MORE than 60 lawn bowlers are midway through the chase for $20,000 prize money as the 2025 NSW Aboriginal Bowls Tournament continues today at Moree Services Club’s state-of-the-art undercover bowls complex.
The Australia Day showdown has drawn bowlers from across New South Wales to play in the men’s fours club tournament – only the second year the competition has been held.
Jointly organised by Moree Magpies Bowling Club’s Rod Tighe and Mitchell Johnson, the carnival has drawn 16 teams – two more than last year – competing in six games of 13 ends across both days.
George Jackson’s Wagga team currently leads on points heading into day two, with Moree Magpies club president Wayne Tighe’s team perched second.
Elimination games resume today at around 9am to decide eight quarter-finalists.
Tournament co-ordinator Rod Tighe said competition so far has been close.
“The 16 teams here are pretty evenly spread out, with some games very tight – there’s only been a point in some of them,” Tighe said.
“There will be more games in the morning (Sunday) to decide the top-eight teams to play in the quarter-finals.
“The semis will have less ends – only eight instead of 13 – but the games slow down because of the intensity of play,” he said.
The tournament opened on Friday with the inaugural mixed pairs competition, won by Deb Morrow from Dubbo and Moree’s Phil Hobday.
“We had 18 sides, which was overwhelming,” Tighe said.
“The Friday games led into Saturday nicely, and a lot of the visiting bowlers were happy because it gave them a chance to have a ‘run on the track’.”
Moree Services Club CEO Rob Shields manned the barbecue throughout the day. He said the NSW Aboriginal Bowls Tournament will only get bigger in time.
“It’s a wonderful concept, and it’s a concept for the people – and that’s what Moree Services Club is all about,” Shields said.
“We want to support this concept well into the future, and it will only grow with support.
“The people we have here now, will go away with the satisfaction knowing they can come back and have a good weekend in Moree – and they have come from near and far.
“There are some people here playing bowls from as far away as Cowra. It’s excellent for Moree and a good celebration for the town,” he said.
Apart from $20,000 prize money, there is also a $5000 calcutta pool up for grabs.
Defending champs from Armidale, Todd Fuller, Laurie Williams, Tom Inman and Steve Fuller, on Friday night topped the bidding at $800.
“It’s big money, and we had a calcutta on Friday night that went very well,” Shields said.
“First prize in the calcutta is something like $4000, and that’s over and above the prize money for the tournament.”
