NEWS | Shazia's_BowlsWilton

Many congratulations to the winners of our 2024/2025 season awards

Lawn bowls is in many ways a special sport.
Men and women can compete on equal terms. Your status on the bowling green simply reflects your experience and ability at bowls – other aspects of life are not relevant.

This egalitarian ethic makes it a great escape from other responsibilities and enables people from many different walks of life to enjoy playing together. Win or lose, good sportsmanship, good etiquette and convivial social interaction are integral to the game.

09/09

Centre Winter Bowls

Wilton entered 2 teams in the Centre Winter Bowls played at Naenae from June to August.

The competition was made up of 10 rounds of a round robin, followed by a semifinal and final in each of 8 divisions, depending on where each team finished after the 10 rounds.

The Wilton Bush Tui team (Terry, Brenda, June and Shaun with reserves Clint and Hugh) lost the division 8 semifinal match to the Khandallah Jack Touchers.

Congratulations to Wilton Bush Kereru team (Bill, Tim, Allan, and Keith with reserves Trish and Lindsay) who defeated the Stokes Valley Tui 20-13 in their semifinal and went on to defeat Wainuiomata Iron Wolves 14-7 in the Division 5 Final.

01/09

Change to Twilight Bowls
3Five Competition

Bowls Wellington has changed the playing conditions for the 2025/2026 Junior (year 1-5) 3Five Competition, allowing social and casual players to participate, even if an individual may have more than 5 years’ experience.

A social or casual player can only play for one club and cannot play in the Open Grade competition. Any Junior team with social or casual players must include a full club member to ensure etiquette and rules are not compromised. Wearing club colours will no longer be compulsory and will depend on club policy.

Bowls 3Five is a short sharp format (about 60mins) played on Monday evenings at 6pm. It is for those with busy lives, to enjoy summer evening bowls.

Enabling social and casual players to participate may lead to some becoming addicted, then feeling compelled to join up as full playing members!

20/08

“Stronger Communities Through Sport”

This is the title of a report about the National Sports Club Survey conducted over 7 years from 2018 to 2024. It was a joint project between the NZ Amateur Sports Association (NZASA) and AUTs Sports Performance Research Institute (SPRINZ). The aim is to strengthen all varieties of grassroots sport, to nurture an inclusive sporting culture in our local communities.

Interesting insights from the survey are:

Average club membership is approximately 200. Large clubs are growing while small clubs (less than 100 members) are becoming rarer or closing.

59% of club members are male, and 41% female. Clubs need to be pro-active and intentional in supporting women and girls. Enablers of participation are inclusive environments, building friendships, visible female role models, and social events tailored to women. Equitable access to facilities and training is important as well.

Many club leaders on Boards and Committees have held their roles for extended periods which provides continuity and institutional knowledge. Healthy turnover however, helps organisational innovation and agility, enhancing the club’s ability to adapt to change and engage with a broader cross-section of the community.

Clubs innovated from necessity during and after the pandemic. Examples are: working with schools to provide coaching and holiday programmes, introducing video analysis and online coaching, sharing facilities to manage costs, and offering flexible membership including “pay to play”.

Volunteers involved in club management have declined with reliance on a small group of individuals doing the work of many, placing long term sustainability at risk. 16% of clubs have a paid manager.

51% of clubs have a lease, contract, or other arrangement with their Council or Local Authority. Building more consistent and productive engagement with the Local Authority, particularly in urban centres, is critical to ensuring clubs can thrive in an increasingly complex operational environment.

This report provides food for thought, and ideas for us to consider at Wilton Bowling Club.

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Upcoming Events (Karori Players are welcome to join in)

19/9/25 4.30pm
Pre-season Coaching – Every Thursday until end of October – Including video analysis.

27/9/25
Opening of Summer Bowling Season – Club Colours to be worn.

5/10/25 1pm
Ready to Roll 2025 Open Day - All welcome - Please bring family and friends.

09/09

Centre Winter Bowls

Wilton entered 2 teams in the Centre Winter Bowls played at Naenae from June to August.

The competition was made up of 10 rounds of a round robin, followed by a semifinal and final in each of 8 divisions, depending on where each team finished after the 10 rounds.

The Wilton Bush Tui team (Terry, Brenda, June and Shaun with reserves Clint and Hugh) lost the division 8 semifinal match to the Khandallah Jack Touchers.

09/09

Centre Winter Bowls

Wilton entered 2 teams in the Centre Winter Bowls played at Naenae from June to August.

The competition was made up of 10 rounds of a round robin, followed by a semifinal and final in each of 8 divisions, depending on where each team finished after the 10 rounds.

The Wilton Bush Tui team (Terry, Brenda, June and Shaun with reserves Clint and Hugh) lost the division 8 semifinal match to the Khandallah Jack Touchers.