Magazine - World preparations at the New Zealand Open

By Editor in Bowls on 24th Oct 2007 12:55

The fourth and final Bowls Australia grand prix for 2007, the inaugural Fuji Xerox New Zealand Open, will provide bowls’ best with the perfect preparation for the looming World Bowls Championships.

The $30,000 event, to be held in Auckland from 19-23 November at Henderson Bowls, is set to be fiercely contested with full strength New Zealand and Australian sides ramping up preparations for the World Bowls Championships.

Henderson Bowls Inc. is a well-established bowling club located on the periphery of the Henderson commercial area.

The club enjoys a reputation for excellent greens, and having the players to match.

Henderson Bowls is one of the few clubs in New Zealand with the facilities and the capability to stage major national or international events.

The club employs professional green keeping and cleaning contractors and other specialist services when required. The Waitakere City Council owns its land and buildings.

The New Zealand Open will feature 64 players in both the men’s and women’s singles, and 32 pairs and fours teams, the Fuji Xerox New Zealand Open will be played in knockout format, and over half of the main draw will be sourced from the qualifying tournament, to be held from 15-18 November in Auckland.

The New Zealand national side, recently renamed the Black Jacks, will use the Fuji Xerox New Zealand Open as a vital part of their preparation for the world event, to be held in Christchurch from 12-27 January.

So too will the Australian team, which will cross the Tasman at full strength for the tournament.

The Aussie squad that will contest the Fuji Xerox New Zealand Open consists of Kelsey Cottrell, Karen Murphy, Lynsey Armitage, Julie Keegan, Claire Duke, Aron Sherriff, Nathan Rice, Mark Casey, Bill Cornehls and Wayne Turley.

The Fuji Xerox New Zealand Open is headlined by the biggest prize pool in New Zealand bowls history and is the last leg of the highly successful Bowls Australia grand prix series.

To check out more visit Bowls Australia.
http://www.bowlsaustralia.com.au

Read more articles in Bowls, by Editor or from October 2007.