Raymond Webster is back and keen to help Otago win the Welch Trophy for the first time since 2003.
Otago was runner-up to Canterbury in the national final last year and is keen to turn the tables.
The first step on the way will be at the Dunstan High School gymnasium in Alexandra this weekend for the zone 6 regional Paterson Trophy competition .
The six trophy winners will be found this weekend to go forward to the Welch Trophy interdistrict final in Hamilton from September 2-4.
Canterbury has won the trophy for the past three years. Last year's win came on the weekend of the September earthquake.
Webster (54), a Dunedin plumber, comes from a family of indoor bowlers. His six siblings all play the game.
The best-performed was Hanley Webster, who played for New Zealand in 1976. He won 10 Otago titles.
His sister, Carolyn Crawford, has won 15 Otago titles.
Raymond Webster has won 14 Otago titles and played for New Zealand in 1984. He was a member of the winning Otago Welch Trophy team in 1999 and when he last played, in 2007, Otago finished runner-up to Waikato.
Webster has been brought back into the Otago team this year to stiffen its resolve.
"I relish the big time," he said.
The team captain is Dunedin painter Daniel French (26), who is competing in his seventh Paterson Trophy. He is a South Island representative.
He has won seven Otago titles and was in the team that finished runner-up to Waikato in 2006 and to Canterbury last year.
The lead in the top Otago four is Hugh Bosman (48), a warehouse packer, who has won eight Otago titles. He has also won three New Zealand deaf championship titles.
The final member is David Webb (31), a Dunedin accountant, who started the game in Alexandra.
"We should have won the Welch Trophy last year," he said.
"We have to get it back this year to make amends."
The Otago B team is Craig Cowan, Bob Cowan, Kristen Gould and David Sinclair.
The other teams competing in this weekend's Paterson Trophy competition are Southland, South Otago, Central Otago, North Otago and South Canterbury.
South Otago will be led by Eileen Grant and Stephen Preddy, Central Otago by Mathew Begg and Sam Russell and North Otago by Gordon and Andrew Robb.
