Australian Champion of Champions preview
Some of Australia’s best players will contest next week’s Australian Champion of Champions at Coolum Beach on Queenslands Sunshine Coast. Next week, September 16-20, Coolum Beach Bowls Club on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast will ignite when Australia’s best compete for the ultimate prize, the Australian Champion of Champion singles title.
A host of national and state representatives will converge on the coast with the likes of Australian Jackaroo Rebecca Van Asch, Australia’s number one ranked female bowler Natasha Scott, defending champion Scott Thulborn, Western Australia’s Bowler of the Year Clive Adams and Japanese Under-25 representative Kenta Treacher all strong chances to claim this year’s title.
During the three days of competition spectators will be treated to world class singles matches as the best of the best from each State and Territory go head to head in a round robin format.
Defending Champion Scott Thulborn from South Australia is set to represent Australia at the World Champion of Champions at Club Helensvale in November courtesy of his victory in the 2014 event.
Thulborn, a Messenger News Adelaide Endurance player, shot to stardom during the inaugural Australian Premier League at Club Pine Rivers in 2013 where he was named Most Valuable Player and has gone on to be one of the most consistent performing bowlers in Australia over the past two years.
At next week’s championships Thulborn’s toughest competition will come from APL rival Clive Adams of the Solargain Perth Suns who is one of the most in form players from the west.
Adams was named joint WA Bowler of the Year with Perth Suns team mate Tom Mitchell; he qualified for the Australian Indoor Championships this year, represented Cambridge at the $60,000 Helensvale 5 a Side and skipped for Western Australia at the Australian Sides Championships.
In the women’s competition we will be treated with one of the strongest fields since the competitions re-introduction in 2010; current world champions Rebecca Van Asch (TAS) and Natasha Scott (NSW) will headline the field alongside Western Australian great Therese Hastings and current South Australian triples champion Renato Callisto.
Scott is on a hot streak which is evident of her taking out the Aero Bowls Female Bowler of the Year award; she accumulated ranking points by winning the prestigious Golden Nugget Singles, the $10,000 South Tweed Invitational singles, two NSW state titles and she topped this all off with a victory in the hottest tournament on the calendar, the 2016 Australian Open Fours.
Van Asch is the current World Bowls Pairs Champion but after missing selection in the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, she will be hoping a victory in the Australian Champion of Champions will put her back in the mix for selection in the upcoming Asia Pacific Championships in New Zealand.
Every player in the competition has had to win their club singles championship and go on to claim their state champion of champion singles title.
State and Territory Qualifiers-
ACT- Jeff RANKIN & Julie HANCOCK
NSW- Kenta TREACHER & Natasha SCOTT
NT- Mark MALOGORSKI & Carolyn SMOLSKI
QLD- Harold WHITMAN & Debbie LOGAN
SA- Scott THULBORN & Renata CALLISTO
TAS- Andrew WHITMORE & Rebecca VAN ASCH
VIC- David WELLS & Jody NEVILL
WA- Clive ADAMS & Therese HASTINGS
For more information on the Australian Champion of Champions including the draw and schedule of play click here.
Caption- Australian Jackaroo Rebecca Van Asch will contest the 2015 Australian Champion of Champions next week at Coolum Beach.
