The New Zealand Professional Bowls Association will complete its 2021 season this weekend with a long delayed Finals Weekend held over from last year’s Delta variant lockdown. With players switching to outdoor bowls over summer and border restrictions precluding travel to World Bowls Tour events, the end of season Finals Weekend was delayed until this month and offers $1500 prizemoney for each event winner in place of the missed travel to the UK.
And it will be a welcome return to the Hopes Dunedin Bowls Stadium which has been itching to show its hospitality for a big PBA event having had a scheduled Australia v New Zealand Challenge twice cancelled during the Pandemic. All hope that this will be the start of a more normal season without postponements and leading towards a resumption of travel to international PBA events.
This season will see more choice of date and venue for players in the programme as each venue and coordinator accommodates many different local, domestic and international circumstances. Subs remain at $175 with current members needing to pay by next Monday, entries close with local coordinators on the Friday night a week before events are played and the popular live facebook draws will continue.
A new World Bowls Tour event will be played for during the 2022 season – the UK Singles replaces the previous International Singles. This was an experimental event played near Newcastle for the first time in March which had a whole indoor green in use rather than one portable rink which condensed the tournament to three days.
Information is available on the New Zealand branch page at professionalbowlsassocation dot com.
2022 NZ PBA Dates
13 - 15 May: 2021 PBA Finals Weekend in Dunedin
Shanghai Singles qualifying
All Finals
28 & 29 May: PBA qualifiers* in Auckland (Remuera) & Wellington
Ranking Singles
Scottish Open Singles qualifying
3 - 6 Jun: PBA Qualifiers* in Dunedin
Shanghai Singles qualifying
Scottish Open Singles qualifying
UK Open Singles qualifying
4 - 6 Jun: PBA Qualifiers* in New Plymouth, Hastings & Invercargill
Shanghai Singles qualifying
Ranking Singles
Scottish Open Singles qualifying
6 Jun: Shanghai SIngles qualifying in Wellington
18 & 19 Jun: PBA qualifiers* in New Plymouth
World Indoor Singles qualifying
World Indoor Pairs qualifying
19 Jun: Shanghai Singles qualifying in Auckland
25 & 26 Jun: PBA qualifiers* in Hastings & Invercargill
World Indoor Singles qualifying
World Indoor Pairs qualifying
2 & 3 Jul: PBA qualifiers* in Wellington
Ranking Singles
UK Open Singles qualifying
22 - 24 Jul: PBA qualifiers* & player meeting in Dunedin
World Indoor Singles qualifying
World Indoor Pairs qualifying
5 - 7 Aug: PBA qualifiers* in Dunedin
Anytime Fitness Ranking Singles
Anytime Fitness Ranking Singles
6 & 7 Aug: PBA qualifiers* in Auckland & Wellington (& player meeting in Wellington)
World Indoor Singles qualifying
World Indoor Pairs qualifying
13 & 14 Aug: PBA qualifiers* & player meetings in New Plymouth, Hastings & Invercargill
Ranking Singles
UK Open Singles qualifying
13 or 14 Aug: PBA qualifier finals as required in Wellington
20 & 21 Aug: PBA qualifier* & player meeting in Auckland
Ranking Singles
UK Open Singles qualifying
21 Aug: PBA qualifier finals as required in Dunedin
2 - 4 Sep: PBA Finals Weekend & Player meeting in Wellington
Shanghai Singles qualifying
All Finals
Players meeting
* Players can only play a maximum of 2 Ranking Singles, and 1 attempt at each qualifying event in a season