Omanu men chasing first national title at Bowls NZ Interclub

Omanu men's team. Left to right, Larry Pepper, Dave McLennan, John Jennings, Tom Clarke, Stewart Ritchie (manager), Graeme Heward, Noel McLeod, Graham Caie. Photo / George Novak

Omanu Bowling Club will celebrate 50 years later in 2018 with plenty of successes on the greens to rejoice over.

But no men's team has managed to win a national title which is something the club is hopeful they can put right at the Bowls NZ Interclub tournament in Wellington next month.

The Omanu team of Graeme Heward (singles), Noel McLeod, Graham Caie (pairs), Tom Clarke, John Jennings, Dave McLennan, Larry Pepper (fours) and manager Stewart Ritchie will contest the 2018 BNZNIC national sevens final at Silverstream Bowling Club from March 3-4.

To reach the final, Omanu B won the Bay of Plenty zone then took on Waikato, Thames Valley and Counties Manukau at Tui Park Bowling Club in Te Aroha in December to win zone 2 and the opportunity to contest the nationals against five other zones spread throughout the country.

It was a triumphant day in Te Aroha for the Omanu team as they finished with a combined aggregate score of 18 points from six wins, well ahead of second-placed Waikato on 13 points.

Team manager and selector Ritchie said there was plenty of optimism around the team and within the club that they had a good chance in Wellington after doing so well in Te Aroha.

"On the basis of how we performed at our centre event at Tauranga South where we played extremely well, I thought we were in with a very good chance. As it turned out it was a breeze as we won six out of eight games to qualify for Wellington," Ritchie said.

Clarke is not just the skip of the fours team but president of the club so has double delight in the success of the Omanu seven.

He was particularly pleased with the total team effort of his fours team in Te Aroha.

"We were all there helping each other. It is a real team's game. We just gelled and we all played well. From the Tauranga South competition through to the zone competition the fours only lost one game.

"We play well together and have the right spirit. But it is very unknown territory [going to nationals] and I am actually real chuffed to be president and skip of the fours and taking this team to Wellington.

"I have a little thing about sport that second is the first loser. The team is going down there for one reason — to do their very best I can assure you. We are not mucking around."

Clarke is taking the same approach on behalf of all seven players.

"There is no reason whatsoever we can't win this. They are all club teams rather than individuals picked for this club or that club. On that basis I have ever confidence in our team and put it at a 98 per cent chance of winning but there is always that little 2 per cent that doesn't work," he said.

"We are extremely grateful to Farmer Autovillage for making an eight-seater vehicle available to us for our transportation to Wellington and return."

Omanu men's A team missed qualifying and the ladies team finished first equal at the zone finals before missing a trip to Wellington on countback.