Bowls: Rugby greats switch codes

Colin Meads will again compete in Bowls Mount Maunganui's annual Rugby Tournament this week. Photo/File

Bowls Mount Maunganui's annual Rugby Tournament has rolled around again, with a number of former All Blacks set to compete over the next two days.

The 144 bowlers taking part are a mixture of former club and representative players from various unions around New Zealand, including former All Blacks Colin Meads, Bryan Williams, Richie Guy, Peter Henderson, Keith Nelson and Adrian Clarke.

Tournament convenor Ray Goldfinch said the tournament is the largest on the club's calendar.

"The tournament was designed initially as a means of attracting new and younger people to play bowls and is now run by a separate committee especially set up for the purpose," Goldfinch said.

"The tournament was the brainchild of ex-All Black Peter Henderson, who competed in the initial three years of the event and ran the tournament on his own initially for six years from its inception in 1991.

"But it became too much for one person so he was joined by George Nola and Don McKenzie."

Sadly both Nola and McKenzie have passed away.