finals weekend

Grant Hassall – Sports News Taranaki
Jackie Moeahu (Paritutu and Oakura) and Bruce Colgan (West End) were the big winners from Bowls Taranaki’s finals weekend with both players achieving milestones after each won three titles.

Moeahu won champion-of-champions titles in triples, fours and singles, all on Sunday, and in doing so, lifted her overall tally to 10 Taranaki titles. Colgan, after winning the champion-of-champions triples and fours (team pictured) on Sunday, added the open triples on Monday to achieve gold star status for five titles.

There was also double title success during the weekend for Dean Elgar – to give him five for the season, a record in the men’s ranks, and equal to that of June Ward and Briar Atkinson – Darren Scott, Grant Hassall and Tina Atkinson-Watt. The latter two also got their gold stars.

All three of Moeahu’s triumphs were close-run affairs.

Leading for Atkinson, with Atkinson-Watt in the middle, Moeahu’s first win came in the triples 19-12 over Tower’s Alethea Rowlands, Hazel Schwartfeger and Irene Taunt, with threes on the last two ends inflating the margin.

Moeahu led in the fours with Alesha Quay, Bridget Fletcher and Atkinson-Watt skipping. They led Okato’s Sandra Boardman, Ellice Hona, Dianne Watts and Linda Kape 11-4. But playing the last end, the difference was just one, Atkinson-Watt’s Paritutu quartet prevailing 13-10.

In the singles, Moeahu, playing for Oakura, came from 19-12 down to pip New Plymouth’s Margy Carey 21-20. Carey had earlier annexed the pairs with skip Elaine Hodge. They beat Stratford-Avon’s Toni Watson and Pauline Davy 13-11, after the scores had been even playing the last end.

Colgan’s champion triples victory came with Hassall and Scott when they beat Waitara’s Bill Rona, Nigel Newton and Cliff Rona 17-8. Then came the fours, with Cody Hall, Scott and skip Paul Howell, beating Tower’s Brendan Anderson, Graham Baxter, Grant Anderson and Mark Anderson 14-9.

And the final win, the open triples, on Monday, was with Hassall and the irrepressible Craig De Faria when they edged West End clubmates Steve Temperton, Bruce Hall and John Garrud 19-17, with Colgan drawing the winning shot on the last end.

Elgar’s brilliant season concluded when he and Kevan Sellers backed up their Christmas pairs victory by beating New Plymouth’s Peter and Bart Robertson 22-12, and then, by grabbing a three on the last end, denied the latter 21-20 in an outstanding singles decider.

The Abraham’s women’s open triples was a closely-fought affair, with a three on the penultimate end proving decisive as Val McEldowney, Val Symes and Anne Brophy (New Plymouth) edged Lorraine Heal, Leanne Halls and Trish Howard (West End) 16-14.

Manaia’s Paul Midgley became the first to do the Crehan first year singles and champion-of-champions junior singles double in the same year. He beat Eldon Peters (New Plymouth) 21-11 in the former event and then came from behind to deny Shae Fleming (Rahotu) 21-19 in the junior competition, illustrating the national indoor gold star holder has a big future in the outdoor game.

Fleming had earlier, with Joel Chard, secured a second-straight victory in the Hugh Moss junior pairs, after they beat Lepperton’s Colleen Hodges and Craig Metcalfe 24-3 in the final.

Soon after, though, Hodges, playing under the Stratford-Avon banner, claimed the women’s junior singles 21-13 from Taunt.

Champion of Champions Finals Day

Congratulations to all those involved in the final day of the season. Play will begin at 8.30am on Sunday 26 April. West End will be hosting with all finals being played on West End – Green 2. Some semifinal games will be completed on Green 3. Please see your scheduled start time in the programme below. The Crehan First Year Singles, Hugh Moss, Abraham’s Women’s Open Triples and the Andersons Pies Men’s Open Triples will all see their finals completed as well. Thanks to everyone involved in those events.

Please be aware, that all teams must be dressed according to the Bowls New Zealand Domestic Regulations, that is that members of a team must wear clothing of the same colour and design or white. Any player or team refusing to comply may default their match. A spare rink will be available to any players wishing to practice ahead of their game.

Good luck to all those involved.

Bowls Taranaki Champion of Champions Finals 2025-26

Weather update Sunday, April 19, at 6.50am

Good news for the champion-of-champions pairs with both Opunake and Rahotu clear of water. The greens are currently being cut and play will commence as scheduled at 8.30am. Trial ends to be completed prior.

Weather update, Saturday, April 18, at 6.45am

As at 6.45am, we’ve had little rain, the greens are clear and so at this stage play will commence as scheduled at West End at 8.30am in the champion-of-champions triples. Any updates will be posted.

Friday – Weather Update

Please note, there is expected to be poor weather this weekend for Champion of Champion events. Please check Facebook and the website for updates to play. If play is unable to commence outside, then all play will be indoors at Paritutu. A decision will be made at around 7.00am in the morning. Thanks.

Champion of Champion’s events

Our Champion of Champion’s events are soon to be played over March and April.
The following venues have been confirmed. Please check your entries are correct and if any substitutes/changes are required please contact the Centre Office before draws are completed on Monday the 13th.

Men’s Triples – West End
Women’s Triples – West End

Men’s Pairs – Rahotu
Women’s Pairs – Opunake

Entry Lists:
Pairs
Triples
Fours
Singles
Junior Singles

Finals will be played at West End, which will see the completion of the First Year Singles, Open Triples Tournaments and Hugh Moss, will be played on Sunday the 26th April, and if required Monday 27th April.

Pairs and Triples entries close Monday 6th of April.