Bowls continues to be at the forefront of inclusivity during historic test series
Bowls stands at the forefront of inclusivity in sport and nowhere was this more apparent than in the recent test series at Club Helensvale between the Gold Coast Tweed District (GCTD) Para Bowls Group and the Mibunn Bowlers, a group formed from the Indigenous communities in regional Queensland.
An initiative by GCTD Para Bowls Group Chairperson Serena Bonnell and Mibunn Bowlers President Mick Richardson, the test series saw Damon Bartholomeusz, Rod Bryant-Smith, Troy Casey, Jo Frost, Darren Jackson, Paul Jackson, Shane Kerr and Paddy McClellan become the first capped para representatives for the Gold Coast Tweed district.
In the seven a side format, it was the Mibunn Bowlers that came out strong in the first test, with resounding wins in the singles and pairs disciplines.
The fours was a tightly fought contest, with superb bowling from both teams. In the end, it was the GCTD para team of Bartholomeusz, Jackson, McClellan and Casey that won 14-10.
The GCTD Para Bowls Group were able to reset for the second test and returned stronger to push the Mibunn Bowlers to the final few ends.
Jackson made the switch from fours to the singles and had an immediate impact, defeating the Mibunn Bowlers singles player 21-13.
The pairs and the fours could have gone either way, with the Mibunn Bowlers triumphing 18-12 and 14-13 respectively.
With an overall score of eight to four, the Mibunn Bowlers were declared the winners of the test series and took home the inaugural shield.
The test series was an exemplary display of how bowls can bring people of all abilities and from different backgrounds together to be the world’s most inclusive sport.
“The sight of a para group versing an Indigenous group was the best form of inclusivity one could ever express,” Bonnell said.
“And the impact of being capped and representing their district for the para players was palpable.”
“Opportunities of this nature bleed into other areas of the players lives and will undoubtedly assist in their development on and off the green.”
The Mibunn Bowlers have invited the GCTD Para Bowls Group to play against them in another test series in Drayton next year, with there being more plans to increase the number of opportunities for para players to represent their district.
