Bowls: Edwards withdraws from international play

Champion New Zealand women's lawn bowls exponent, Jo Edwards, announced today she has withdrawn from all international play in the foreseeable future.

The loss of Edwards - a double world champion, Commonwealth Games gold medallist, double Asia-Pacific champion, twice national champion and the most recent winner of the New Zealand Open singles title - is a big blow to New Zealand's chances for medals at the Commonwealth Games.

Edwards, whose last international outing ended with regaining the Transtasman Trophy from Australia yesterday, said she won't use the word "retirement" but would leave the game for an indefinite period because she currently did not have the "level of desire needed" to compete at the highest levels.

"I just don't feel like I can give it 100 per cent for the next 18 months," she said about the period of intense preparation and then competing at Delhi.

"I just couldn't see myself going to the Queensland Open, Malaysia, the Asia Pacifics and India in October - I'd have to be in all of that, if I was to go to the Commonwealth Games."

It wouldn't be fair on the other players if she didn't prepare as they had, and then made herself available for Delhi, 2010, she added.

Edwards said that her feelings, when the rest of the team were at the Commonwealth Games, would influence a possible return to the sport in the future.

"I don't know how I will feel. I might think, `hell, I wish I was there'; or I might be relieved I'm not - I just don't know.

" I really do hope that I'm fizzing when I see the other girls competing at the Commonwealth Games.

"I hope that, by doing this, a renewed interest will extend my playing career at the end of it."

Not only is Edwards, along with her great friend and playing partner Val Smith, New Zealand's best female player but she, as skip of the pairs and the fours in the national team, is the "senior pro" within the ranks.

Edwards has played at international level for 12 of the 17 years she's been playing the game.

Meanwhile, New Zealand recaptured the Transtasman Trophy for the first time since 2006 with a series win in Brisbane yesterday.

Australia completed a clean sweep of the women's series but New Zealand replied by winning the men's by the same margin leaving the overall outcome to be decided on countback, 13-1/2 to 10-1/2, in the Black Jacks' favour.

Entering the final tests at the Hendra Nundah bowls club greens, Australia trailed New Zealand by two games on a countback, but bridged the gap in the morning session when world number five, Leif Selby, led the men's fours team to a 19-11 victory before Australia's Lynsey Armitage crushed Black Jack Mary Campbell in the women's singles.

With Karen Murphy also leading the Australian women's fours to a victory, the Australians needed just two wins during the afternoon session to retain the trophy.

New Zealand prevailed in the men's pairs with double world champion Gary Lawson and Shannon McIlroy notching a 21-15 triumph over Robbie Thompson and Selby.

The men's triples also went New Zealand's way when Richard Girvan beat Anthony Kiepe 21-12.

The women's triples between Jan Khan and Claire Duke ended in a 17-17 tie, which snuffed Australian hopes of a retaining the trophy.

- NZPA