NZ Indoor Bowls Team ''The Mat Blacks'' To Try And Defeat Australia Next Week After Losing For First Time In 15 Years

Anticipation is building as the Mat Blacks prepare to take on their Australian counterparts in what will be the 26th Indoor Bowls biannual Trans-Tasman Test Match.

The three day clash will take place in Port Sorell, Tasmania on May 14th, 15th and 16th, with the opening ceremony setting the tone on Thursday morning at 9am.

The Indoor Bowls Trans-Tasman rivalry began in 1975 and has been contested on 25 previous occasions.

In contrast to many sports, New Zealand has a dominant record in indoor bowls, having won the test series on 19 occasions compared to just 6 won by Australia.

The test match is contested in alternating Countries and takes place once every two years.

The 2024 event was held in Pukekohe and saw a comprehensive win go the way of Australia.

2009 had been the last time Australia defeated New Zealand in this series, and 1991 the last time they did it on New Zealand soil.

Fourteen players represent each country – seven men and seven women – who each play in two events each. The 11 events are the men's and women's singles, men's, women's and mixed fours, men's, women's, mixed 6-bowl and mixed 8-bowl pairs, and the men's and women's triples

After three days of play, the Country with the most games won is declared the winner of the test match.

In the attempt to wrest back the trophy, the New Zealand Selectors have picked three new caps and recalled two former New Zealand players to join nine incumbent Mat Blacks from the team that lost the Trans-Tasman Trophy two years ago on home soil.

They will be led in this quest by Simon Thomas, who is the Captain of the team and the most experienced New Zealand player of all time, having debuted in 2003.

The youngest member of the team is 21 year old Nathan Trowell, who learnt his trade in Gisborne and is now domiciled in Auckland.

The full ''Mat Blacks'' team is: 

2026 Trans-Tasman Team 
‘Mat Blacks’

Womens Singles: 
Annelies Baker — Waikato

Mens Singles: 
Marcus Trlin — Hutt Valley

Womens Pairs: 
Alana Moffitt — South Otago 
Keri Te Tamaki — Otago

Mens Pairs: 
Nathan Trowell — Auckland 
Alex Reed — Waikato

Womens Triples: 
Kylie Gould — Canterbury 
Annelies Baker — Waikato 
Jenelle Lockyer — South Canterbury

Mens Triples: 
Daniel French — Otago 
Paul Wright — Auckland 
Gary Low — Southland

Ladies Fours: 
Sheree Holmes — Upper Hutt Valley 
Alana Moffitt — South Otago 
Keri Te Tamaki — Otago 
Jenelle Lockyer — South Canterbury

Mixed Fours: 
Simon Thomas — Canterbury 
Alex Reed — Waikato 
Kylie Gould — Canterbury 
Denise Clarkson — Hutt Valley

Mens Fours: 
Daniel French — Otago 
Nathan Trowell — Auckland 
Paul Wright — Auckland 
Gary Low — Southland

Mixed 6 Bowl Pairs: 
Marcus Trlin — Hutt Valley 
Denise Clarkson — Hutt Valley

Mixed 8 Bowl Pairs: 
Simon Thomas — Canterbury 
Sheree Holmes — Upper Hutt Valley

Reserves: 
Lesley Monk — Waikato 
Tim Veale — Manawatu

Captain: 
Simon Thomas

Vice-Captain: 
Sheree Holmes

Manager: 
Michael Lawson

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