The 2024 Laser Eye Centre Champion of Champions series ran for five consecutive weekends, starting with the Singles in Dunedin from the 19th of July, and concluding with the Mixed Pairs in Hastings which finished on the 18th of August.
Centres are required to find Champions to compete in the National Finals, and it was very pleasing to have a very high percentage of our Centres represented over the five week series.
We were also blessed in having incredible host clubs over the league in the Dunedin Lawn Bowls Stadium, New Lynn Bowling Club, Royal Oak Bowling Club and of course, Bowls Hastings.
Chief technical officials over the series were Margarat Eames, Barbara Koller, Dot Mowat, Sue Rossiter and Pauline Seaton.
Volunteers, supporters and players were in abundance for the entire series, and we thank them for this years series thrive.
Find the results below:
Laser Eye Centre Champion of Champions Singles (Dunedin Lawn Bowls Stadium)
Sue Hodges chalked up fourth Silver Star National Title by winning a titanic game of bowls against Lisa Prideaux, 21 shots to 16.
Sue trailed by seven shots to one early on in the game.
But through her tenacious play was able to claw her way back into contention and then eventually pass her opponent in the race to 21 shots on Dunedins famous ''Blue Green".
Lisa Prideaux was magnanimous in defeat, and played some magnificent bowls throughout the event.
Final Results:
1st Sue Hodges- Bay of Plenty
2nd Lisa Prideaux- Auckland
3rd = Cheryn Menhennett- Hawkes Bay & Lisa Dickson- North Harbour
Jordan Keene has announced his arrival in the world of outdoor bowls by winning his maiden Silver Star National Title in Dunedin.
He showed his intentions in his first game of section play, where he defeated the 2016 World Champion, Shannon McIlroy 21 shots to 16.
His only wobble on the way to the title came against Canterbury's Joseph Van der Pennan- whom he defeated by a solitary shot.
It was smooth sailing from there for Jordan, and he didn't allow anyone to get within nine shots on his way to winning the Championship.
His opponent in the final, Paul Harrison, was unable to find the form that had seen him defeat bowls legend Maurice Symes in the semi.
Final Results
1st Jordan Keene- Wellington
2nd Paul Harrison- Hawkes Bay
3rd = Rory Soden- Far North & Maurice Symes- Taranaki
Laser Eye Centre Champion of Champions Pairs
Aucklands Aggie Motu and Lesley McLinden swept to victory at the Champion of Champions Pairs in near perfect style.
Their only hiccup came in section play, where they lost their last game to Mere Nepia and Dianne Phillips from Gisborne East Coast.
During post section, their win seemed almost inevitable as Lesley played lovely lead bowls, and Aggie seemed to have forgotten how to miss.
In the final they defeated the home town favourites Jan Hall and Barbara Archer, 20 shots to 13.
Final Results:
1st Aggie Motu, Lesley McLinden -Auckland
2nd Jan Hall, Barbara Archer - Dunedin
3rd = Gayle Melrose, Marilyn Constantine - Bay of Plenty & Kaye Bunn, Adele French – Thames Valley
The men's Champion of Champions Pairs was a story of relatively unheralded teams making their way through to the pointy end a national event.
Although all four teams who became embroiled in exciting semi-finals are well known within their Centres for their ability, many would have names unfamiliar to a casual bowls follower.
When the dust settled, it was the Northland combination of Paul Williams and John Carruthers who stood on top of the pile- having found a way to play the right bowls at the right time and thus bring a national title up North.
1st Paul Williams, John Carruthers - Northland
2nd James Burne, Bevan Webb - Hawke's Bay
3rd = Ross Stevens, Brent McEwan – Dunedin & Pat Kelly, Tim Hussey - Canterbury
Laser Eye Centre Champion of Champions Triples
Kaye Bunn, Val Mathew and Adele French have etched their way into the History books by successfully defending their Champion of Champions National Triples.
This is the first time in the history of the Women's Champion of Champions Triples that this feat has been attained.
They were made to work in their quest to repeat history, and trailed the very experienced Waikato team of Karen de Jongh, Linda Jeffries and Jocelyn Holten for the vast majority of the final- trailing 9-2 after ten ends, and 12-8 after 13.
The scored were levelled after the 14th and, and the Thames Valley team never looked back- eventually winning 18 shots to 16.
Final Results
1st Kaye Bunn, Val Mathews, Adele French - Thames Valley
2nd Karen de Jongh, Linda Jeffries, Jocelyn Holten - Waikato
3rd = Briar Atkinson, Tina Atkinson-Watt, Jackie Moeahu – Taranaki & Anne Lomas, Joanne Milich, Christine Stratton - Kaitaia RSA (Far North)
The Experienced Manawatu Combination of Tim Hook, Dean Gilshnan and Jason Pearson finished their campaign strongly, and claimed the ultimate silverware by defeating the in form Taranaki team of Kaylin Huwyler, Phil Huwyler and Kevan Sellers 17 shots to 10 in the final.
This was despite losing their first game of the event to Paddy Stewart, David File and Steve Goldsbury from Gisborne East Coast- which essentially put Manawatu team straight into post section, as if they lost another game their event was over.
Losing semi finalists were Paul Williams, Kevin Robinson, John Carruthers – Northland and Adam Blucher, Brendon Kelly, Peter Blucher- Auckland
Final Results
1st Tim Hook, Dean Gilshnan, Jason Pearson - Manawatu
2nd Kaylin Huwyler, Phil Huwyler, Kevan Sellers - Taranaki
3rd = Paul Williams, Kevin Robinson, John Carruthers - Northland
Adam Blucher, Brendon Kelly, Peter Blucher- Auckland
Laser Eye Centre Champion of Champions Fours
Diane Strawbridge, Dawn Owens, Janice Little, Barb Hopper-Northland joined Kaye Bunns team from Thames Valley in making history by defending their title from last year.
In order to achieve this feat, teams have to first win their Club title, then their Centre title and finally the national title.
It cannot be overstated how hard this is to achieve, and for the feat to occur twice over the series is remarkable.
In the final, the Northland team were always in front, and defeated the well performed Dunedin team of Sarah Scott, Ange Francis, Shona Mann and Brooke Darby 13 shots to 9.
The losing semi finalists were from Bay of Plenty and Waikato; these games both came down to the final few ends.
Final Results
1st Diane Strawbridge, Dawn Owens, Janice Little, Barb Hopper-Northland
2nd Sarah Scott, Ange Francis, Shona Mann, Brooke Darby-Dunedin
3rd = Wendy Green, Lynette McIntosh, Mina Paul, Huia Ratana - Bay of Plenty &
Karen de Jongh, Debbie White, Bev Corbett and Jocelyn Holten - Waikato
Although last years Men's Champions (David Clark, Shane Drabble, Bryn Morgan, Logan Clark-Counties Manukau) were unable to qualify and defend their title for this years edition, the Championship did stay in the Counties Manukau Centre.
It was the turn this year of Frankie Lim, Shaun Pennell, Jason Parker and Mike Cavanagh to hoist the silverware.
They defeated the extremely experienced team of Grant Anderson, Mark Anderson, Kevin Hills and Brendon Anderson – Taranaki in a very closely contested final that could have gone either way.
Final Results
1st Paul Williams, John Carruthers - Northland
2nd James Burne, Bevan Webb - Hawke's Bay
3rd = Kerry Becks, Steve Street, Nick McKay, Adam White – Canterbury &
Steve Cox, Grant Goodwin, Duane McDonald, Lindsay Gilmore - North Harbour
Laser Eye Centre Champion of Champions Mixed Pairs
The Mixed Pairs were added to the series this year, and have been well received as a popular addition to the calander.
Twenty Two Centre Champions participated in the national final, and the event was so closely contested that only five teams were able to win the requisite three section play games out of the four played to qualify for post section.
Two excellent semi finals were played, one between Jordan Keene, Charvana Williams - Wellington and Jeff Cole, Leanne Stewart Northland.
The other pitted the team of Beth Brown, Karl Mason – Dunedin against Rodney Downes, Kerry Williams – Canterbury
The Northland and Dunedin teams were the ones able to make it through to the final, and what a final it was.
See-sawing all the way- the third year Jeff Cole played a decisive final bowl on the penultimate end to secure a five shot lead, which the Northland Combination was able to defend.
Final Results:
1st Jeff Cole, Leanne Stewart - Northland
2nd Beth Brown, Karl Mason - Dunedin
3rd = Rodney Downes, Kerry Williams – Canterbury & Jordan Keene, Charvana Williams -Wellington
This years Laser Eye Centre Champion of Champions Series was again a success, and Bowls New Zealand were pleased to be able to broadcast every day of the series.
Over that time, the series received an incredible 182, 740 views, with a reach of over a million.
It is a pleasure to continue to promote out sport, we congratulate our 2024 Champion of Champions winners, and look forward to next years edition!