Bowls: Lawson to sort future as parties settle differences

Double world bowls champion Gary Lawson and his New Zealand four teammates have ended their dispute with Bowls New Zealand, which has dragged on since they were found guilty of throwing an end during an Asia-Pacific championship match in Malaysia.

However, Lawson's future in the sport is unclear: he has withdrawn from consideration for selection in the national team to the New Delhi Commonwealth Games later this year, and will make a decision about his future at the beginning of next season.

BNZ last month suspended Lawson and fined him and teammates Jamie Hill, Shane Sincock and Shannon McIlroy after its judicial committee found the quartet deliberately lost an end at the Kuala Lumpur tournament last August.

Lawson said last month that they intended to appeal their punishments to the Sports Tribunal. He said he had been fined $5000 and suspended for six months, while his. teammates had each been fined $1000 and not suspended.

However, a joint statement yesterday said the parties had reached an agreement after mediation.

The players had withdrawn their appeals to the Sports Tribunal and accepted the BNZ judicial committee's decision. In turn, BNZ had agreed to waive the fines imposed by the judicial committee on all the players.

Lawson, who skipped the four, said it had been a difficult time for BNZ and the players, but it was time to move on from the matter.

"The decisions and findings of the BNZ judicial committee are accepted. We accept that our actions were contrary to the rules," he said.

BNZ said Hill, Sincock and McIlroy would be considered for selection to the national team for international events this year, including the Commonwealth Games.

- NZPA