Auckland’s young bowlers have produced an impressive performance in Wellington, claiming bronze at the National U26 Five-a-Side and improving on last season’s fourth-place finish.

Auckland topped its section after dropping just one game across pool play – the opening fours match against Dunedin. From there, the team hit its stride, recording convincing 2–0 victories over Bay of Plenty, Taranaki and the Nomads, a side made up of members from provinces that did not field a team.

One of the weekend’s highlights came against Taranaki, where Adam Bulcher and Hannah Dawson defeated current BlackJacks Briar Atkinson and Camron Horo 16–11 in the pairs.

Finishing top of the section earned Auckland a semi-final against Canterbury, runners-up in Section 1. Canterbury came out strongly in two high-quality matches, producing some outstanding bowls to establish early leads. Auckland fought hard but couldn’t close the gap, with Canterbury progressing to the final.

That left Auckland to take on Wellington in the bronze medal playoff, and the team responded in style, securing a 2–0 victory to claim third place.

It was an excellent two days of high-quality competition for the Auckland players, made even more significant by the presence of Bowls New Zealand U26 selectors Gary Lawson and Val Smith. The next New Zealand U26 team, which will contest several tournaments between now and Christmas, is expected to be named next month.

For Adam Bulcher, Anthony Ouellet and Hannah Dawson, the weekend wasn’t quite over. All three remained in Wellington to attend a Bowls New Zealand U26 training camp on Monday.

Bronze secured, a step up on last season’s result and plenty of encouragement for Auckland’s next generation of bowlers. A pretty good weekend in the capital! 💙🤍