Bowls Buzz - 08 August 2025
National Championship Triumphs
Matt Berry pulled off a stunning upset at the 2025 Summerset National Lawn Bowls Championships, held at Browns Bay Bowling Club in Auckland. The 38-year-old, previously only achieving club-level success, claimed the Men’s Singles title with a dramatic 21-17 win over Keanu Darby.
Debbie White captured the Women’s Singles title for a second time, winning 21-17 against Wendy Jensen in a hard-fought final.
Men’s Pairs champions: Lance Pascoe and Jamie Hill—a title they’ve now held twice.
In the Women’s Pairs, Olivia Bloomfield and Lisa Prideaux took victory with a narrow 14-13 final win over Ashleigh Jeffcoat and Henrietta Scott. Prideaux now boasts three Open Women’s Pairs titles.
Kurt Smith & Teri Blackbourn dominated in the Open Disability Pairs, defeating Graham Skellern & Chen Naude 26-15.
Adam Baillie secured the Open Disability Singles, dispatching John Lavell with a final score of 21-14.
Preview: Next Week’s Highlights & Events The Champion of Champions series continues:
Men’s Pairs qualifiers are set for 8–10 August (Hamilton).
Women’s Pairs follow 15–17 August (New Lynn, Auckland).
Triples (both genders) run 22–24 August (Auckland centres).
Mixed Pairs wrap the series 29–31 August in Tauranga.
All matches will be available on Bowls TV
Team Selection News The Blackjacks—New Zealand’s elite national lawn bowls team—have been named for the 2025 World Cup competition.
Video Highlights A lively and comprehensive update featuring Bowls NZ’s Mark Cameron and Kevin Hickland covering the latest in our sport. https://youtu.be/2FLiAYpGlPQ
Coaching video series from Bowls NZ—great for technique insights and development https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfRKPuEJMqdmIxpMpfXGIwt-xHOLT1gSd&si=orb6nFO0ZHYr_LmI
Mt Eden Bowls news Good turnout for Saturday and Wednesday ROLL UP, great to see new members joining.