Ultimate Bowls Championship gets rolling

By Bransen Gibson

Dec 11, 2022

Strategy: Moama Black's Alex Marshall assesses the options before his team’s next shot. Photo by Bransen Gibson

There was only one place where you could see lions, gorillas, crocs, sharks, raptors, kiwis and eagles all in action over the weekend — the Moama Bowling Club.

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Those are just some of the 26 teams currently competing at the Ultimate Bowls Championship.

The six-day event got under way on Sunday, with elite bowlers from across the world going head-to-head.

Teams comprised of the best bowls players from all around the globe have descended on Moama for the tournament, vying for a share of $500,000 in prize money — the richest bowls prize in the world.

After an opening ceremony on Saturday night, play began on Sunday morning, with the action coming thick and fast.

The greens at Moama Bowling Club were buzzing with action. More than 100 different matches were held on Sunday alone, with six games being played at the same time.

The dome over the rinks not only kept the rain away, but it also helped amplify the buzz and noise around the venue.

Cheers and applause from the crowd rang out, mixed in with the shouts and commands of skippers directing where they wanted the next bowl to be placed.

In the background, music was being pumped from speakers around the venue, giving the whole event a party vibe.

Great Scot: Alex Marshall is a Commonwealth Games gold medalist for Scotland and is representing Moama Black at the UBC. Photo by Bransen Gibson

Hive of activity: Bowlers in the middle of five different games on the green at Moama Bowling Club Photo by Bransen Gibson

It did not just sound like a party, it looked like one, too.

Spectators were parked around the green with cool, refreshing drinks in hand.

The stereotypical white bowls uniforms were nowhere to be seen, replaced instead by bright, vibrant shirts of all colours and designs, each one emblazoned with their team’s name and logo.

Some teams are named after cats, like the tigers and lions. Others have nicknames of less mainstream animals, such as gorillas, hornets, spiders and raptors.

One team — Exodas — gets its name from a transport and logistics company, with an impressive looking truck serving as its logo.

Moama has two teams in action at the UBC — Moama Green and Moama Black.

Ryan Bester, Kevin Anderson and Wayne Turley are representing Moama Green, with Alex Marshall, Ryan Burnett and Cass Millerick making up Moama Black.

The UBC consists of three two-day events, all held one after the other. The 26 teams are randomly drawn into two 13-team sections.

The teams in each section play each other once, with the top performers from each group playing one another in the finals.

Midway through day one of the action on Sunday, both home sides were off to a good start.

Moama Black was sitting atop the section B ladder with five wins, one defeat and an impressive +153 point differential.

Moama Green picked up a number of good early results too, with its four wins, two defeats and +65 point differential having it in fifth spot on the 13-team ladder.