The honours were well spread on the final day of the Oceania Challenge Bowls International in Auckland.
The second Oceania Challenge, an official World Bowls event, featured national teams from Cook Islands, Niue, Norfolk Island, Samoa, Tokelau and Tonga, the Australia Performance Pathway team and two from New Zealand – an Aotearoa Māori team, and a New Zealand Under-26 team.
The final day of action at the Royal Oak Bowling Club in Auckland provided some outstanding action, with the Australians taking out the triples for men and women.
But it was not without a fierce battle in both, with the Australian Pathway team claiming victory over the New Zealand Under-26 team with the final bowl in a tiebreak.
After winning a set each, the two sides had a three-end tiebreak with New Zealand holding the key shot before Australian skip Cohen Litfin, a key to their victory in the fours on Saturday, stepped up. The drive with his penultimate bowl took out the New Zealand shot and his final bowl claimed the shot and the victory.
Samoa put up a fierce battle in the women’s triples finals, holding a 5-2 lead before Australia scored four shots to claim the first set. The Samoan side fought gamely in the second set, coming back on the final end but could only draw level, which handed Australia a second title for the day.
There was also delight for the smaller Pacific nations, led by Tokelau with the pair of Pale Luka and Peni Panapa coming from behind to snatch the gold medal in the men’s pairs.
They trailed the kiwi combination of Seamus Curtin and Finbar McGuigan in the opening set before scoring four shots late to claim the set, and then came from 8-2 down in the second to grab the winning shot with the last bowl to claim the overall victory.
The young New Zealand combination of Briar Atkinson and Olivia Mancer were unable to match the Norfolk Island pairing of the remarkable Carmen Anderson and Shae Wilson who claimed the women’s pairs final.
The effervescent 69-years-young Anderson has a massive heritage in the sport, as a former world champion, a Commonwealth Games gold medallist and a multi gold medallist at the Asia Pacific Games.
The pair showed remarkable touch and the gold medals to Tokelau and Norfolk Island was evidence of the worth of the tournament, hosted by Bowls New Zealand.
The week was of significant benefit both to the emerging Pacific nations but also the heavyweights like Australia, who won the Oceania Challenge points table on 72 from last year’s winner Aotearoa Maori 68 and New Zealand U26 65.
“This is an opportunity of international games for our teams and bring them through as a team of five which simulates what a world championship and Commonwealth Games would be,” said Australian coach Gary Willis.
“They are long days, but everyone grows another leg when they play for their country, so you can’t underestimate how beneficial this has been for us.
“This group has moved up from our Performance Pathways to the Emerging Jackaroos squad and come through our system from junior ranks. This opportunity has been wonderful.
“I remember playing the island nations 20 years ago and they have just improved out of sight. They love the game and it is great to have all these nations come together to compete and it gives us the experience and exposure. It is beneficial for everyone.”
The attention now moves to the Browns Bay Bowling Club next week with nations in the men and 24 in the women to contest the World Champion of Champions Singles starting on Tuesday.
Results: Pairs: Men, Semifinals: New Zealand U26 2 Samoa 0 (12-7, 5-4); Tokelau 2 Aotearoa Māori 1 (6-2, 3-5, 2-1 tiebreak). Final: Tokelau bt New Zealand 7-6, 8-8.
Women, Semifinals: New Zealand U26 1.5 Aotearoa Māori 1 (5-8 7-4 4-0 tiebreak); Norfolk Island 1.5 Australia Pathway 0.5 (8-7, 7-7). Final: Norfolk Island 2-1 9-2, 3-10, 3-2 (tiebreak).
Triples: Men, Semifinals: New Zealand 2 Aotearoa Māori 0 (9-7, 4-3); Australia Pathway 2 Samoa 1 (5-7, 8-3, 2-1 tiebreak). Final: Australia 2 NZ 1 (7-4, 3-8, 2-1 tiebreak). Final: Australia 2 New Zealand 4-7, 8-3, 2-1 (in tiebreak).
Women, Semifinals: Australia Pathway 2 Aotearoa Māori 1 (4-5, 9-4, 7-0 tiebreak); Samoa 2 Norfolk Island 0 (5-4, 11-3). Final: Australia 1.5 Samoa 0.5 (6-5, 6-6)
Live Stream: www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLYnd702kGBmn4kYldr7aqmjza2lKAXTt5
Details: https://bowlsnewzealand.co.nz/oceania-challenge/
