By TANIA PHILLIPS
A LITTLE bit of sporting history will be created this weekend with Tweed Coast hosting more than 200 bowlers from throughout NSW in the Grade Four State Pennants Finals.
It is the first time that the titles, which are being hosted by the Kingscliff Beach and Cudgen Leagues Bowling Clubs, have been held further north than Ballina.
The State Pennants competition is the pinnacle of inter-club competition for lawn bowls and each year more than 20,000 bowlers hit the greens to represent their club at a local, district and zone level with the top team in each of the 16 zones making it through to the state finals in different divisions.
Ian Tailor of Kingscliff Beach Bowls Club said the event would bring bowlers from as far away as Cootamundra in the west and Merimbula in the south.
“The organising committee is trying to promote and showcase our area through this event,” Ian said.
“A lot of people will be very happy that they are playing up in this neck of the woods rather than Merimbula or Orange or places like that,” he laughed.
Ironically Ian Tailor will head to Meriumbula on the South Coast with the Kingscliff side for the Grade One titles just as the bowlers are arriving here.
Ian McKnight, former NSW Bowls President and Cudgen stalwart, says the event begins on Friday afternoon with an official opening with the bowling action then getting underway on the greens at both clubs on Saturday morning from 9am.
Preliminary rounds will be played Saturday and Sunday across both venues with the finals being held at Kingscliff on Monday morning. He said the event would rely heavily on volunteers from both clubs.
Mr McKnight said the event was expected to attract more than 240 players, with each team consisting of 12 players plus two reserves and a manager while most bowlers would also bring their wives as well as other supporters.
Tweed’s peak tourism body Destination Tweed has thrown its support behind the event, helping the clubs to secure it for the first time. The State Pennants Final is the second major sporting event the group has been involved in the past few weeks following the Netball Queensland Challenge held at Tweed in late June.
Destination Tweed CEO Bill Tatchell said the event had been a fantastic collaboration between Destination Tweed, the clubs and local tourism operators to bring a large number of people to Tweed for the bowling and to promote our region.
“This is a prime opportunity for us to showcase the Tweed region to an important target market,” said Destination Tweed CEO, Bill Tatchell.
“The bowlers and their supporters represent a demographic that has the time and means to travel frequently, with a strong preference for domestic destinations.
“As such, the event has potential long-term benefits in encouraging return visitation for many years to come.”
