England quartet win RSL competition

THE Mount Gambier RSL & District Bowling Club greens were buzzing with competitive spirit earlier this month as the annual Men’s 2-Day Fours lawn bowls competition marked its 16th year of tradition.

Held on Saturday, May 9, and Sunday, May 10, the event drew a stellar field of 80 players, representing a wide swathe of the region, including the Lower South East, South East Victoria, local hometown heroes, and visitors from Adelaide.

The tournament kicked off on Saturday under challenging conditions, with early morning rain testing the resolve of the participants.

While the late afternoons remained chilly, the weather gods eventually smiled on the event, with clear, fine conditions dominating the remainder of the weekend.

The competition proved to be a nail-biter, with the final standings decided only after a frantic finish during the last two rounds on Sunday.

The leaderboard saw an incredibly tight margin at the top, decided by the narrowest of margins—one single end.

Jeff England’s Mt Gambier quartet emerged as the champions, securing a hard-fought victory.

Despite suffering a loss in their opening game, the team rallied brilliantly to finish with six wins and an impressive 52 ends.

Their resilience was rewarded as they narrowly edged out Daniel Danisch’s composite team from Nhil, who also recorded six wins but concluded the tournament with 51 ends.

The podium was rounded out by the Mt Gambier RSL composite team skipped by Ralph Stafford, who secured third place with five wins and 48 ends, closely followed by Keith Dowdell’s Port Mac composite side, who claimed fourth with five wins and 45 ends.

Rounding out the top six were Sam Denton’s Ascot Park team (four wins, one draw, 49 ends) and Michael Fox’s Mt Gambier RSL squad (4 wins, one draw, 41 ends).

Tournament organisers hailed the event as a resounding success, noting that the high calibre of play from the 80-strong field contributed to one of the most competitive tournaments for a while.

The weekend concluded with a formal presentation ceremony, where event sponsors were in attendance to congratulate the victors and present the trophies.