
Once again, Burnside Bowling Club player and School teacher Tayla Bruce has won the Women’s Player of the Year, after also receiving the gong in 2022.
Those who are familiar with Tayla’s achievements this last season will be unsurprised. She has stacked up more credentials on her bowling CV in just the last year than most bowlers would in a whole lifetime. Like an Energizer Bunny, Tayla just keeps on winning and winning and winning.
And it couldn’t happen to a nicer person.
Tayla not only has impeccable bowls credentials, but she has the personal credentials we Kiwis like our Kiwis to have … she’s modest about her amazing achievements, unforgetful of her upbringing as an ‘ordinary’ Kiwi, and willingly giving to those about her.
She’s a great cheerleader for New Zealand and New Zealanders. Except that she doesn’t ‘cheerlead’ … that’s more an American thing. Instead she just lets her actions do the talking.
And last season, like previous seasons, there was a heck of a lot of actions that did a heap of talking!
Particularly last November (2022) when Tayla won the World Champion of Champion Women’s Singles … allowing her to claim to be the best player in the world. But in typical Tayla fashion, you won’t hear her claiming it.
That achievement followed on from three months of bowls success. In August 2022, helping win a bronze in the Women’s Triples at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games. And a bronze in the Women’s Fours. In September, not only winning the National Women’s Player of the Year, but also becoming the National Supreme Award Winner at the Bowls New Zealand Awards in Dunedin. And in October, she added runner-up in the Stoke Stakes Women’s Pairs to her credentials.
The new year proved just as successful.
At the National Opens in Auckland in January (2023), she won the Women’s Pairs with Clare Hendra from Silverstream. And at the same tournament, she also came runner-up in the Women’s Singles, being narrowly beaten by fellow Blackjack Selina Goddard 21-20.
Tayla was nominated for the 60th Halberg Awards in January, but her entry was swamped by a plenitude of other fellow world champions New Zealand boasted this last year.
And in March, she was selected for the Blackjacks to play in the Multi-Nations tournament on the Gold Coast, but was beaten by better bowlers on the day.
She made far more of her chances at the World Championships on the Gold Coast in August, when she beat far more fancied women about her to win the gold medal in the Singles.
Despite all this playing and playing success, Tayla’s still had time to give back to the sport of bowls.
She’s continued to be a volunteer coach for the Canterbury Youth Bowls Academy, which she set up with Katelyn Inch. It encourages secondary school aged players to get into, and enjoy, the game. Last October, she was Tournament Director for the Burnside Under 26 Singles Tournament.
As Lorraine McLeod, General Manager of Bowls Canterbury observes: “All this makes Tayla the best singles player of the year – it doesn’t get much better!”
We agree. Congratulations Tayla!
2022 SUMMERSET NATIONAL FOURS & 2-4-2 MIXED PAIRS
Welcome to the Bowls New Zealand online hub for Summerset National Fours & Mixed Pairs 2022.
These events will be hosted in Taranaki from the 24th of February to the 3rd of March.
Entries to this years Summerset National Events will open on Tuesday the 12th of October, you will then be able to enter events by clicking on the relevant button below.
ENTRIES CLOSE ON 1st FEB 2022
If you have any queries, please email us at 'events@bowlsnewzealand.co.nz'
FURTHER INFORMATION
Prize Money
Prize money will be direct credited into a nominated bank account during the week commencing 7th March, 2022. Please ensure that you have details of your bank account available at the event. Prize Money may be subject to schedular payments to the IRD.
Code of Conduct
All entrants in the National Open Championships are bound by Section 2 of Bowls New Zealand Code of Conduct.
Betting
The National Open Championships is an event at which Sports Betting may be conducted. Entrants and Tournament Officials are prohibited from placing bets and benefiting from bets placed by others. Disciplinary action in terms of Bowls New Zealand Constitution will be taken against Players and Officials who contravene this law.
Updates
Refer to the Bowls New Zealand website, Facebook page and Instagram for any updates, results and news stories before, during and after the event. Live streaming will be available from post section play on Sky Sport Next and stuff.co.nz
EVENT NEWS
Day Two Wrap Blackjacks on track for Medal Contention at World Championships
August 30, 2023Blackjacks taste success on Day One of World Championships
August 29, 2023Excitement builds for 2023 World Bowls Championships
August 25, 2023Bowls New Zealand Coaching Conference- Register Your Interest Here.
July 28, 2023
Note: If you're on a mobile device, this page is best viewed in 'landscape'
FIND THE DRAWS AND RESULTS BY CLICKING THE RELEVANT BUTTONS BELOW

See below for a map and addresses of host clubs for the Summerset national fours and mixed pairs
Club | Address | Phone |
Alexandra Bowling Club | Molyneux Park, Alexandra | 03 448 8616 |
Alexandra District Club | 33 Centennial Avenue, Alexandra | 03 448 8090 |
Arrowtown Bowling Club | Cnr. Denbeigh & Hereford Streets, Arrowtown | 03 442 1905 |
Bannockburn Bowling Club | 1 Domain Road, Bannockburn | 03 445 0684 |
Clyde Bowling Club | 11 Whitby Street, Clyde | 03 449 2838 |
Cromwell Bowling Club | 50 Alpha Street, Cromwell | 03 445 0071 |
Omakau Bowling Club | Cobham Crescent, Omakau | |
Patearoa Bowling Club | 1627 Patearoa - Ranfurly Road, Patearoa | 03 444 7837 |
Queenstown Bowling Club | Park Street, Queenstown | 03 442 8424 |
Ranfurly Bowling Club | 19 John Street, Ranfurly | 03 444 9271 |
Roxburgh Bowling Club | Berrick Street, Roxburgh | |
Waipiata Bowling Club | 42 Domain Road, Waipiata | |
Wanaka Bowling Club | 130 Tenby Street, Wanaka | 03 443 7873 |
Access the Conditions of Play by clicking on the buttons below
If you require assistance, please contact us at 'events@bowlsnewzealand.co.nz'
The Summerset National Fours and Mixed Pairs will be broadcast on the Bowls New Zealand YouTube channel.
Find the videos below:
FURTHER INFORMATION
Prize Money
Prize money will be direct credited into a nominated bank account.
Please ensure that you have details of your bank account available at the event. Prize Money may be subject to schedular payments to the IRD.
Code of Conduct
All entrants in the National Open Championships are bound by Section 2 of Bowls New Zealand Code of Conduct.
Betting
The National Open Championships is an event at which Sports Betting may be conducted. Entrants and Tournament Officials are prohibited from placing bets and benefiting from bets placed by others. Disciplinary action in terms of Bowls New Zealand Constitution will be taken against Players and Officials who contravene this law.
Updates
Refer to the Bowls New Zealand website, Facebook page and Instagram for any updates, results and news stories before, during and after the event. Live streaming will be available from post section play on the Bowls New Zealand YouTube channel.
EVENT NEWS
Day Two Wrap Blackjacks on track for Medal Contention at World Championships
August 30, 2023Blackjacks taste success on Day One of World Championships
August 29, 2023Excitement builds for 2023 World Bowls Championships
August 25, 2023Bowls New Zealand Coaching Conference- Register Your Interest Here.
July 28, 2023Summerset Nationals Hub- Check in here for more information as we approach the Singles and Pairs.
Playing schedules for the Summerset National Singles and Pairs Tournament will be published here no later than Friday 23rd December.
FIND GUIDES ON HOW TO ENTER THIS YEARS SUMMERSET NATIONAL EVENTS BELOW.
FIND THE SINGLES, PAIRS AND OPEN DISABILITY DRAWS BY CLICKING THE RELEVANT BUTTONS BELOW (AVAILABLE APPROX. 21st DEC) :
ENTER BY CLICKING THE SUMMERSET NATIONALS BY CLICKING THE RELEVANT BUTTONS BELOW:
Access the Conditions of Play for all 2023 events by clicking on the buttons below:
If you require assistance, please contact us at 'events@bowlsnewzealand.co.nz'
FURTHER INFORMATION
Prize Money
Prize money will be direct credited into a nominated bank account during the week commencing 18th January, 2023. Please ensure that you have details of your bank account available at the event. Prize Money may be subject to schedular payments to the IRD.
Code of Conduct
All entrants in the National Open Championships are bound by Section 2 of Bowls New Zealand Code of Conduct.
Betting
The National Open Championships is an event at which Sports Betting may be conducted. Entrants and Tournament Officials are prohibited from placing bets and benefiting from bets placed by others. Disciplinary action in terms of Bowls New Zealand Constitution will be taken against Players and Officials who contravene this law.
Updates
Refer to the Bowls New Zealand website, Facebook page and Instagram for any updates, results and news stories before, during and after the event. Live streaming will be available from post section play on the Bowls New Zealand YouTube channel.