A record-breaking field of 44 teams will take to the greens for the ABCA Cup this weekend, with those having success at last weekend’s Campi and Canoe events proving their form and placing themselves among the favourites to rise again.

Several names pop off the charts as ones to keep an eye on, with defending champion skip Sam Brack looking to avenge his plate win last weekend. Canoe champion Thomas Teinaki has a very similar team to last weekend, replacing only his lead for the 1-5 women’s representative, Filipo; on paper, a double is very much in play. The West had a strong showing with seven of their ten teams making the respective top eights last weekend. They field nine strong, well-balanced teams this weekend and should expect to be in the mix.

Key matchups will always make or break a compact format like the ABCA. At Howick on the E green, two early headline encounters stand out. South East’s Chris Hand meets West’s Craig Moffat in Round 2, before taking on South’s Fraema Akaruru-Teinaki in Round 3. Those matches could prove pivotal in shaping the latter stages of the competition.

Players drawn at Pakuranga should note their earlier start, with Round 1 beginning at 8:30 am. Teams at both Howick greens will begin at 9:00 am. This allows those at Pakuranga time to head to Howick post-play, find a car park and attend the prize-giving.

As the carpark has been resurfaced this week, we encourage those heading to Howick to arrive a little earlier than usual, just in case there is any difficulty finding parking.

The Taylor Bowls raffle of a set of bowls and bag will also be drawn during prize-giving. Limited to 100 tickets, there are still some available and will be at both Howick and Pakuranga throughout the day.  

With 44 teams in the field and every zone bringing quality combinations, the ABCA Cup promises to be a fitting final showcase of the winter coaching programme and a hard-fought contest from the opening bowl.

Good luck to all teams, and good bowling.

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