The Nationals to bring the sport’s best events together
Bowls Australia will amalgamate eight of the sport’s most revered competitions, and introduce a new national barefoot event, in an exciting initiative to be rolled out next year called The Nationals.
Following a comprehensive review of the events landscape, BA have confirmed The Nationals will encompass up to nine events staged consecutively, and in some cases simultaneously, at the same venue/s from October 3 to 16, 2020.
Seven current national events, inclusive of the Australian Sides Championships, Australian Senior Sides Championships, Australian Under-18 Championships, Australian Championships, Australian Indoor Championships, Australian Champion of Champions and the Awards Night and Hall of Fame, will be staged during the 14-day festival, in a region still to be determined.
An inaugural Australian Barefoot Bowls Championships, and the Australian Multi-disability National Championships, currently run by Disability Sport Australia, are two prospective events that are also being proposed.
The fusion of events is seen to offer a range of benefits for both the organisation and competitors, including reducing travel and costs for attendees, creating space on the national event calendar, increasing attractiveness for partners and government support, and improving media appeal.
The sport’s flagship event, the $250,000 prize-money Australian Open, and the made-for-television Bowls Premier League events, will remain seperate to The Nationals.
It’s envisaged that The Nationals will be staged annually in the first two weeks of October, with a host region and venue/s to be announced at a later date.
