The Burnside Bowling Club will once again host some of Australia’s and New Zealand’s finest bowling talent in this year’s Mike Pero-Stewart Buttar Burnside Pairs Invitation event starting on the 12th January 2018.
The prestigious $11,200 tournament, with Mike Pero as its major sponsor, is without question one of New Zealand's premier club events.
This year’s field includes four very well-performed Australian selections and a number of New Zealand players who have performed with distinction at the recent nationals and in other national and international events.
Australia is sending two of their most exciting players in Aaron Wilson and Brett Wilkie, both selections for the 2018 Commonwealth Games. Wilson, who at 26 already has a world title and 65 international appearances, is a must-see player. As is his partner Wilkie. At 43 he has 242 international caps and three world titles – quite a combination!
Their ladies selection will be skipped by Karen Murphy and partnered by Kelsey Cottrell, both also in the 2018 Commonwealth team. Murphy has 601 international appearances and 5 world titles along with 29 other international tournament victories. While Cottrell has played for Australia 362 times and has two wold titles.
Over the years, the tournament has been well-supported by Bowls Australia reflected in the quality of players sent from across the Tasman.
Leading New Zealand ladies Mandy and Angela Boyd, and Sandra Keith and Serena Matthews team up. They will be well-supported by pairs such as Selena Goddard and Australia’s Chloe Stewart, Maurice Symes and Mike Kernaghan, Aucklanders Chris Lowe and Jordan King, as well as seven other teams that include previous winners of the tournament.
Also included in pairings entered are promising younger New Zealand bowlers who have featured at the recent National championships in Dunedin – Ashleigh Jeffcoat, Richard Hocking, Tayla Bruce and Sheldon Bagrie-Howley.
In total out of a field of 96 invited players, 26 have won national titles.
The Burnside Bowling Club invites any interested spectators to come along throughout the event free of charge to witness what is sure to be an outstanding three days of bowls.
