Celebrating 10 years of Integrated Pairs

by Team BV

Sunday 14^th January saw thirty-six Pairs teams head to Berwick Bowling Club for the 10^th running of the Annual Integrated Pairs event.

The field included teams from all over Victorian, with some entrants travelling from as far north as Echuca and Numurkah, through to Colac in the west and Korumburra in South Gippsland.

This wonderful event sees bowlers classified with a disability, be it Para-Intellectual, Para-Vision or Para-Physical, play as Skip to their teammate throughout the day.

Teams played four games of ten ends in perfect bowls conditions, and after it was all said and done, three undefeated teams remained. Following on from the previous nine editions which resulted in a new winner each year, the 10^th was no different, with the team of Tim Connolly (Skip) and Bill Murnane (both of Brunswick Bowling Club) claiming their first Integrated Pairs title. In second place on the same number of ends won and just 4 shots behind, was the team of Rob Ruffle (Skip – Heathmont) and Rob Huddle (Albert Park), and in third place, Graeme Smith (Skip – West Rosebud) and Phil Brown (Rye). A big thank you to the team at Berwick Bowling Club for their support in hosting the event and providing a fantastic venue for many years.

2024 Berwick Integrated Pairs Results:

Winners: Tim Connolly (S) (Brunswick), Bill Murnane (Brunswick)
Runners-Up: Rob Ruffle (S) (Heathmont), Rob Huddle (Albert Park)
3^rd Place: Graeme Smith (S) (West Rosebud), Phil Brown (Rye)
Best 1^st Game Winners: Ross Higgins (Numurkah), Brian Hall (Shepparton Park)
Best 2^nd Game Winners: Steven Moore (Diamond Creek), Ben Simmons (Yarra Glen)
Best 3^rd Game Winners: Bruce Hoskin (Belmont), Robert Simpson (Belmont)
Best 4^th Game Winners: Michael Clark (Ballarat North), Joe Capuano (Ballarat North)

INTEGRATED PAIRS – PAST WINNERS

YEAR	SKIP	LEAD
2013	Phineas Meere – Malvern BC	Paul Holtschke – Malvern BC
2014	David Warner – Berwick BC	Cliff Fothergill – Berwick BC
2015	Steven Nelson – Colac Lake BC	Maurie Oates – Colac Lake BC
2016	Luke Wayth – Queenscliff BC	Richie McGovern – Queenscliff BC
2017	Tony Scott – Racecourse BC	Lisa Critten – Lake Boga BC
2018	Ross Higgins – Shepparton Park BC	Max Goldsmith – Mulgrave Country Club
2019	Jason Barrett – Mitcham BC	Jim Corcoran – Mitcham BC
2020	Phillip Mahoney – Clayton BC	Andrew Anagnostopolous – Clayton BC
2023	Ben Peachey – Korumburra BC	Trevor Nelson – Colac Lake BC
2024	Tim Connolly – Brunswick	Bill Murnane – Brunswick

Note – event not played in 2021 and 2022 due to COVID-19.

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