Club Sapphire has been in talks with Bowls Australia and is excited to partner in providing new tournaments and programs to the Far South Coast.
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Merimbula bowls coordinator Michael Wilks met with James Berriman of Bowls Australia last week to discuss the upcoming Bowls Premier League on the new Club Sapphire Greens as well as a junior development initiative.
Local teams will be able to take part in a Bowls Premier League Cup round – a qualifier for the national event – jn Merimbula next month.
“The BPL Cup is an initiative to help marry the two products together,” Berriman said.
“The Cup will provide an opportunity for club-based teams to progress through various stages to a national final to be played as part of the sixth BPL competition in November.”
He said it was a fast-format version of the game that complemented other styles of play and would open up pathways for club bowlers to reach the national stage.
“The format is two-bowl triples and will follow the same rules as the BPL – a similar format to Jack Attack,” Berriman said.
If you are lucky enough to win the Merimbula round on August 17, you can advance through the state round right up to the national stage – held at Club Pine Rivers in Brisbane.
Teams of up to six players can nominate with competition entries costing $50 per team.
Squads can be men’s, women’s or mixed, but all players must hail from the same club.
Teams can enter using the BPL Cup Registration Portal found at www.bowlsaustralia.com.au/BPL-Cup and all the rules are on the website.
Berriman, the South East NSW regional bowls manager, has also been in talks with Club Sapphire to help set up a junior development academy.
After the loss of the SERAS program, Wilks in conjunction with Club Sapphire have been looking to give back to young people looking to join the sport and enhance their game.
“The club will have the ability to offer the sport to children of all ages with the new Junior Jack Attack bowls for kids who might be too small to hold an actual lawn bowl,” Berriman said.
“The squad will be developed and then there will be a plan to play other development squads throughout NSW.”
Berriman will be going out to schools over the next few months looking to find the next lawn bowls superstar.
Anyone interested in playing or being part of the squad should contact Club Sapphire to obtain a spot in this exciting new squad.
“The new Merimbula facility is exceptional for night-time training under lights, which will allow younger people to play after school and this will be a big boost for junior bowls,” Berriman said.