The North Islanders are on their two-yearly tour of the South Island — the southerners head north in alternate years — and have a busy schedule.
They played two games, against Nelson and Marlborough-Golden Bay, on Saturday night, before playing Canterbury in Christchurch on Sunday night.
Monday night’s clash with Timaru-Ashburton in Ashburton was followed by a game against Central-North Otago in Cromwell last night.
Otago will host the North Island at the Otago Indoor Bowls Stadium tonight.
Otago has generally been more than competitive in the fixture, and will be eager to challenge the North Islanders on home turf.
Keri Te Tamaki has the singles position for the Otago women.
Lyn Rance and Tracey van Tuel are the pair, Amanda Katipa, Stephane Joyce and Jacquie Williams are in the triples, and Judy Sell, Shirley Ruthven, Lynn Baird and Nicola Rodger form the fours combination.
For the men, David Webb is the singles representative, Daniel French and Cameron Ellis are the pair, Nic Sinclair, Brandon Williams and Hugh Bosman compete in triples, and Daniel Sinclair, Raymond Webster, Kristen Gould and John Williams are in the fours.
The North Island plays Southland-South Otago in Invercargill tomorrow night before the annual ‘‘test’’ against the South Island in Invercargill on Saturday. The tour was introduced in 1980 with the respective island teams playing districts either singly or in combination.
It always ends with the interisland clash for the Kevin Eddy Memorial Trophy.
Island teams, each consisting of 10 men and 10 women, are selected from nominations received from districts.
Four Otago players, three Southland players and one South Otago player have been named in the South Island team.
In the men’s team, Williams joins Gary Low (Southland) in the pairs, and French and Webb are in the fours.
Te Tamaki and Alanna Moffitt (South Otago) are the pairs combination in the women’s team,
Suzanne Mackie (Southland) is the women’s singles representative, and van Tuel joins Christine Langley (Southland) in the fours.
