National Bowling Arm Championships in Devonport
The best arm bowlers in Australia have started to arrive in Devonport for the 9th National Bowling Arm Championships which commence on Monday at the Devonport Country Club and will continue until next Friday.
Bowling arms were introduced into the sport of lawn bowls in the early 2000s and there are now more than 40,000 users throughout Australia. Actively promoted in Tasmania since 2017, there are now more than 250 bowling arm users in the State and this number is growing quickly. The use of bowling arms permits those who would otherwise be unable to continue or take up lawn bowls – there use means that older people in particular can continue to play or take up lawn bowls when they would be unable to play most other sports.
Starting in 2011 the first Bowling Arm Interstate Challenge was played between Victoria and New South Wales. Tasmania joined in 2018. The Challenge now has all six states involved and is officially known as the “National Bowling Arm Sides Championships”.
Bowls Australia provides a “National Perpetual Trophy” for the winning state. The states also play for interstate Shields during the Championships. Each State Side consists of 15 players, plus three reserves, who form three teams of five. Format of play is Singles & Fours and Pairs & Triples played concurrently. This event is a mixed gender tournament with a minimum requirement of two female bowlers with one female player in every set of games played.
Victoria has won the championships ever since it began and has once again chosen an extremely strong team and are strong favourites to take out the title for the ninth time, although strong competition is expected from Western Australia and Queensland.
An opening ceremony will be held at the Devonport Country Club on Monday with the action to commence at 9.30am.
Bowls Tasmania will be live streaming games every day from Monday to Friday commencing at 9.30am and at 1.30pm on its Facebook page.
The Championships are supported by the Tasmanian Government through Events Tasmania, Devonport City Council and the Devonport Country Club.
