Bowls on a comeback

A sporting pastime in Masterton, the game of indoor bowls, recently hosted its first national tournament in Wairarapa.

Masterton hosted the national mixed fours earlier this month, enhancing the otherwise dwindling popularity of the game in the region. Over 15 indoor bowls clubs existed in Masterton during the 1960s but only four clubs survive.

Tournament publicity officer Mike King said it was great for Wairarapa to host the tournament. "It's the first time Wairarapa has ever hosted a national event."

The top players in the country were playing but he said no Wairarapa teams had qualified for the finals.

There weren't enough players in the area to contest a place in the finals, he said. "It used to be really, really popular [in Wairarapa]."

The game is a great family game, very social and gives players a chance to meet new people, he said.

Central Indoor Bowling Club former president Donald Leighton said a few things were to blame for the game's loss of popularity over the years. "When I started playing in the mid-1960s there was 16 to 18 clubs just in Masterton."

Young players had generally stopped playing the game following the invention of television and computers, he said.

"We have in the past had a lot of college players playing, but the advent of weekend work among other factors has impacted on the game's popularity."

Leighton was confident the game was still strong in the area however. "Indoor bowls in Wairarapa has increased recently."

A new indoor bowling club has been established at Clareville and the existing clubs are steady, he said.

Three of the four clubs in Masterton play at the Hogg Cres indoor bowls complex, and King invited anyone to come along and participate. The Cosmopolitan Club is home to the only other indoor bowls facility in Masterton.