Emerging talent from across the upper North Island gathered for the second annual 1–5 Octagonal, a key developmental event designed to provide the next generation of representative bowlers with valuable high-performance experience.

The tournament brings together players with up to five years’ experience in the sport, creating an environment where learning, competition and camaraderie sit side by side. For many participants, it was their first taste of structured representative competition, making the Octagonal an important stepping stone on the bowls pathway.

It also marked a milestone for Auckland, with the 1–5 squad travelling out of the region for the first time to compete in an overnight, multi-day event.

Across the weekend, teams representing Auckland, North Harbour, Counties Manukau, Waikato, Bay of Plenty, Thames Valley, Northland and Far North battled through a full round robin format under the Bay of Plenty sunshine at the picturesque Matua Bowling Club. Bowls Bay of Plenty and Matua delivered an outstanding event, marking the first time an Octagonal has been hosted outside of Auckland or North Harbour.

Men’s Competition

The Auckland men’s side faced an early wake-up call, going down 1–2 to Far North in the opening round. What initially looked like an upset quickly proved otherwise, as Far North led the standings through the opening five rounds.

However, momentum shifted late in the tournament, with Far North dropping all rink points across rounds six and seven, ultimately finishing just outside the top three, only one rink point behind Auckland.

Auckland’s campaign was led strongly by “senior” players Nicky Third and Sam Brack, who shared the singles role and competed across all rounds and disciplines, each contributing five wins. Team debutant Morgan McConnell impressed in five rounds, recording three wins and a draw, and marked himself as a player to watch in future seasons.

A strong final round performance saw Auckland defeat Bay of Plenty 2–1, who were leading the competition at the time. Despite the result, Auckland men finished third, just one rink point behind Bay of Plenty.

In an incredibly tight finish, Waikato surged late, collecting maximum rink points across the final two rounds to edge Bay of Plenty by just half a rink point. The top four teams mentioned all finished on 15 match points, highlighting the depth and competitiveness of the field.

Women’s Competition

The Auckland women’s side delivered a commanding performance across the weekend.

They opened with a 3–0 win over Far North and completed day one undefeated, collecting 10 of a possible 12 rink points. Day two saw continued momentum, with a 2–1 win over Bay of Plenty and a 3–0 victory against Counties Manukau.

Their only setback came in the final round, where North Harbour claimed a 3–0 win to deny Auckland a clean sweep and move themselves comfortably into second place.

Auckland finished on 18 match points and 15 rink points, with North Harbour close behind on 16.5 and 15.5 respectively. Far North rallied strongly to claim third, finishing on 12 match points and 10 rink points.

Back-to-Back Champions

With the men’s competition so tightly contested, the dominant performance of the Auckland women proved decisive, securing Auckland’s overall title for the second consecutive year.

The standout story of the weekend came from Far North. Just twelve months ago, they were unable to participate due to limited resources and support, in addition to questions around competitiveness. This year, the players rallied with determination, competing in hand-me-down uniforms, and established themselves as genuine contenders in future.

Looking Ahead

Congratulations to Bowls Bay of Plenty and Matua Bowling Club for delivering an exceptional event, and to all centres for their contribution to a highly competitive and enjoyable weekend.

Bowls Auckland also acknowledges Sam Brack, Nicky Third and Donna Davison, who have now completed their final 1–5 representative campaigns, along with all fifth-year squad members. We thank them for their contribution and wish them all the best in their future representative journeys.

👉Check the results