Lawn Bowls

Bowls Taranaki are pleased to announce the Selectors for the Revital Fertilisers Men’s and Women’s Representative Teams in 2022-23.

For the Men, Allan Batley has been appointed and for the Women, Don Christensen has been appointed. Marty Jordan will assist with the management of the Men’s Team, while John Sexton will be involved with the Women’s Team. We wish the appointee’s all the best for the upcoming season.

Bowls Taranaki have a busy schedule of Representative Tournaments for the year, kicking off with our annual fixture against Whanganui. Following that is the Octagonal Tournament in February featuring Wellington, Wairarapa, Kapiti, Hawkes Bay, Manawatu, Gisborne-East Coast, Whanganui and Taranaki. This tournament will be hosted in New Plymouth, so we can all come and show our support for the team!

At the same time our talented junior bowlers, will be featuring against their rivals in the Hexagonal Tournament, usually held in Whanganui, it will be hosted this year by Bowls Kapiti. With many talented junior bowlers, we have high hopes they can return as winners!

This all leads towards the National Intercentre in March 2023. To be held in Christchurch, it is expected our team’s will continue their good results and progress from the last few years and represent Taranaki with pride. With many promising players in the Women’s and Men’s teams and many seasoned ‘pros’ it promises to be an exciting year ahead.

Press Release – Bowls Taranaki.

Paritutu bowler Aidan Zittersteijn is all set for his second Commonwealth Games – with a lifetime highlight already locked in for this year’s event.

Zittersteijn has been announced as joint flag bearer for the Cook Islands at the Games that commence in Birmingham this Thursday. Nooroa Mataio, who is part of the women’s bowls side, has also be named.

“It is going to be an overwhelming opportunity for me,” Zittersteijn said. “It really is an honour to be doing it.”

Zittersteijn said the opening ceremony on Thursday evening (UK time) would be an unforgettable experience. “It is a source of pride and huge motivation. I’m going to take in every moment.”

It will be Zittersteijn’s second Games, having secured a bronze medal in the men’s pairs in 2018 on the Gold Coast. That was an historic moment for the small nation with it being its first and only Games medal.

Birmingham presents a different set of challenges, not least the greens which will be lucky to get to 12s at Royal Leamington Spa. But the New Plymouth-based Zittersteijn said after more than a week of practicing at Frampton on Severn, he was “now getting the hang of it”.

Zittersteijn’s team mate from the Gold Coast, Taiki Paniani, won’t feature this time.

Instead, Zittersteijn will play in the middle of the triples which starts Friday evening (UK time). The Cooks have drawn Australia, Jersey and Niue in its pool and require a top-two finish to make the quarterfinals.

Zittersteijn will then play No 3 in the fours, where the Cooks opponents in section play include England, India and Fiji.

Zittersteijn has headed to the Games on the back of a strong local season, which included winning two Taranaki titles and more recent PBA successes on the carpet at Paritutu.

However, they were not enough for him to take out the title of Taranaki men’s player of the year. That honour instead went to Zittersteijn’s skip, Hamish Kape, who headed off Darren Goodin for the title, after both players claimed three titles. The women’s honour went to Susan Cottam.

Meanwhile, Paritutu were named as club the year and its secretary, Sandra Zittersteijn – Aidan’s mother – was administrator of the year.

Other award winners were Nathan Goodin (youth player), Lloma Hibell (umpire) and Steve Sabine and Graham Reive (greenkeepers).

The Annual General Meeting for Bowls Taranaki was held recently in Stratford. A new president was voted in with Grant Hassall taking over the role, vice president this term will be Eric Foreman. Returning board members are Robert Wolfe, Kevin Gray and Chris Commane with Val McEldowney and David Brunton joining the team. The board would like to wish everyone good luck for the upcoming season.

Bowls Taranaki is looking to appoint an Executive Officer. As outlined in the attached position description, the role has many parts and is fundamental to the success of bowls in Taranaki. Expressions of interest are now being sought for the position, and shall be sent to:

Executive Officer position, Bowls Taranaki, PO Box 4024, New Plymouth 4340 or emailed to taranakibowls@xtra.co.nz

If further information is required please email taranakibowls@xtra.co.nz or telephone 06-757-8000.

The closing date for Expressions of interest is June 27, 2022.

Executive Officer position description

Hamish Kape and Susan Cottam have been named as Taranaki’s best bowlers for the recently completed season.

Kape, a dual member or Paritutu and Okato, and Cottam, of West End, have been respectively named as the best men’s and women’s players.

Kape, who skipped the pairs in the Revital Fertilisers Taranaki representative intercentre side, topped off his glorious season with the men’s award. He started the season with two centre titles to his credit and ended it with five titles and a gold star. Kape skipped the winning side in the centre fours in November and then was part of the winning open triples team in March. His third title of the season came when he skipped his side to victory in the champion-of-champions triples in April. In addition, Kape was also runner-up in the open singles and champion-of-champions pairs.

Cottam, who played No 2 in the women’s intercentre four, also claimed her gold star on champion-of-champions finals day when she won the senior singles. Just prior to Christmas Cottam won the Open pairs for a third time.

Paritutu is the club of the year. It has excelled in the past 12 months connecting with its wider community, especially with an enhanced winter programme and three charity events. In addition, the club has maintained its high standard of greens, hospitality and successes, with numerous titles won over the past season, including both the men’s and women’s division one interclub crowns.

Lloma Hibell (Paritutu) is the umpire of the year in recognition of her dedication and service as a committee member, temporary secretary, divisional organiser and very respected umpire and member.  Lloma started playing bowls at the Smart Road Bowling Club in the 1991-92 season where she served as President for 5 years. She had been disadvantaged at a tournament because she did not know the “Laws of the Sport of Bowls” well enough and so decided to train as an umpire to help her own games and Club. She qualified as an umpire 23 April 2002, before progressing to become a Level 2 umpire and has officiated at a considerable number of centre events during the past season.

The inseparable Inglewood duo of Graham Reive and Steve Sabine are the greenkeepers of the year. Over the past two years they have, using expert assistance, transformed the Inglewood green on a virtual voluntary basis, into the superb playing service it is today. Both men, who work as an absolute partnership, have been both model students and workers in restoring the green.

Sandra Zittersteijn (Paritutu) is the administrator of the year. Zittersteijn was instrumental in both the rise of the indoor complex and the charity events held at Paritutu. The indoor complex was completed 25 years ago and for the first time since then it has someone able and willing to give it what it needs – energy, innovation, connections and desire.

Nathan Goodin (19) is the youth player of the year. Nathan is a member of the Paritutu, Okato and Rahotu clubs. During the season he gained two “pips” towards his gold star as a member of the winning centre fours and champion-of-champions fours sides. In addition, he also won the junior Bowls3five title and the Hugh Moss junior pairs. Nathan has a good future in front of him in bowls.

2022 award winners

2022 Men’s player of the year

2022 Women’s player of the year

Paritutu’s Darren Goodin and Barbara Batley have this afternoon won the Cross Country Rentals-sponsored Taranaki mixed pairs at West End.

The duo defeated clubmates Don Christensen and Cheryll Sharrock 25-10 in the final. Goodin and Batley have been a highly successful combination in the mixed pairs, but this is their first title in the event. Goodin now has 26 Taranaki titles and Batley four.

They led throughout the final and were aided by two fours. The first four came on end five, giving them a 9-2 lead. But Christensen and Sharrock took a four of their own on end eight to reduce the deficit to 12-9. But Goodin and Batley dominated the scoring after that, including a further four on end 13, to claim the title after 15 of the scheduled 16 ends were played.

Meanwhile, in the Bayleys Real Estate-sponsored Hugh Moss junior pairs, Nathan Goodin and Camron Horo (Rahotu) came from behind mid-game to beat Fitzroy’s Dean and Lea File 18-13 in the final.

The Files led 9-6 after eight of the 14 ends. But a three to Rahotu on the next leveled the ledger. Fitzroy took a single on the 10th to edge in front, but a five and two twos to Rahotu settled the issue.

Bowls Taranaki’s blockbuster TCM Limited-sponsored champion-of-champions finals day turned into a golden dream for eight players at West End on Saturday.

Across the 10 finals, five players headed into the day needing one further title to claim a gold star for five Taranaki wins, while three further players needed one more victory to receive subsequent bars.

Remarkably, all eight players succeeded. Gold stars were won by Paritutu’s Hamish Kape in the men’s triples, Hawera Park’s Ella Smailes in the women’s triples, Paritutu’s Debbie Smith in the women’s fours, West End’s Susan Cottam in the women’s singles and Fitzroy’s Ron Gadsby in the men’s pairs.

Joining Smailes in the triples were Pauline Kennedy, who collected her 10th Taranaki title, and Kristin Stampa, who claimed her 15th.

And rounding out the awards, Paritutu’s Darren Goodin became the third player to hit 25 when he skipped the winning men’s fours side.

Gadsby skipped Evan Jones to a 17-16 win in the afternoon pairs over Kaylin Huwyler and Kape, in a match settled on an extra end. Never more than three points separated the sides, although with one bowl remaining on the 21st head, it was advantage Kape. He led on the board by one and held four useful shots. But Gadsby calmly drew the ace to tie up the game. Then on the extra end, Gadsby rolled in one of Jones’ bowls with his first delivery and Kape couldn’t dislodge it.

Smith also needed an extra end as her four, including Carolyn Harris, Val Keightley and skip Heather Johns, edged Waitara’s Norma Jane, Ann Hinton, Kathy Gower and skip Liz Johnstone 17-16.

Johnstone’s side held a slender lead for most of the game, before a three to Johns on the penultimate head put Paritutu two in front. Waitara gained two shots on the last end to square it up.

But Johns settled the issue with two excellent deliveries on the extra end.

Despite the pairs loss, Kape had skipped Huwyler and Aidan Zittersteijn to a 20-15 triples victory over Danny O’Sullivan, who was skipping his Inglewood brothers, Gerry and Bernie. After trailing 12-3, the O’Sullivan’s closed to 17-15 behind with three ends to go, before Kape cribbed away.

Smailes, Kennedy and Stampa had the joy of achieving their milestones together when they beat Fitzroy’s Carolyn Wilks, Joan Richards and Robyn Klenner 26-13. The Hawera Park side, after trailing 6-0, and being tied at 13-all after 14 ends, broke free thereafter.

Cottam got home 21-18 over the ageless June Ward (Lepperton) in the senior women’s singles. Ward had led 10-2 in a tense encounter that had the gallery entertained.

Goodin was the individual star in a mediocre men’s fours final, as his side of Nathan Goodin, John Zittersteijn and Rodger Hassall led throughout to beat New Plymouth’s Graeme Earl, Ian Avery, Wayne Te Huki and Bill Foley 25-10.

In the women’s pairs, Fitzroy’s Vickie Kelly and Rhonda Adams dominated the contest to beat Kennedy and Stampa 21-10.

Dean Elgar (West End) completed the double of Taranaki singles titles for the season when he beat Grant Anderson (Tower) 21-5, having earlier led 7-5 in a match decided in 13 ends.

In the junior singles, Briar Atkinson claimed her second victory in the event, beating Judy Crawford (Fitzroy) 21-9, while Michael Mathews (New Plymouth) grabbed a three on the last end to pip Lindsay Franklin (Stratford-Avon) 21-18.

The Paritutu pair of Kaylin Huwyler and Hamish Kape and the Hawera Park duo of Pauline Kennedy and Kristin Stampa emerged unbeaten from the weekend to book double finals.

With the focus on the TCM Limited-sponsored champion-of-champions triples and pairs, Paritutu have worked their way into both men’s finals, with Hawera Park following suit in the women’s events.

Huwyler, despite only being seen occasionally in Taranaki this season, continues to impress as a draw player of some quality. In just his third year, Huwyler has one Taranaki title and one in Whanganui. Kape, who sits on four Taranaki titles, will this Saturday compete in his fourth, and then his fifth, Taranaki finals of the season – a remarkable feat.

On Saturday, at Paritutu, the pair combined with Aidan Zittersteijn to make the triples final, where they will meet the Inglewood’s O’Sullivan brothers – Gerry, Bernie and skip Danny.

Kape’s trio received a big scare in the quarterfinals, when they edged out the 2021 champions Mark Anderson (Tower) 18-17. Anderson led by three shots playing the last end. Kape took a three to force the extra end and then secured the shot on the decider with a brilliant just-over draw weighted shot.

There were no such dramas in the semifinals, with Kape thrashing the West End trio of Bruce Moeller, Dennis Moeller and Craig De Faria 27-4.

In the other semifinal, the O’Sullivans, having been locked at 13-all after 16 ends, cribbed ahead thereafter to beat New Plymouth’s Michael Mathews, Gordon Brown and Bill Foley 20-14.

Both women’s semifinals were relatively one-sided.

Kennedy and Stampa, with Ella Smailes in the middle, ousted Janelle Lane, Lyn Weir and Sue Edwards (New Plymouth) 22-7.

In the other, Fitzroy’s Robyn Klenner continued her progress in the sport by skipping Carolyn Wilks and Joan Richards to a 21-8 victory over Opunake’s Val Langton, Eileen Rothwell and Pauline Davy.

The women’s pairs, which was played on Sunday at Hawera Park, saw Kennedy and Stampa advance, along with the experienced Fitzroy combination of Vickie Kelly and Rhonda Adams.

Like the triples, Kennedy and Stampa had the advantage of a bye during the day, but were comfortable in the semis in beating Waitara’s Yvonne Cann and Jean Keith 25-9.

Kelly and Adams have previously won seven Taranaki titles together but they were made to work hard to make the final. A six late in the semifinal was the difference as they beat Tower’s Alison Sayer and Lyn Scott 20-14.

In the men’s, at Manaia, Fitzroy’s Evan Jones and Ron Gadsby upset their more decorated opponents in the semis, John Roberts and Jordan Linn (West End), 22-16. But Huwyler and Kape will be another big hurdle in the final. The Paritutu pair were untroubled during the day, which included a 26-2 win in the last four over Andy Shearer and Peter Radich (Oakura).

The finals this weekend will occur at West End. The fours, triples and junior singles will start at 8.30am on Saturday, with the senior singles and pairs finals due to start at approximately 12 noon.

The Hugh Moss junior pairs and mixed pairs semifinals are scheduled for Sunday morning, with the finals to follow.