New home for Men’s Region Sides
One of Victoria’s major bowls events will now be played in the Latrobe Valley.
Bowls Victoria has signed an event agreement with the Latrobe City Council that will see its Victorian Men’s Region Sides Championship conducted in the Latrobe Valley for the next two years.
Representatives of Bowls Victoria met with Latrobe City Council to confirm the details of a new event agreement that sees this prestigious event now to be hosted in the Latrobe Valley at Traralgon Bowls Club from 13-15 April in 2018 and also in 2019.
The relationship between Latrobe City Council and Bowls Victoria builds on a solid foundation laid from when the Latrobe City Council hosted the Trans-Tasman series for Bowls Australia at Traralgon in 2014.
Bowls Victoria State President Barbara Gilbert said: “As a State Sporting Association with a very large representation of Regional Clubs and members, Bowls Victoria has a strong commitment to placing events of this nature in locations that can offer a complete sporting and sports tourism experience for the visiting bowlers, their accompanying persons, spectators and followers of bowls in general.”
The Men’s Region Sides Championship is a blue ribbon event featuring the State’s top male bowlers – among them, many of Australia’s best – in action in a teams competition played over three days.
The Men’s Region Sides Championship has been held at Corowa for the past three years.
Bowls Victoria Chief Executive Graeme Bridge said: “This announcement signals the end of an association for this event with the Corowa Civic BC and it goes without saying that Corowa’s contribution to the Men’s Region Sides has been very much appreciated over the past three seasons they conducted the Championships at their venue with Bowls Victoria. It will now provide an opportunity for Traralgon BC to stamp their mark on this event and make the experience a memorable one for everyone who attends the event in April 2018.
“In excess of 200 participants in total will be competing for the 16 Region Sides based around Victoria and Border Regions of NSW and they will be accompanied by their attending side officials, Bowls Victoria Event Organisers and Umpires and spectators, so it will make for a very solid two and a half days of competition and socialising for everyone in Traralgon.”
“The opportunity to work in conjunction with the Latrobe City Council to promote not just this event but also everything on offer in the Latrobe Region makes this a very exciting proposition for Bowls Victoria to be engaged in.”
Latrobe City Council’s mayor, Councillor Kellie O’Callaghan, said Council was thrilled to have signed the agreement with Bowls Victoria.
“Hosting the Men’s Region Sides Championship will see us deliver yet another elite sporting event in Latrobe City. We are building a strong reputation in the sport and event tourism field and our venues and facilities are amongst the best in the state.
“Our community is passionate about sports and recreation and the bowling community, in particular, is thriving here. I have no doubt that the Traralgon Bowls Club will deliver a well-organised, well-attended event and we look forward to welcoming the visiting bowlers and entourage next year.”
Traralgon Bowls Club is a large and modern bowls facility that can cater for all player and spectator needs with excellent customer service, four bowls greens, outstanding catering facilities (awarded CCV Bistro of the year in 2015), car parking and spectator viewing with up-close seating for spectators to get involved in the competition.
Traralgon Bowls Club chairman Austin Gapper said: “The Traralgon Bowls Club in partnership with Bowls Victoria and Latrobe City Council are very proud and excited to announce the hosting of the 2017-18 and 2018-19 Men’s Region Sides Championship.
“This is a prestigious event in which to showcase the state’s best lawn bowlers in what will be a fiercely contested competition.
“It is these high level sporting events that provide the Traralgon Bowls Club and Latrobe City Council the opportunity to highlight to Victoria and Australia just what our unique region has to offer to all codes of sport.”
Traralgon a venue that offers it all – Latrobe Valley Express
