Bays Cup 1-5 Pairs – Competition Report

Good bowls, great company and a club that knows how to put on a show!

Our annual Bays Cup tournament, catering for our 1–5 year bowlers, was held on 26

October 2026, with Mairangi Bay fielding six teams and welcoming a further 22

teams from around the wider Auckland region – some travelling from all points of the

compass to join us for the day.

Match Convenor, Tony Popplewell, got proceedings underway following a live draw,

setting the scene for a day of keen competition, good camaraderie and bowls played

in the best possible spirit.

The format saw teams play four games of 2-4-2 over 10 ends, with a time limit of 1

hour 20 minutes per game. There was plenty to play for, and by the end of the fourth

round, two teams had emerged with four wins from four. After the countback, Dave

Collins and Sacha Collins from Titirangi took home the Cup, with Howick’s Eddie

Taylor and Martin de Loughery, finishing a very worthy second. Congratulations to

both teams on an excellent performance!

While the home teams didn’t quite manage to keep the Cup at Mairangi Bay this

year, there were still plenty of reasons to be pleased with our players’ efforts.

Graeme/Barry finished with three wins, while Craig/Dennis and Queenie/Christine

each recorded two wins. Solid performances all round – and with another

tournament under their belts, there’s always next year!

And let’s not forget Guy/Danny, Steve/Gary and Maureen/Helen finishing with one

win or perhaps still chasing that elusive first victory. Competitive bowls is as much

about the experience, learning and enjoyment as it is about the final scorecard.

A well-oiled machine!

One of the standout features of the day was just how smoothly everything ran. From

the preparation by Greenkeeper Brendan and setting up of the greens by Leon and

his volunteers, to the lunch that went down a treat, ably prepared by Rosemary,

Flora, Annie, Colleen and the bar service expertly managed by Colleen and Annie – it

was a terrific team effort behind the scenes.

Barry McCrystal helped out where needed and also deserves a special mention for

organising the prizes, having secured some generous donations from club members.

Our Club President, Tony Stanaway opened and closed the event, adding the official

touch at either end of a very enjoyable day.

We also want to acknowledge and sincerely thank Les Boulton for his longstanding

support and sponsorship of this tournament. His generosity and commitment over

the years have helped sustain the event and ensure it remains an important fixture.

on our club’s calendar. Unfortunately, he was unable to join us this year, but his

continued support is very much appreciated.

And, of course, thank you to our fellow club members for their support on the day.

It’s that willingness to get involved and support one another that makes our club

such a great place to play.

Barry Baillie