Roll up, roll up: National women’s indoor bowls tournament heads to Gisborne

Katherine Hopkinson (left) of North Canterbury and Alison Crawford of Poverty Bay-Wairoa (backs to camera) watch their bowls teams at last year's Women's Institute indoor bowls competition.

New Zealand women’s institutes will be represented in an indoor bowls tournament at the Waerenga-a-Hika Hall this weekend.

Members of the Poverty Bay-Wairoa Federation of Women’s Institutes will host the national federation’s annual triples challenge competition.

Play starts on Sunday and the finals will be held on Monday.

“We’re doing almost everything at the hall – games, meals and catering out there,” Poverty Bay-Wairoa federation president Alison Crawford said.

Seventeen teams of three are taking part. Four are coming from the South Island and the rest are drawn from as far north as Whangārei, as far south as Palmerston North and as far west as Taranaki.

“This is the first time we’ve hosted it,” Crawford said.

“We’ve attended all the challenges around New Zealand. They’ve been going for 20 years and we’ve always sent a team, just to keep interested.

“About this time last year we applied to hold this year’s challenge and when we went to conference in May it was confirmed we would be hosts.”

With supporters, about 80 people would be at the Waerenga-a-Hika Hall, Crawford said. Women’s Institute members would do the catering.

“The trophy we play for was donated by a past national president, Eleanor Holt,” Crawford said.

“She is from Whangarei and is in one of the teams playing in this year’s competition.”

Gisborne has two women’s institutes – Tūranganui and Puha – and Wairoa has one, Frasertown.

“We are around the 50 mark for members,” Crawford said.

“That’s good because it’s an older age group. I feel sorry for younger people . . . most of them are working nowadays and don’t have time to join groups.”

Women’s institutes were part of a generous organisation that helped those in need with food, knitting, sewing and the like, she said.

“Wherever there is need, the institute will put its hand up to help.

“For members, we offer friendship, companionship and fun meetings with speakers or someone sharing something special.

“In hard times you always know someone is at the end of the phone for you.”

New Zealand has had women’s institutes for 102 years and Gisborne’s area, for 92 of those.

When the organisation was near the height of its popularity the name was changed to “country women’s institutes” because other organisations catered for women living in towns. Nevertheless, urban dwellers were still allowed to join.

After 30 years of country women’s institutes, the name reverted to “women’s institutes”.

“When we joined, women were at home on their own and needed somewhere to go and meet other women,” Crawford said.

“Now, by the time people pay their mortgage or rent, they have no money or time left over for socialising.”

Normally, Poverty Bay-Wairoa would have one team in the competition. This year the regional federation will have two, seeing as it’s a home tournament.

“It will be great fun, meeting new people and catching up with old friends,” Crawford said.

“At the end of play on Sunday we’ll have happy hour with punch, and a meal at the hall. We’ll start again on Monday morning for the finals, and that night we’ll have dinner at the Eastern Masonic Centre in Ormond Road.”

The fact that the tournament spilled over into the working week was no problem.

“Most of our people are retired or will have taken a day off.”