Bowls: Rep teams named as new president takes over

Grant Hassall

New Bowls Taranaki president Robert Wolfe is looking forward to a full season, as the province commences its representative programme this weekend against Whanganui at Paritutu.

Wolfe will be in charge when the men’s senior and development sides tangle with the best from the river city on August 1-2.

The following weekend it will be the turn of the women, before both genders meet Waikato on September 5-6.

Wolfe brings a wealth of sporting, local body and business experience to the role. He was a stalwart of the Eltham community, which included 21 years serving on the Borough Council and, after the local government reforms of 1989, the Community Board.

He also served as secretary and president of the rugby club, which led to a 10-year period on the Taranaki Rugby Football Union.

That tenure only concluded when Wolfe and wife Gloria moved to Auckland in 1999 for work. They returned to the province in 2015.

Wolfe comes from bowling stock. His father, Syd, was a Taranaki pairs winner and served with diligence for 10 years on the Taranaki men’s executive. An Uncle, Terry, was the 1970 champion-of-champions singles winner.

Wolfe followed them both into the Eltham club in the 1970s, but after marrying, gave bowls away until he was lured back into twilight bowls in Auckland, eventually joining Bucklands Beach.

He has become a key component of the Waitara club for a number of years now, serving as vice president, before he joined the Taranaki Board in 2019. His stint there has also included three years as chairman.

Wolfe has been involved with the fabulous fortnight of bowls – January’s Open fours – over recent years and looks forward to 2027.

“It will be full on again. The province can feel real proud of its success.”

Membership remains a key focus, even though this has stabilised in recent years.

“We have opportunities in the youth area and have two great local examples with Briar Atkinson and Camron Horo.”

A key focus of the board was to work with clubs, Wolfe said.

In other changes, Kevin Gledhill and Neville Nodder have joined the Taranaki board, following the retirements of Kristin Stampa and Val McEldowney.

Meanwhile on the greens, men’s selector John Gray, with a few players unavailable this season, has elevated two promising players from the south, Jason Peters and Nigel Berry, into his squad for this weekend’s fixture.

Among those players not available are Dean Elgar, who was a bronze medallist in the recent national champion-of-champions singles, and Kurt Smith, who will return to the squad after the Glasgow Games.

Women’s selector Chris Commane will use the Whanganui game as a trial, with her squad for the senior announced prior to the Waikato match.

Elgar was recently named Taranaki’s top men’s player for the year, with Jackie Moeahu the leading women. Other award winners were Urenui (club), Betty Brunton (umpire), Megan Peters (administrator), Amanda Crehan (coach), and Tower’s Phil Kuklinski and Mike Werder (greenkeepers).

Teams to meet Whanganui, senior men: Bruce Colgan, Nathan Goodin, Jason Peters, Adam Collins, Steve Temperton, Craig De Faria, Nigel Berry, Kelly Hill; development men: Ross Sinclair, Steve Fevre, Shae Fleming, Trevor Taunt, Paul Spurdle, Blair Clark, Craig Murray, Gavin Benton, Craig O’Sullivan, Simon Rowe.