Inaugural Nationals bowls festival locked in on Gold Coast for two years
The Gold Coast will expand on its impressive repertoire of Australian bowls events, with a new-look, all-inclusive Nationals event secured for the next two years.
Tourism and Events Queensland, City of Gold Coast and Bowls Australia have agreed for the two-week long event, titled The Nationals, to be staged Broadbeach in 2020 and 2021, with the potential to be extended for a further year.
Earlier this year, Bowls Australia announced several of the sport’s most revered competitions would be amalgamated into one 14-day festival of bowls.
The new Nationals event will include the Australian Championships, Australian Sides Championships, Australian Senior Sides Championships, Australian Under-18 Championships, Australian Champion of Champions and will introduce the new Australian Barefoot Bowls Championships and adopt the Australian Multi-Disability National Championships*.
Other bowls functions including national conferences and awards evenings would also coincide with the new Nationals event, which would take place during the first two weeks of October each year.
The Nationals event adds to the Gold Coast’s already busy bowls schedule, which includes Bowls Australia’s flagship event, the Australian Open annually, and the sport’s pinnacle international competition, the World Bowls Championships in 2020.
Queensland Minister for Tourism Industry Development Kate Jones said The Nationals would attract Australia’s best bowlers to compete on the Gold Coast and create local tourism jobs.
“Major events like The Nationals attract visitors which creates jobs in the local tourism sector,” Ms Jones said.
“Hosting this new event is a big win for the Gold Coast and is expected to generate close to 12,000 visitor nights and more than $2 million to the local economy.”
Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate said that the announcement bolstered the region’s reputation as a major sporting City.
“This is another great sporting event for the Gold Coast calendar. Lawn Bowls is one of the biggest participation sports in the country and to have the cream of the crop in our city is just further evidence of our credentials as a major sporting city,” Mr Tate said.
“This event is expected to inject more than $2 million to the economy, a huge win for our city.”
Bowls Australia CEO Neil Dalrymple said that the Gold Coast was a natural fit to host the two-week long, multidisciplinary event.
“The Gold Coast is an ideal location for the inaugural staging of The Nationals event next year, and its pleasing to have a further commitment for 2021,” Mr Dalrymple said.
“In a coup for the sport, the amalgamation of these events will provide efficiencies and savings for the host body and participants alike.”
The Nationals will be staged at Broadbeach Bowls Club from October 3 to 16, 2020.
*To be confirmed.
