Report – BNZ Men’s Champ of Champ Fours – 25 – 27 July 2025

North Harbour’s representative at the national men’s champion of champion fours in Dunedin, the Orewa four of Peter Clark, failed to make the play-offs despite a promising first day start.  The four of Clark, Paul Daniels, Mal Wallace and Tony Clark won both their first two games, but lost both on the second day to miss qualifying.
In both the third and fourth rounds Orewa struck stiff competition, losing firstly 16-12 to a strong Auckland side of former Harbour player, Adam Haywood, Reika Gregory, another former Harbour player in Scott Cottrell and past national pairs champion, Steve Posa.  Orewa then lost decisively 17-4 to a four from Dunedin’s Taieri club skipped by one of New Zealand’s best players of the past decade, Mike Kernaghan.

With the likes of Kernaghan and the great Gary Lawson, who was playing for Canterbury’s Elmwood Park club, in the teams there was obviously a high, competitive standard.

In the final pitting two of the game’s master bowlers, Kernaghan and Lawson against each other Kernaghan’s Taieri four beat Lawson’s Elmwood 16-13.

The national champion of champion events will continue next weekend, with the women’s fours, also to be held in Dunedin.
Orewa will again provide Harbour’s representation in Tira Campbell, Jill Green, Elizabeth Ring and Val Taylor.

As with the men, the standard of opposition will be high, with Auckland, Nelson including former world champions in Jo Edwards and Val Smith and Canterbury’s Elmwood skipped by former Black Jack Mandy Boyd all fielding powerful line-ups.