The national bowls titles keep coming for Southland
“That is our third title for the year, that is just unheard of. It’s unbelievable.”
Southland’s remarkable run of national bowls success just keeps going.
The Gore Bowling Club’s men’s triples team of Sheldon Bagrie-Howley, Thomas Cockerill, and Elliot Mason have been crowned the New Zealand Champions of Champions in Dunedin.
The Gore trio advanced to the national finals through Southland and on Sunday ended up toppling Browns Bay in the New Zealand Champions of Champions final.
Not surprisingly the Southland bowls community continues to be a pretty proud bunch at the moment.
Bowls Southland executive officer Simon Flett said it’s been an amazing run for bowls in Southland.
“That is our third [national] title for the year, that is just unheard of. It’s unbelievable.”
Bagrie-Howley become the first Southlander ever to win the national men’s singles title in January.
The Gore Bowling Club also won the New Zealand Interclub Sevens title in April.
Before on Sunday, the Gore men’s triples combo added to the national success.
Interestingly Bagrie-Howley was part of all three of those national titles this year and backs up why he is a New Zealand representative.
“He has had a fantastic year, he sure has,” Flett said.
Flett added what had happened at the national level this year was a big boost for the promotion of bowls in Southland.
“We are one of those minor sports I suppose and it is getting us out there now…. It seems like every few weeks there’s something now isn’t there.”
The bowls focus will this weekend switch to the National Champions of Champions Fours event.
Southland will be represented by the Invercargill Bowling Club in both the men’s a women’s fields.