Australia And New Zealand Continue Trans Tasman Rivalry At Naenae Lawn Bowls Clash

Wellington’s Naenae Bowling Club is hosting a lawn bowls Trans-Tasman, as we see the return of this event to New Zealand shores after a seven-year absence.

International bowls followers will recognise Naenae as being the hosts of the 2022 World Champion of Champions Singles event.

First played in 1979 when it was known as the ‘inter-dominion’, the Trans-Tasman event has always been hotly contested between New Zealand and our cousins across the ditch.

In recent years, Australia has dominated on their home turf with ‘Advance Australia Fair’ echoing across the greens upon the conclusion of the event more often than ‘God Defend New Zealand’.

This year, the New Zealand BlackJacks and Australian Jackaroos have both an open Men’s and Women’s team selected, and a para component with a B1-B8 Mixed Pair and a B6-B8 Women’s and Men’s Pair.

Additionally, men’s and women’s development teams have been selected to compete.

The test match will run for three days, and the team that wins the most games when the dust has settled- will win their respective trophy.

Today was played in extremely challenging conditions at the Naenae Bowling Club, with round three played under cover.

The Open Women's Event is a race to ten wins and is currently tied with New Zealand and Australia sitting on three wins apiece- New Zealand snatching wins in the women's fours, pairs and singles. 

Australia had two wins in the triples, and one in the pairs.

The Open Men's Event is a race to ten wins and is going all in Australia's favour with the Australians not yet recording a loss, and running out to a six games to nil lead going into tomorrow.

The Development Women's Event is a race to ten wins and is similarly balanced in Australia's favour with the Australians pulling out all the stops to end the day undefeated, and find themselves in the same position as the open men's team.

The Development Men's Event is a race to ten wins and is poised as a draw with three games apiece- two of these wins came thanks to two 21-20 Singles wins for the Australian team.

The Para Event is a race to seven wins and finishes Day One favouring New Zealand- with three wins to Australia's one.

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