But it was not because the 60-year-old had another gold bar to pin on his chest, but because he knew Otago would be guaranteed to win the champion of champions title.
His provincial team-mate, Lynn Keogh, had won the women's title and the pair met in an exciting final.
Keogh, who declined to give her age, won a tight match with her final bowl.
Rouvi was happy for his team-mate but is already plotting his revenge at next year's nationals which will be staged in Dunedin.
Keogh said she was ``elated'' with her win.
It is her first two national titles.
``I couldn't believe it,'' she said.
``I just thought it was so, so surreal. I never thought it would happen, to be honest.''
Keogh took up indoor bowls with her husband, Kevin, 12 years ago.
She had partial sight then but her eyesight has deteriorated and she now competes in the totally blind category.
Her husband, Kevin, is her guide.
He lets her know how far the kitty is and provides instructions to help her visualise where her bowls have stopped in relation to the kitty.
Chris Moffitt is Nooapii Rouvi's guide.
Janice Fleming and Tangi Rouvi, along with Michael Bardrick and Aeringa Rouvi, qualified for post-section play in the pairs but were eliminated before the quarterfinals.
Aeringa Rouvi also got knocked out by his brother, Nooapii, in the men's singles, and Fleming finished third in the women's partially-sighted singles.
