Bowls: Unity undermined,former selector says

The judicial case against Gary Lawson and his fours team by Bowls New Zealand has upset the balance in New Zealand bowls and it is likely to take years to get rid of the bad blood between the opposing factions.

Former New Zealand selector Bruce Malcolm told the Otago Daily Times yesterday that the process took too long and has undermined the unity of the New Zealand bowls team as it prepares for the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi.

The Dunedin-based Malcolm was a national men's selector when New Zealand won the Leonard Trophy for the first time and dominated World Bowls in Christchurch in 2008.

"It's got completely out of hand," Malcolm said. "Every player in the team was asked to give evidence against their fellow players. They will never trust their team-mates again."

Bowls New Zealand said in a statement yesterday that the men's four of Lawson, Jamie Hill, Shane Sincock and Shannon McIlroy was guilty of deliberately losing an end in a game against Thailand at last year's Asia and Pacific Bowls in Kuala Lumpur.

Chairman John Carter stated that "the Bowls New Zealand board considered the allegations very serious, as throwing a game goes to the very heart of the sport".

"The behaviour of the four players was a terrible example to other players including young and new international players.

"This decision makes it clear to all players that this conduct will not be tolerated."

Bowls New Zealand will be making submissions to the judicial committee on the penalties to be imposed on the players and considers it is not appropriate to make further comment.

Malcolm was manager of the New Zealand team that competed at the Asia and Pacific Bowls in 1999, a time unity was building within the team.

It continued during his time as a national selector.

"We wanted to develop team unity," Malcolm said.

"If someone committed a sin, we would take them aside and talk to them.

"If Bowls New Zealand did not have enough evidence themselves, they should have dropped the case against Lawson instead of questioning every other member of the team."

It was only Malcolm's strong advocacy at selection panel meetings that resulted in Lawson being named in the team for World Bowls in 2008.

He left with two gold medals and was responsible for New Zealand's dominance at Christchurch.

"If we want to perform well at the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi, Lawson should be the first bowler selected," Malcolm said.

The president of Bowls Dunedin, Robbie Thomson, said Bowls Dunedin had not received any information from Bowls New Zealand about the Lawson affair and he did not know enough to comment about it.

"But there has been a lot of free publicity for the sport" which was good for bowls, he said.

The convener of the Speight's North East Valley Invitation singles, Neil Williams, said Bowls New Zealand removed details of the annual tournament from its website last October because Lawson and other members of the fours team played in the prestigious tournament.

"Bowls New Zealand made a huge issue out of a practice that has gone on for years," Williams said. "It's been a storm in a tea cup but has caused major disruption to the sport."

The convener of Youth Bowls in Dunedin, Anne Craik, said Bowls Dunedin had a code of conduct that players had to sign when they went away in Dunedin teams.

"It includes a ban on alcohol and drugs and anything else that could bring bowls into disrepute," Craik said.

"We expect good behaviour from our teams and want the players to have good sportsmanship."

The young players looked up to the internationals.

"It is not good for the sport when top players do this [as Bowls NZ claims of Lawson's four]," she said.

"But it is always important to bring these incidents out into the open."

The penalty imposed on the players will not be known for 10 days.