Lawn bowls players will take part in the National Deaf Lawn Bowls Championship at Waihōpai Bowls Club — rain or shine.
Waihōpai Bowls Club member and championships host Philippa Strong said she would be praying for sunshine but even if it rained it would not stop the group from holding the national tournament.
If the weather deteriorated over the long weekend, the national contest games would be moved, she said.
"If it should rain ... the greenkeepers would not let us play here because it would cause damage — but we have a plan B to transfer it [games] over to Rowena Jackson because it is a wet-weather green," Mrs Strong said.
The contest was last held in Invercargill in 2013, on a hot Saturday which sent Mrs Strong home to change into her shorts, but then the Sunday afternoon brought snow.
The 2025 tournament had attracted 41 participants, with one North Island player coming from Pokeno and the rest from the South Island.
Lawn bowlers representing Southland are Barry Heyrick, Roger and Philippa Strong, Ben Bartlett and Wynice Brown.
The mixed, deaf and hard of hearing team were not only competing in the national contest but they were also helping to host the event.
Getting their team training in was proving to be sporadic as the time got closer to the competition date, she said.
Despite having to train solo most of the time, the five Deep South representatives said they were ready to make their mark in the competitive games.
Potential success at this weekend’s contest would enable the players to represent New Zealand at the International Deaf Lawn Bowls Championship in two years.
"We are all trying really hard to do well at these championships because we want to go to Australia for the international bowls," she said.
This weekend’s championship events would start with singles matches and a barbecue on Friday, mixed pairs on Saturday and ending with triples games, dinner and prizegiving on Sunday.
The championship organisers thanked the Waihōpai Bowling Club, sponsors and businesses from Southland, Central Otago and Te Awamutu for their support.
The details
National Deaf Lawn Bowls Championship, October 24-26.
Waihōpai Bowls Club, 63 Park St, Invercargill.
