Club Helensvale 5 A Side Challenge
The countdown to the $50,000 2013 Club Helensvale 5 a Side has commenced. The countdown to the $50,000 2013 Club Helensvale 5 a Side has commenced.
In just four days time, one of the biggest events on the bowls circuit will kick off at Club Helensvale on the Gold Coast.
The seventh annual National 5 A Side will start on Monday, September 16 and is shaping up as a must see affair with one of the strongest fields in the competition’s history set to compete for the prestigious title and big cash prizes.
With a massive prize pool on offer and a first place cheque of $20,000 up for grabs, 20 powerhouse teams from six states across the nation have accepted Club Helensvale’s invitation to participate in the highly sought after four day event.
The field, which contains close to 30 international representatives, will feature the inclusion of numerous world champions in Jeremy Henry & Leif Selby (Warilla), Brett Wilkie & Lynsey Clarke (Club Helensvale), Mark Casey (St Johns Park), Ryan Bester (Broadbeach), Claire Turley (Cabramatta), Ian Schuback & Julie Keegan (Club Kawana) and the always popular crowd favourites Kelvin Kerkow (South Tweed) and Steve Glasson (Mt Lewis).
The unprecedented quality of the players involved in this year’s tournament means that the winner of the 2013 title will have faced some of the stiffest competition Club Helensvale greens have ever seen.
Leading the charge to victory this year will be 2012 defending champions, Warilla; however with Henry the only returning player from the defending champion’s team, it will be intriguing to see how they perform in the field this time around.
Securing the services of current World Singles Champion, Selby, will surely pay dividends for the Warilla Gorillas.
Further challengers to this year’s title include NSW powerhouse club, Taren Point, winners of this event in 2009, they boast three internationals including new recruit and Welsh star, David Axon.
NSW Champions League winners Merrylands will be making their second appearance and are sure to be one of the teams to watch with long serving South African international, Neil Burkett, sure to prove a steadying guidance for the contingent.
Home town favourites, Club Helensvale, again have a stellar line up which includes three current Australian Jackaroos in Wilkie, Clarke and Nathan Rice, as well as previous Australian representative, Anthony Kiepe, and Australian A Squad member Anthony Fantini.
Last years semi-finalists, South Tweed, have the fire power of lawn bowls legend and Australian hotshot Kerkow at their disposal. Having made the finals four of the last seven years, the boys from the South know what it takes to succeed in this format of play.
A dark horse in the 2012 event will be the team from Mt Lewis, with father and son duo, Steve and Ben Glasson lining up alongside ACT representative and Australian Super 6 singles gold medallist, Andrew Howie, in the hopes for 5 A Side glory.
The 2013 event will also showcase two of Western Australia’s finest clubs, with Premier Champions Osborne Park and last year’s seventh placed club Cambridge both keen to show the rest of the nation what the west has to offer.
Newcomers to the event in 2013 include Victorian Premier Champions Ocean Grove, guided by the experienced head of recent Australian debutant, Matt Flapper, while South Australian club Adelaide will make their debut after winning back to back state pennant flags for the last two seasons, spearheaded by state champion Scott Thulborn.
The $50,000 prize pool is sure to make the competition fierce. 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.
Caption: Former Helensvale teammates Brett Wilkie and Mark Casey will clash at the Club Helensvale 5 A Side
