Australian Sides Champs headed to Lockleys, SA
Lockleys Bowling Club will host the 2017 Australian Sides Championships. Bowls Australia has today confirmed the 2017 Australian Sides Championships will be held at Lockleys Bowling Club in Adelaide.
Lockleys Bowling Club has a proud history of hosting major bowling events in recent years, headlined by the 2012 World Bowls Championships, where Australia created history winning five gold medals, and an annual Trans-Tasman series between rival bowling nations Australia and New Zealand.
Bowls SA endorses the club as a worthy host venue, having utilised the club’s facilities for numerous state-based competitions.
Each State and Territory will converge at Lockleys from April 6 to 9 to battle for the coveted Alley Shield in the men’s event and Marj Morris Trophy in the women’s competition.
Events and Competition Manager Mark Casey says he is confident Lockleys will do a sublime job hosting the Australian Sides Championships because they have a proven history of running major bowls events.
“It was important for Bowls Australia to allocate the hosting rights to a club with four greens and having played at Lockleys several times in my career I know all four greens are always pristine and the players will be able to play at their absolute best,” said Casey, who is also an Australian representative.
“During the 2012 World Bowls Championships the greens were fantastic and Bowls Australia had no hesitation in handing Lockleys Bowling Club the hosting rights of one of our most prestigious national events.
“Lockleys is located in a great part of Adelaide, close to shops, accommodation, Glenelg Beach and importantly the Adelaide airport so players and officials can look forward to an another exciting Australian Sides Championships.”
A home ground advantage will be significant for South Australia, who in the last two years have established themselves as real contenders on the national stage, and what better place to stage their breakthrough victory than in front of a home crowd.
In the 57 year history of the Alley Shield and the 37 year history of the Marj Morris Trophy the Croweaters have only once tasted glory, in the men’s event in 1988; however the state is building powerhouse sides and if their Australian Premier League results are anything to go by, South Australia are on the verge of something special.
Hopes will hang on the shoulders of South Australia’s most experienced campaigners, world champion Wayne Ruediger and two-time Australian Champion of Champions winner Scott Thulborn to guide their rising stars.
While still 309 days away, it is expected that once again powerhouse state New South Wales will be hard to beat in the both genders, with the women’s bluebirds aiming for a record-breaking six-peat, whilst the men will be looking to redeem themselves after letting the Alley Shield slip into the hands of Victoria; after they dethroned NSW to break a 14 year drought.
You could be easily mistaken to think the NSW women’s team is more like an Australian Squad with past and present Australian representatives, the likes of Karen Murphy, Natasha Scott and Anne Johns along with Under-25 stars filling up their ranks.
Queensland is always in the mix, led by Australian Jackaroos Lynsey Clarke, Brett Wilkie and Nathan Rice and the Victorian teams have built a star-studded side of promising young players guided by their experienced leaders Carla Krizanic, Lisa Phillips, Barrie Lester, Aaron Wilson and Matthew Flapper.
The 2017 Australian Sides Championships will be a highly anticipated and fiercely contested event when it heads to Adelaide in April next year.
