Another chapter in impressive Scott history

Sarah Scott
Sarah Scott
Sarah Scott has just written another chapter in what is becoming an impressive sporting family history.

Scott was on Thursday named in this year’s New Zealand high-performance squad, the seventh member of her family to make a New Zealand senior side.

The Invercargill bowler, who shifted south from Dunedin about a year ago, said she was chuffed to make the side and continue the family tradition.

Her great uncle Kevin played for New Zealand as did his son Shaun. Bill and his wife Noeleen Scott, who are great uncle and aunt of Sarah, both played for New Zealand while Sarah’s father Terry and her uncle Jim played for New Zealand.

Sarah (35) said she never had any pressure to play bowls but she was drawn to the sport about 10 years ago.

"I grew up around bowling clubs but I never thought I would ever play. There was no pressure to get out and play," she said.

"But about nine years ago I got involved and really enjoyed it and went from there. It’s been a long road but one I have really enjoyed. It’s a pretty cool thing to carry on the name."

She was coached by her father and said the coaching relationship was fine.

"The family advice is quite helpful and dad always looks out for me and is always there to give me a few words of advice."

Scott, who works as a fisheries officer in the South, had teamed up with Nicole Toomey, of Wellington, to compete the Hong Kong international pairs tournament late last year where the pair finished with a bronze out of 24 teams, which was an impressive effort.

Terry Scott said his daughter had played bowls when she was young but took a spell away from the game when at university.

"She played a bit when she was at school but I think that was just to get away on the trips. When she went to university and then she did an OE she never played," he said.

"But when she came back she rang me up one day and said ‘do you want to play a game of bowls with me?’ and it just went from there."

Sarah had made it through to the semifinals of the singles at the national championships earlier this month in Auckland before losing to to Selina Goddard.

The national high-performance squad was targeting a good performance at the Asia-Pacific Championships on the Gold Coast in June and the big goal was the world championships to be played at the same venue next year.

Also included in the high-performance squad was Dunedin bowler Mike Kernaghan.

Kernaghan (63) made himself unavailable for the Commonwealth Games team last year, thinking he could not do the sufficient preparation needed for the event.

But after the men’s team failed to win a medal, changes were made with a new selection team, putting Kernaghan back in the mix.

Kernaghan said he was always available and it was great to see his name being back in the squad.

He was just easing into the season and was playing in the Burnside pairs in Christchurch this weekend.

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