Bowls: Two New Plymouth clubs first championships in new season

Grant Hassall

New Plymouth and West End have emerged as victors of the first major bowls championships of the new season.

Elaine Hodge’s New Plymouth side (pictured) claimed the HTL Group-sponsored women’s centre fours at Tower on Monday, while on an adjacent rink, Craig De Faria continued to add to his remarkable record, winning his 33rd Taranaki title, when he skipped his West End team to take out the Metcalfe Real Estate-sponsored men’s centre fours.

Hodge combined with Anne Brophy, Val Symes and Margy Carey as they defeated Okato’s Sandra Price, Fiona Liddall, Cindy Gray and skip Linda Kape in the final, winning 18-11.

A four on the second end gave the early edge to Kape, her side leading 8-5 after seven of the 15 heads. However, with counts of 2-3-2, Hodge turned that advantage around. Kape clawed a three back on the 11th end, making it 12-11, but New Plymouth won the four remaining heads to take the title.

It was Hodge’s seventh Taranaki title, a third for Brophy, a second for Symes and a fourth for Carey.

Sharing third-equal were Caro Christiansen, Frances Busby, Geneva Barnard and Faye Hopkins (Tower) and Melissa McEwen-Shepherd, Marlene McArthur, Bridget Fletcher and Gale Fache (Paritutu).

De Faria’s seven triumph in the men’s event was achieved with Daniel Shepherd, Bruce Colgan and Steve Walker. It was Colgan’s fourth Taranaki title of 2026 and he now has six in total, Walker, the outstanding performer of the final, has 13, while it was a first for Shepherd.

Shepherd, a dual member with Stratford-Avon, is a fourth-year player and has previously represented the Cook Islands in soccer.

De Faria’s team had a hard road to success. They won the final 16-9 over a Tower side skipped by Bruce Phillips and including the three Anderson brothers – Brendan, Grant and Mark.

A close encounter, with only singles scored on eight of the first nine ends, Phillips led 8-7 through 11 heads. But a five on the next end swung the momentum fully towards West End. A four two ends later sealed the result.

In the semifinals, De Faria came from 12-7 down to beat Tower’s Jason Peters, Kelly Hill, John Roberts and Scott Roberts 17-14, while Phillips beat the Oakura quartet of Bob Anderson, Jim Priest, Steve Muller and skip Craig Murray 14-7.