The Shade Systems Champion of Champions Singles headlined a weekend full of quality matchups, a few surprising results and plenty of drama. At Remuera, Carlton Cornwall’s Helen Blick found her rhythm quickly in the round of 16, playing consistent draw bowls and leaving her opposition chasing scoring opportunities. It was a trait that remained a feature throughout all her matches, including the final.
In the quarter-final, Blick faced a composed Ting-Ting Ip of Howick. The contrast in styles was clear; Blick plays at a brisk tempo, while Ip takes a more deliberate approach. Blick produced a masterclass in keeping the game simple, drawing consistently and advancing 21–3.
In the semi-final, young Hannah Dawson looked set to be Blick’s undoing. Despite Blick building a solid lead, Dawson clawed her way back into the contest and took control late, moving ahead 18–15. Blick was able to find a second wind, advancing to 20, before Dawson held two shots on the following end and had the opportunity to close the game with her final bowl. Alas, a final 20-all shootout was required. Blick drew two stunning shots, and Dawson was unable to connect with the shot bowls to force another end.
Meanwhile, eventual champion Lesley McLinden (Royal Oak) had an equally challenging route to the final. Opening against Donna Davison (St Heliers), the match stayed low scoring for some time before McLinden was able to string ends together and claim a 21–9 win. Her second match saw another worthy adversary in Maroi Pereeti of Auckland BC, and again, amongst some outstanding heads, McLinden found a way through. From there, McLinden defeated 1-5 reps Jeni Hart and Tracey Brayshaw respectively, advancing to the final and setting up a high-quality contest against Blick.
The final was a display of head building, patience, and shot selection. McLinden’s main advantage was her comfort in playing attacking bowls, including a couple of key drives to kill and replay important ends. Those moments proved decisive, giving her the slight edge over Blick and helping secure the 2026 Shade Systems Champ of Champs Singles title.
In the men’s event, it was business as usual for the expected favourites. On opposite sides of the draw, there was plenty of fanfare and hype around the possibility of a Steve Campbell versus Mike Galloway final, and the community was certainly divided. As Campbell alluded to in his victory speech, it was the third time the two had met in recent seasons in singles competition, with Galloway having been the victor on both previous occasions.
It was not all smooth sailing for either finalist.
Campbell faced serious contenders in Kerry Dye of Henderson, Dean Edge of St Heliers, and Percy Lambly of Papatoetoe on his way to the final. In many cases, the scoreboard did not fully reflect the quality of bowls played, but it did highlight Campbell’s ability to consistently be that one bowl closer, a trait that would again prove important in the final.
Galloway, on the other hand, accounted for Scott McCamish (Te Atatū) in round one, before making light work of Pt Chevalier’s John Petelo. He then faced a mentally challenging third-round match against Mt Wellington’s Sam Brack. Eventually advancing 21–11, the match was highlighted by six consecutive killed ends from Brack, who may have been struggling to find consistency in his draw game, but clearly had no difficulty taking the shorter route when required.
In the final, Campbell hit the ground running. His first bowl was highly effective and proved key to his early success, forcing Galloway to be creative with his shot play on a narrow Remuera carpet. Despite a game featuring many quality heads, Galloway was unable to consistently find the accuracy required within the final 15 inches, which was enough space for an in-form Campbell to be deadly.
Finding himself 10–0 up, and then shortly after scoring a four, Campbell took control of the match and showed great composure against his far more experienced competitor. Campbell attributed much of his success to his loyal supporters, the hard work of his coaches, and the continued support of his bowling teammates.
The Champ of Champs Series continues this weekend with the Fours. Head along to Royal Oak this Sunday to catch the final action.
👉For full results
