New Zealand representative Daniel French (Ngāpuhi) has featured in this year's North Island Indoor Bowls Championship in Rotorua over the weekend. His team won the fours section and will be working towards the Summerset Nationals next week.
Kirstyn Harrison says that it’s a sport for the young and old.
“No matter where you are from, who you are, how old you are. At the end of the day we all play as one, no matter how good you are, despite being not so good it doesn't matter.”
The North Island Indoor Bowls Championship showcases some of New Zealand best players.
Organiser Delwyn Hughes says, “Yesterday we had a team from Otago come through and win the fours that went really well. It was skippered by Daniel French who is a NZ representative and Keri Te Tamaki who is in the team who used to be a player who played here in the Bay of Plenty and she's just moved down to Otago this year so it's lovely to have her come back as well.”
Keri Te Tamaki who was a part of that team says, “It was amazing. It was my first island title so pretty stoked with that. I was so tired, we started at 8:30 in the morning and we didn't finish the final until 10:30ish so it was a pretty hideous day. But [it] means a lot, it's good.”
NZ champion Daniel French says that when you play the game you must zone in.
“We play a lot back home and during the week as well so we play two or three times a week,” he says.
This year teams of 120 pairs competed on Saturday, 55 fours on Sunday and 65 triples today.
Now everyone's focus is on the nationals.
“I always look forward to the nationals. It's an awesome week away, good competition, because obviously everyone around the country is there and it's just good. We all know everyone around the country, it's a good chance to see everyone for the week,” says Te Tamaki.
The national competition will be held for the first time in Ashburton next weekend.