Like many ‘traditional’ sports, lawn bowls has been grappling with ways of making the sport more appealing to a broader community.

Bowls has faced participation fatigue brought about by a multitude of competitive factors: more sports choices, more leisure choices, more entertainment choices, more time-considerate choices, and more. Not only more choices, but many may be regarding as better choices.

An increasingly expectant world has become increasingly unfriendly to traditional bowls. It’s a world that has become weary of lengthy game formats causing unsustainable time commitments. A world where formal ‘memberships’ are deterring a preference for more casualised participation. And a world where gender-separated participation and competition is seen as an idea from yesteryear.

In response to these challenges, Bowls New Zealand has developed a new format of lawn bowls.

Bowls3Five is a new quick format of bowls where a mixed team of three (ie, triples) plays an opponent team over five ends, with each team potentially sweetening their scoring with a nominated powerplay end.

It’s a format that is going to be introduced at all levels from late October (see www.bowls3five.co.nz for details). “We don’t see Bowls3Five as a quick fix,” says Bowls New Zealand Commercial Manager, Erin Nurkka. “But one of the many ways we can sustain and grow the sport in New Zealand.”

Budding bowlers will be able to form a mixed team of three and front up at their local bowling club, where a weekly Bowls3Five competition may be available. “It’ll be a great way for friends to have a bit of fun on the bowling green, without the commitment we remember from our grandparents’ day.”

“At a level above that, we’ll also be running an interclub competition,” adds Cameron. “The 500 clubs will be invited to enter a team in a Centre competition, the winners of which will compete to become the Bowls3Five National Champion.”

However, It’s a televised league that will present a pimped up Bowls3Five to a public previously used to a sedate and sedentary game.

“The league will be broadcast live from the indoor rink at New Lynn on SKY Sport for six weeks from 23rd October,” says Nurkka. “It will feature six teams from around the country: the Stoke Thunder, the Woodend Jets, the Stoke Valley Vipers, the Royal Oak Rockets, the Gore Rams, and the Point Chevalier Pirates – all with their eye on the prize.”

One of the sponsors getting behind Bowls3Five has been Auckland Tourism, Events & Economic Development (ATEED). “The World Masters Games held in Auckland in 2017 was left with a surplus,” explains ATEED representative Matt Walsh. “and it’s been our job to distribute this legacy fund. The 28 participating sports in the Master Games like Bowls all became automatic recipients of a share of the fund – plus we were able to direct funds to specific local projects like Bowls3Five.”

“We liked what Bowls3Five is trying to do,” says Walsh, ”Delivering a sports format that will be accessible and enjoyable to all Aucklanders irrespective of age, gender or ethnicity.”

“We’re pretty chuffed getting ATEED’s support,” says Nurkka. “Like all sports, there’s always a heap of things we’d like to do, but always a limited pot of money to do them with.”

Keep a watch on the Bowls3Five.co.nz and Bowls3Five Facebook page for further news.