Intense Knockout Action on Day 1 of BNH Champion of Champion Triples
The premium club combinations of the region converged today for the Bowls North Harbour Champion of Champion Triples, marking the business end of the Centre’s playing calendar. Featuring 13 elite women’s teams and 15 powerhouse men’s teams, Saturday’s action delivered high-stakes, knockout bowls right from the opening ends.
Manly Lays the Groundwork
With the weather holding for day one, Manly Bowling Club served as the host venue for the qualifying rounds across both fields. Under the supervision of Event Director Garth Partridge, the green conditions offered true lines and a fitting test for the club champions.
Because the Champion of Champion tournament structure is a strict knockout—2 bowls per player over a full 18 ends—there was absolutely no room for a slow start.
Women’s Field Steps Up
The women’s draw saw fierce competition across the greens. Notable early matches saw:
Helensville (Joy Connell, Suzanne Hart, Sharon Parker) battling out a tactical rink against Takapuna (Jan Calcott, Adele Ineson, Keiko Kurohara).
Birkenhead (Jeni Hart, Wendy Jensen, Connie Mathieson) clashing with Waimauku (Paula Barnard, Denise Butt, Diane O’Sullivan).
Bowls Orewa (Jill Green, Elizabeth Ring, Valarie Taylor) representing the close to home turf alongside entries from Milford, Hobsonville, Bowls Warkworth, and Mahurangi East.
Meanwhile, Mairangi Bay (Jan Gledhill, Colleen Rice, Sheryl Wellington), Manly (Helen Briant, Robyn Henderson, Kathy Stevens), and Browns Bay (Janette Glogoski, Shelley James, Colleen Pieterson) all monitored the opposition closely after drawing opening-round byes to head straight into Sunday’s quarter-finals.
Men’s Open Draw Delivers Thrills
With 15 club champion teams filling out the men’s draw, the margin for error was razor-thin.
A powerhouse lineup from Browns Bay (Neil Fisher, Colin Rogan, John Walker) secured the lone first-round bye, setting them up cleanly for the next phase.
The remaining 14 teams had to fight through a grueling first round. Key matchups featured standard-setters like Riverhead (Grant Coates, Tony Garelja, Grant Goodwin), Takapuna (Brett O’Riley, Simon Poppleton, Raymond Skoglund), and Birkenhead (Jimmy Heath, Jack Huriwai, Daymon Pierson) all hunting for a spot in the final eight.
All Roads Lead to Orewa for Finals Sunday
With the fields efficiently thinned down to the top quarter-finalists, the tournament shifts tomorrow to Bowls Orewa.
Action will resume sharply at 9:00 AM on Sunday, 17 May (with trial ends prior to the start), where the remaining teams will navigate the Quarter-Finals, Semi-Finals, and Finals in quick succession. The stakes couldn’t be higher, as tomorrow’s ultimate champions earn the direct right to represent Bowls North Harbour at the BNZ National Champion of Champion Triples at the Pukekohe Cosmopolitan Club later this August.
Live Results & Updates:
To see the results and find out which teams advanced to tomorrow’s quarter-finals, check out the following links that head directly to BowlsHub.
Come on down to Bowls Orewa tomorrow to witness the finest triples exponents in the region battle it out for Centre glory! The Quarter Finals start at 9:00 am.