$60,000 National Club 5 a Side Challenge
The ninth annual National Club 5 A Side is underway at Club Helensvale Club Helensvale’s $60,000 National Club 5 A Side has commenced on the Gold Coast this morning.
The ninth annual National Club 5 A Side is shaping up as a must see affair over the next three days, with one of the strongest and most prestigious fields in Australian history set to ignite the greens while competing for the elusive title and the lucrative prize cheque.
20 powerhouse teams from six states will contest the four day competition, which boasts a $20,000 first place prize.
The field, which contains over 40 international representatives, is littered with world champions, including Jeremy Henry (Warilla), Brett Wilkie and Mark Casey (Club Helensvale), Wayne Ruediger (Ascot Park), Natasha Scott (Raymond Terrace), Ryan Bester (Broadbeach), Ali Forsyth and Graeme Archer (Clayton), Rowan Brassey (Cabramatta), Kelvin Kerkow (South Tweed), Aron Sherriff and Steve Glasson (Mt Lewis).
Defending champions and host club, Helensvale, will again be keen to feature in the finals action, after making semi final appearances for eight out of the last nine years.
Their side is brimming with international talent, with Wilkie and Casey are joined by Australian representatives Nathan Rice and Anthony Kiepe.
Australia’s number one ranked male and female players will also be in attendance – Natasha Scott pulling on her club colours with 2013 champions Raymond Terrace, and Canadian master blaster Ryan Bester keen to enjoy further success with his club the Broadbeach Bulls.
Joining Bester in the Bulls colours this year will be Scottish International duo Ryan Burnett and Kevin Anderson, who have made the move out to Australia to further their bowls careers with the strong Gold Coast Club.
2014 semi-finalists Taren Point have recruited well to secure the services of New Zealand international Mike Nagy, who will only further bolster the hopes of this gifted side and newly crowned NSW State Pennant Champions.
This year’s event also welcomes three new clubs in to the field, with Ascot Park (SA), East Launceston (TAS), and Manning (WA) all keen to make their presence felt during their debut outing.
Featuring singles, pairs, triples and fours, each team is asked to field their best five players, regardless of sex, with the top-four teams qualifying for the semi-finals on Thursday following three action packed days of round games.
Play commences at 8.30am daily and winds up on Thursday with presentations at 5.30pm.
Spectators are encouraged to watch all the action unfold at Club Helensvale.
