Gisborne East Coast Bowls Centre Youth Co-ordinator Anne Day has completed a busy 2017, culminating in the annual interschool challenge between Ilminster and Gisborne Intermediates played at the Kahutia Bowling Club.

The Interschool Challenge has been held every year since it was founded in 2005 - the brainchild of the late Poverty Bay Bowling Club member Athol O'Connor who wanted to introduce bowls to Year 7 and 8 pupils attending local Intermediate schools.

The 2017 event saw 36 players playing four rounds of two bowl pairs - with Gisborne Intermediate running out the winners by 39 points to 25 - only the third time in twelve years that Ilminster had finished runner up in the event.

But probably the highlight of Anne's year has been the introduction to local schools of a Junior Jack Attack bowls set purchased from Bowls Australia.  Gisborne's Central School hosted the first visit by Anne with the set's equipment and nearly 150 pupils from Year 5-6 enjoyed the Jack Attack experience. This year she also visited the Special Needs Unit at Lytton High School where she was thrilled with the enthusiasm shown by the students using the Jack Attack equipment.

With support from Sport Gisborne Tairawhiti, Anne hopes bowls will be included in the Wednesday afternoon’s Secondary Schools Sports options in 2018.  “I would love to see the reintroduction of the Bowls New Zealand Regional Secondary Schools finals,” adds Anne.  “It provides a great stepping stone to the National Kittyhawk Under 18 and Under 21 Easter events.”