Lawn Bowls

Taranaki Pair World Champs

Grant Hassall

Taranaki’s Briar Atkinson and Camron Horo are world champions.

The duo won the world indoor junior bowls mixed pairs in Ballyclare, Northern Ireland, in the early hours of Friday morning (NZT) and in doing so completed a tremendous championship that was many months in the making.

Both players excelled throughout the week, with Atkinson also taking a silver in the women’s singles and Horo a bronze in the men’s singles.

Horo, a man of few words felt that he had been “carried” by Atkinson but admitted to being “pretty stoked”.

Atkinson, was left a little disappointed after just missing out on the singles, but her achievements will sink in shortly.

While both players were selected by Bowls New Zealand for the event, they largely had to pay their own way and this was achieved through various fundraising efforts in Taranaki during the winter.

Atkinson and Horo gave the biggest thank you possible to the many who contributed with their glittering performances in Ireland.

They were ably managed by New Plymouth’s John Gray, a former Dominion fours winner, who provided the right blend of experience and enjoyment.

In the mixed pairs final, Atkinson and Horo beat Ireland’s Zoe Stratton and Daniel Spratt 7-2 9-0.

Atkinson’s accurate lead bowls gave the Kiwis the edge and Horo was able to convert and consolidate the ends into points.

Since the introduction of the mixed pairs to the event in 2004, it is the first time a New Zealand combination has triumphed.

The pairs involved 16 combinations and the Kiwis finished with six-straight wins.

In fact Atkinson’s only loss all week was in the singles final, where, somewhat unluckily, she went down to Ireland’s Lara Reany 2-6 3-4.

After conceding the first set, Atkinson dominated the play in the second.

But Reany was able to scramble, especially on the penultimate head, when she drew the shot with her last bowl when one down on the board and three down on the head. Atkinson had beaten Reany in section play on a tiebreaker.

Horo, after sneaking into the quarterfinals following three wins and two losses, was nosed out in the men’s singles semifinals 7-3 3-8 1-4 by classy Australian Joseph Clarke, the eventual champion.

They went into the last end of the tiebreaker at 1-1 and Horo slid by on the wide side with his attempts at trailing the jack.

Atkinson showed early promise at Lepperton after her late grandfather, Danny Watt, introduced her to bowls.

That talent has developed significantly now, as she divides her club bowls between Paritutu and Oakura.

A full international player, Atkinson took part in the trans-Tasman last season and is unquestionably one of the finest players in the world today.

It was former NZ coach John Murtagh who said after seeing Atkinson as a 15-year-old: “I have seen the second coming of Jo Edwards.” How true Murtagh was.

It has been a remarkable rise for Horo, an apprentice plumber from Rahotu.

He appears set for a big haul of Taranaki titles in the years ahead. But as illustrated by his victory with Paritutu in the NZ interclub in April and his outstanding showing this past week, surely his goals must have risen.

He has every chance of also becoming a full international – and a very good one at that.
Thanks to Sports News Taranaki: https://sportsnewstaranaki.co.nz/news-article?id=1996

Vacancy for Men’s Development Manager

We currently have a vacancy and are looking for expressions of interest to fill the role of Manager for our Men’s Development Side (Under 8’s).

Team Manager – Men’s Development Side

We’re inviting expressions of interest for the role of Team Manager with our Men’s Development side. This is a rewarding opportunity to play a key part in supporting our players and coaches as they prepare for the upcoming Junior Hexagonal Tournament.

As Team Manager, you’ll:

  • Help coordinate and oversee the Development side’s activities
  • Work closely with the coach/selector to ensure smooth team operations
  • Assist with logistics such as training schedules, match preparation, and player welfare
  • Be a point of contact for players, staff, and the wider community

We’re looking for someone who:

  • Is organized and approachable
  • Communicates well and enjoys working with people
  • Has an interest in supporting player development and team culture, and
  • Wants to contribute to the success and enjoyment of the Development program

If you’re keen to be involved and support our players on their journey, we’d love to hear from you. You can contact the Centre Office on 0277578800 or by email.

Our current management team is
Men’s Selector: John Gray
Men’s Manager: Kevan Sellers
Development Coach/Selector: Kevin Gledhill

The Devon Hotel Taranaki Women’s Open Fours 2025-26 – Team List

Please see the following list of teams entered in The Devon Hotel Taranaki Women’s Open Fours for 2025-26

The Devon Hotel Taranaki Women’s Open Fours Team List 2025-26

We are looking for a couple of teams to fill a section, if you would still like to enter or have yet to get your team in, please contact the Centre Office.
For any changes to team line-ups, or spelling corrections, please email the Centre Office at taranakibowls@xtra.co.nz

The Devon Hotel Taranaki Men’s Open Fours 2025-26 – Team List

Please see the following list of teams entered in The Devon Hotel Taranaki Men’s Open Fours for 205-26

The Devon Hotel Taranaki Men’s Open Fours Team List 2025-26

We are looking for a couple of teams to fill a section, if you would still like to enter or have yet to get your team in, please contact the Centre Office.
For any changes to team line-ups, or spelling corrections, please email the Centre Office at taranakibowls@xtra.co.nz

Kurt Smith and Teri Blackbourn win Bronze for New Zealand

New Zealand made a solid start to the BlackJacks’ World Cup campaign which began with a bronze medal for the Para Mixed Pair team of Teri Blackbourn (Hamilton) and Kurt Smith (New Plymouth).

Competing at the 2025 Lawn Bowls World Cup in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Blackbourn and Smith were impressive throughout the qualifying stages, adapting well to the carpeted playing surface to win four of their five qualification matches and finish top of their pool.

In their semi-final the pair took on a strong Australian side. The match was all tied up early, with Australia just pulling away to claim the first set 3-2, before they closed out the match 8-3 in the second set.

“It was a well fought match. They just got away from us in that first set and we tried to reset in the second but they were too good,” said Smith.

“It’s great to be around so many nations and I’ve loved playing with Teri — she’s a weapon and I’m super lucky to have her as a teammate. We’ve had quite a bit of success together and having someone like that with so much experience has been great for me.”

The semi-final loss saw the pair finish with a bronze medal.

Blackbourn also opened her singles campaign overnight, with a convincing 15-1, 16-1 win over her Irish opponent.

Taranaki Sides Announced for Whanganui Fixture

The following players have been announced to play against Whanganui, in our first competitive fixture of the summer season on Saturday 8th of November. The Men will be playing at Tower and the Women at Manaia. Good luck to all those involved.

Women:
Senior: Rhonda Adams, Trish Howard, Maree Gadsby, Briar Atkinson, Jasmine Merrick, Viv Hall, Judy Crawford, Rita Davey, Alethea Rowlands, Irene Taunt, Amanda Crehan.

Development:
Linda Kape, Cindy Gray, Alesha Quay, Jill Forbes, Ashleigh McGaw, Mihi Hona, Angela Debique, Shelly Clark, Lois Debique, Tina Atkinson-Watt, Colleen Hodges, Christine Grant, Melisa McEwen Shepherd, Diane Chapman.
Selector: Chris Commane

Men:
Senior: Camron Horo, Darren Goodin, Bart Robertson, Bruce Colgan, Kelly Hill, Nathan Goodin, Craig De Faria, Daryl Read, Dean Elgar, Adam Collins. Unavailable: Kurt Smith (due to representing New Zealand at the World Cup in Malaysia)

Development:
Gavin Benton, Ross Sinclair, Luca Dobson, Simon Rowe, Shae Fleming, Jimmy Quay, Steve Fevre, Mark Hawken, Blair Clark, Joel Chard, Peter Van Dyk.
Selector: John Gray

Camron Horo named Bowls New Zealand Emerging Player of the Year

It will be little surprise to the bowls community that Camron Horo has been named Bowls New Zealand’s Emerging Player of the Year in 2025.

The reason is simple. He has been a player to watch since the 2018/2019 season. As far back as 2020, he was awarded the Pakiri Rangatahi Trophy at the 46th Aotearoa National Bowls Championship, given to the top under-20 Māori bowling talent.

Every year since then, Camron has continued to improve, so much so that it could even be argued that he has already ‘emerged’.

He has certainly emerged at his home club of Rahotu, a small bowling club at the western end of the Taranaki coast. (If the name rings a bell, it is the place the rugby-playing and occasional bowling Barrett brothers call home.) Camron started bowling there at the age of 14, inspired and motivated by his father and grandparents, who also bowled at the club.

He has also emerged at his competition club, Paritutu in New Plymouth. Camron has not ‘defected’ to Paritutu. He still plays much of his bowls at Rahotu, where he lives, but Paritutu provides an opportunity to experience the wider bowling world, a club rich with young talent including Daryl Read, Kaylin Huwyler, Aidan Zittersteijn and Nathan Goodin.

He has already emerged at Centre level as well and is well known in Taranaki bowling circles. This year, Camron won the Taranaki Singles and was named Taranaki Youth Player of the Year. He has also been a regular member of the winning Paritutu Bowling Interclub team for the past three years.

“He’s dedicated to the game,” observes Paritutu Selector Rodger Hassall. “He puts in hours of practice. At the same time he always shows a willingness to listen and be guided on all aspects of lawn bowls. At the Wellington Interclub finals this year, he was a pleasure to have in the team. He is a delightful young man.”

Camron is now emerging on the national stage. He was part of the Taranaki team that came third in the Under 26 Nationals. He won the Under 21 Kittyhawk Singles. He represented the Aotearoa New Zealand Maori team, winning four silvers and a bronze in the Oceania Challenge. He was also selected for the Under 25 Indoor World Championships.

Barbara Harvey, President of the Paritutu Bowling Club, is a big fan of Camron.

“He’s one of our ‘young guns’,” enthuses Barbara. “He doesn’t just rely on his talent. He puts in the hard yards. He’s always out practising under the roof.

“Plus, he’s also a really nice guy. He’s got great family values. His mum is always down here watching him play. He also gets a lot of encouragement from our members. But there’s no chance of his success going to his head. They keep him grounded!”

Congratulations to Camron Horo on being named Bowls New Zealand’s Emerging Player of the Year for 2025.

Kurt Smith wins Bowls New Zealand National Award

It will be no surprise that Kurt Smith has been named Bowls New Zealand’s Disabilities Player of the Year.

No surprise to his home bowling club of Oakura, just down the road from New Plymouth, where Kurt lives. Nor is it a surprise to the Paritutu Bowling Club, where Kurt spreads his bowling wings to complement Oakura’s efforts to keep him competitive.

It is also no surprise to Bowls Taranaki, where Kurt has become a well-known name. Not as you might expect in para bowls, but by mixing it with the best able-bodied bowlers throughout the province.

Even the New Zealand disabled bowls community will not be surprised, as he has made an impact on and off the green. And almost certainly no surprise to followers of international disabled bowls, particularly in Australia, where they are probably already considering him an ‘Australasian,’ like pavlova and Phar Lap.

Hopefully, it will also be no surprise when he fronts up for the Blackjacks team in Kuala Lumpur for the World Cup in November.

What may be surprising to bowlers outside Taranaki is that at club and centre level, Kurt plays all his bowls alongside able-bodied bowlers. He only competes with other para bowlers at national and international levels.

Take last season for instance. At club level, he won the Paritutu Club Champ of Champ Pairs with Darryl Read. He was also selected for the Paritutu A Interclub team playing at two.

At centre level, Kurt was in the winning Centre Interclub team. He and Darryl won the Centre Champ of Champ Pairs, and he won six-and-a-half of his seven games at the Centre Octagonal.

At national level, he played in the Paritutu team that won the National Interclub title. As a para player at national level, he and Teri Blackbourn won the Summerset Open Disability Pairs.

At international level, he was selected for the Blackjacks to play in the Trans-Tasman with Teri and Mark Noble. He also qualified in the Australia Open in both the disabled Fours and the Pairs.

You would have to think that if there were an inter-planetary level in bowls, Kurt would have been there or close to it.

“It’s not just about his bowls,” says National Para Bowls Coach Kevin Smith. “He’s a wonderful person as well.

“When he received his cap as a Blackjack, he mentioned nothing about what he had done, but what his mother had done to help him overcome his cerebral palsy. At his mother’s coaxing, Kurt learned to adapt at a young age. Even today you can see that adaptability in the small things in his game, like bowling off the wrong foot or the slight pre-delivery hesitation to assure his balance. It’s amazing.

“Kurt has never let what he can’t do stop him. Instead he has always concentrated on what he can do.”

Barbara Harvey, President of the Paritutu Bowling Club, agrees.

“Off the green, he’s a wonderful club person. Despite his youth, he talks to everyone in the club. He’s friendly, respectful, and helpful. He’s always here helping if he can, either personally or through the family refrigeration and air-conditioning business.

“And on the green, he’s a wonderful team mate, inspiring those around him and keeping them focused. He’s what we all aspire to be: humble when winning and gracious in defeat. We are proud to have him in the club.”

Congratulations to Kurt Smith on being named Disabilities Player of the Year.

Waikato too good for Taranaki

Grant Hassall

Even after an impressive opening session, Taranaki was unable to contain Waikato in a representative bowls fixture at the Paritutu Indoor Complex at the weekend.

The visitors won both the men’s and women’s sections nine games to six to comfortably retain the Ron Buchan Plate.

Perhaps Taranaki used the fixture as more of a trial than Waikato did. Waikato arrived with just one reserve in each gender, whereas the Taranaki men had four and the women three. And they were all used throughout the weekend over the five rounds.

Craig De Faria, who admittedly has had the advantage of playing regularly at Paritutu during the winter, returned a 100% win-record. But he was only used in three games.

The better Waikato performers were Debbie White, the reigning Dominion singles titleholder, who won four games from five skipping the pair, and Malcolm Moore.

Moore, who actually played a couple of tournaments with Buchan years ago, impressed as a cool customer. He has “19 or 20” Waikato titles and certainly did well to craft four wins from five games too.

Taranaki looked clearly superior in round one, before Waikato found their gear.

Jasmine Merrick and Amanda Crehan both gave good accounts of themselves, with three wins from four games, while in the men, after De Faria, Kurt Smith and Bart Robertson both won two matches out of three.

Although the defeats were by narrow margins, Camron Horo and Daryl Read, who some observers had labelled as heading towards the certainty category for the seven-man intercentre, both managed just one win from four outings each.

But with a truckload of bowls in the coming months, players in both squads have plenty of opportunities. So, too, do the selectors, coupled with the knowledge of combinations from the Waikato and earlier Whanganui fixtures.

A moment’s silence was held before the commencement of play on Sunday to remember Tower’s Russell Hardy, a double gold star holder, who died on Saturday after a short illness.

Hardy commenced bowls in 1983 and, after making the Taranaki junior singles final in 1988, was thrust into the senior 15-man side later that year. It was a rude awakening, with Hardy receiving plenty of criticism.

“He’s useless,” one experienced team-mate said to another in the opening game which, despite the comment, ended in victory over Whanganui.

Possessing a good attacking game and confidence in his own style, Hardy accumulated 11 Taranaki titles, the best of which was the 2003 Open fours. Hardy skipped his Nolantown side, which had narrowly lost the final the previous year.

Hardy’s other Taranaki titles came in the champion-of-champions (singles 2001, pairs 1998, 2002 and 2004, triples 2006 and fours 1998 and 2016), the open triples (1994) and the New Year fours (2002 and 2005).

He became a regular in the Taranaki representative side, despite the initial scruples, and was part of the Taranaki-Wanganui side that won the national Super Eights in 1999.

In later years Hardy became an advisor to the rep team and then men’s selector.

Article Courtesy of The Taranaki Daily News.
https://www.thepost.co.nz/nz-news/360808481/waikato-too-good-taranaki-pre-season-bowls?fbclid=IwY2xjawMkZ95leHRuA2FlbQIxMQBicmlkETFNTmNOTnZjQVhUNHRSZHRsAR40ex5H6wF2NTvL-pBBaePySHshtS5-nC4i7DXGQs8E4ytzui-Ii7e6iGoHPQ_aem_YX1BCacQ87xb3qzZsC81Hw