With stunning weather over the weekend, 144 Pairs competed across Auckland for the Centre Pairs titles. Host clubs included Howick, East Tāmaki, Pakuranga, Pt Chevalier, Te Atatū, Pringle Park, and Blockhouse Bay, providing excellent conditions for top-level play.

Men’s event

Fifty men’s Pairs advanced to post-section play. As expected, familiar names featured prominently, but the depth of talent stood out. After the bye round reduced the field to 32, upsets began. Defending champions Chris Lowe and Jordan King fell 20-17 to rising stars David Motu and Ryan Hill. Meanwhile, Nick Thompson and Mark Posa delivered a crushing 24-4 defeat to Liam and Bones Hill, before edging out Motu and Hill in the next round.
In the round of 16, Peter and Adam Blucher overcame a deficit to defeat Balmoral’s Waugh & Watkins pairing, 21-18 in a stunning comeback. Alex Reed and Stephen Campbell dominated their post-section matches, with Reed chasing a gold star and Campbell seeking his first title.
Representing Papatoetoe, Tokelau’s Peni Panapa and Pale Luka, fresh off Oceania gold, will face Cook Islands Teo Turua and Taiki Paniani, now in Mount Albert colours. This highly anticipated clash will stream live on Bowls Auckland’s YouTube channel 9:00 am Saturday.

Women’s event

A strong women’s field saw 23 pairs qualify, though some notable players missed out. Hannah Dawson and Ting-Ting Ip (Howick) impressed, winning their section play and the round of 16 matches before falling to fellow 1-5 reps Jane Seagar and Donna Davison (St Heliers).
Defending champions Rima Strickland and Nicole Singer (Royal Oak) advance to the final eight despite a heavy section-play loss to Seagar/Davison. The quarterfinal lineup showcases experience and emerging talent, with Balmoral’s Tessa Farley and Katy Merritt as a pair to watch from the top half of the draw. In the bottom half, Linda Ralph and Jo Cheng (Carlton Cornwall) will face the St Heliers 1-5s, while Catherine Bien (St Heliers) meets Clara Bowman and Bev Crowe (Carlton Cornwall) in another exciting matchup of experienced played.

👉 Check here for full results

Centre Finals

The Centre Finals weekend begins Saturday 14 December.

Saturday features the Women’s Fours, Men’s Pairs, and 1-5 Women’s Pairs (from earlier in the season). Sunday concludes with the Men’s Fours and Women’s Pairs.
Selected matches will be broadcast live on Saturday. Support your clubmates by attending in club colours.

👉 Check our YouTube channel for broadcast links