Hey everyone, Henrietta Scott here!

The Living House Burnside U26 Singles event, held from 4-6 October, was an absolute blast!  This awesome event, led by Tournament Organiser Kerrie Bruce brought together young bowlers from New Zealand, Australia, and the Cook Islands. It’s always a highlight to compete and catch up with fellow bowlers. 

This year, eight of us from Auckland competed across four sections and were ready to showcase our skills in a really competitive field. After seven tough rounds of section play, the divisions were set. Aiden Takarua, last year’s champion from Pt Chevalier, advanced to Division 1. Adam Baillie and Ryan Hill made it into Division 2 with strong performances, while I teamed up with Lee Warburton and Adam Blucher in Division 3. Ashleigh Jeffcoat and Liam Hill represented us in Division 4.

The knockout stages were intense! Adam delivered a thrilling match against Aussie Jack East, edging him out 21-20 in a nail-biting finish. Ryan staged an incredible comeback in his semi, overturning a 12-0 deficit to win 21-19. We even had an all-Auckland showdown in the Division 2 final, with Ryan taking the victory in another close match, 21-19. Ashleigh fought hard but came up just short in her Division 4 final, earning a runner-up spot.

The big highlight of the weekend was Aiden’s incredible performance in the Division 1 final. He dominated his match against Seamus Curtin, winning 21-7 to become the first back-to-back champion of the Burnside U26 Singles!  Overall, it was an epic weekend full of skill, competition, and great vibes. If you’ve never been, it’s definitely an event to check out!

For full results and more event details, click here.