The two Kia Toa Bowling Club members have their sights set on 2028, which would mark a century of service to the sport they love.
The pair are heartened by the current state of the game in South Canterbury.
Kia Toa is enjoying a surge in membership, with fresh faces — both young and old — showing immense promise in development competitions.
For Jim and Leo, however, the draw has always been about more than just the scoreboard.
"You never regret taking up this game," they agree.
"It’s about the people first, the competition second. You can walk into any club in New Zealand or Australia and be made to feel at home."
They both played plenty games for South Canterbury with a lot of success and fun.
Jim Vevers arrived in New Zealand from Carlisle, Scotland, in 1963.
His journey was anything but routine; after his cruise ship caught fire mid-voyage, he was rescued and flown the rest of the way.
Jimmy, known as the "Silent Assassin" for his resemblance to TV presenter Warwick Davis, made the move to Timaru in 1999.
He says joining Kia Toa was the "second-best decision" he ever made, trailing only his marriage to his wife Judy.
Jimmy has since amassed 17 club titles at Kia Toa and has a few more to come.
At centre level he has won four centre titles for Wellington Sub Centre, 11 centre titles for Kapiti Coast, and a staggering 22 South Canterbury centre titles.
His crowning glory came in 1989, winning the NZ National Pairs title alongside David Blanche in a 19-7 cliffhanger against father and son combination from Oratia club in Auckland Carl and Frank Arenrich.
He nearly repeated the feat in 2006, finishing runner-up alongside cricket legend Peter Petherick, known for his famous hat trick in test cricket, in an all-Paraparaumu final.
This was an magnificent achievement for club to have two teams in final overcoming a strong field.
Leo Leonard’s path to the green was paved with high-octane adrenaline.
Before taking up bowls in 1979, Leo was a titan of New Zealand motorsport, winning the Benson & Hedges 1000km race a record seven times.
On the rugby field, the man nicknamed "Flea" was a legendary first-five for Old Boys.
That sporting IQ translated seamlessly to the rink.
Leo has earned 31 Kia Toa club titles and 21 South Canterbury titles.
His finest individual hour came in 1993, when he conquered a massive field to win the NZ Champion of Champion Singles for South Canterbury centre.
In a testament to his "underdog" status at the time, officials had mistakenly booked his flight home for 1pm — two hours before the final even started.
Leo stayed, played, and won.
He beat Dennis Scholium, representing the BOP centre, 21-17.
There was an amazing 27,803 entries for event, an outstanding performance.
The following year, he led Kia Toa to national glory in the "Magnificent Seven" interclub sevens, a victory that saw the side named South Canterbury Team of the Year.
While Leo lost his "rock" last year with the death of his wife and club life member Maureen, his passion for the club remains undiminished.
While the veterans celebrate the removal of time limits in modern play, they both lament the loss of the Super Bowls and Champion of Champion Singles from the national calendar, two events they say "sorted the men from the boys."
"The game is focusing more on shorter formats now," they note, "but to win a New Zealand title, there still has to be the test of 25-end fours and first-to-21 singles." — Richie Kerr
