Natasha Scott to Lead St Kilda in Premier Pennant Campaign
Dual Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games gold medallist Natasha Scott is set to light up Bowls Victoria’s 2018/19 Metropolitan Pennant Premier Division. Dual Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games gold medallist Natasha Scott (Raymond Terrace Bowling Club, NSW), is set to light up Bowls Victoria’s 2018/19 Metropolitan Pennant Premier Division as a ‘marquee player’ for St Kilda Bowling Club, the second-oldest Bowls Club in Australia with a 153-year history and counting.
Image credit: AAP Image/Darren England
As Australia’s number one ranked player and captain of the National Side, Scott’s decision to represent St Kilda and participate in the Saturday Pennant competition is a major coup for Head Coach Brett Spurr, the Bowls Club, and Victorian Pennant Bowls.
“St Kilda Bowling Club put together a strong proposal at the perfect time, because playing Pennant in Victoria has always been on my bowls bucket list,” says Scott.
“Everyone I’ve spoken to about the Metropolitan Pennant says that it’s a one-of-a-kind competition. Another key factor in my decision was the opportunity to play in a Mixed Pennant with both males and females, which I can’t do in New South Wales.”
While St Kilda wasn’t the only club to make Scott an offer, the club put together a rather irresistible proposal.
“St Kilda Bowling Club has a great tradition behind it and that means something. The culture of the club seems to be very positive, and there are a lot of younger players striving to achieve big things there, including talented female players like Tiffany Brodie (Scott’s National teammate) and Victorian State Trial Invitee Courtney Gabb,” she says. “It will be great to spend time around all these people both on and off the greens.”
Scott remains a full bowling member at Raymond Terrace with NSW as her home state, meaning she will fly down each Saturday for the competition and fly back on Sundays for as many weekends as possible over the 18-week season.
From St Kilda Bowling Club’s perspective, having such an experienced and talented player on board represents a wonderful opportunity to build upon the club’s already strong foundations and move towards an even more exciting future.
“Brett Spurr spoke to Natasha at length about our culture of inclusivity and our vision for the future of the club,” explains Club President, Dan Manger. “We’re looking for people who really want to play here, are passionate about the shirt and committed to the competition. There is so much we can learn from Natasha while she’s part of our family, and she provides fantastic exposure for the club.”
Metropolitan Pennant aside, Scott’s upcoming bowls competition schedule includes the Hong Kong International Bowls Classic from 7-13 November, followed by the Burnside Pairs in January and the 2019 Asia Pacific Championships from 18-28 June.