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Latest Club News
Club Night 2024
Ladies' Top Club Skills Session - Saturday 20th April
Please confirm your availability to Jenny Wickens
The session starts promptly at 10am but please arrive by 9:45am to enable the logistics of the morning to be explained. There will be a cup of tea and the bar will be open after the session and all attendees are asked to stay for about 15mins for a debrief.
Team Sheet - Men's Match Saturday 20th April 2024 -v- Rugby BC at Home
Team Sheet - Mixed Match Sunday 21st April 2024 -v- WVPBA at Home
Team Sheet - Ladies' Match Wednesday 24th April 2024 -v- Stoke BC at Home
Team Sheet - RLS1 Practice match 24th April 2024 -v- RLS2 at Home
Team Sheet - RLS2 Practice match 24th April 2024 -v- RLS1 at Home
Team Sheet - RLS3 match 24th April 2024 -v- Avon2 at Avon
Team Sheet - RLS4 match 24th April 2024 -v- Shipston Sports at Home
Club Coaching
The club are very pleased to announce that three further members qualified as Coach Bowls Level 1 coaches on Sunday 14th April.
Our congratulations go to Christine Leigh, Clive Radford and Gill Allibone on their achievment.
Greens Availability - Latest News
The greens are open today so if you do want a roll up, wrap up warmly and please be sure not to cause any damage to the greens - please take care not to slip and do follow the guidelines below.
Any changes to availability will be notified here on an on-going basis throughout the season and all members should regularly check this page for the latest information.
Important information:
1) Members must use the rinks and greens as defined on a daily basis as for club use by the greenkeepers.
2) As the greens will be heavy at the start of the season you should all complete warmup exercises, restrict jack lengths and move the mat regularly forward from the ditch to ensure even wear.
3) Do not stand within 1 metre of the ditch to protect the edges of the green.
4) As we do not want greens to be closed due to damage please deliver your bowls from as low a position as possible. Do not drop bowls from the waist as this will damage the green. Do not drop the bowls from the bank on the green!
5) We all may occasionally deliver a wood that marks the green and if this happens please flatten the area returning any grass to where it belongs!
6) Please make use of all rinks on the green not just those in the centre.
7) Greens must be played in the direction that they are laid out by the greenkeepers. Any specific requirements must be discussed well in advance with the head greenkeeper who will cooperate if at all possible.
I do hope that you have an enjoyable season.
Best wishes
David Wigman - Club Chairman
Members Indoor Bowling Success
It is great to be able to return to playing on the club greens but it is also great to be able to recognise the success of some of our members who regularly bowl at indoor clubs during the winter.
This winter a number of club members have notable achievments and are to be congratulated.
Emily Kernick who plays at Solihull IDBC won the 'Player of the Series' award playing for England in the Home International Under 25 Series in Belfast. Emily also qualified for the EIBA National Finals in Nottingham where she reached the semi-finals of the 2-wood ladies' singles and was the runner up in the 4-wood ladies' singles - both great achievements.
Dawn Horne and Anita Cowdrill who play at Avon Valley IDBC also reached the EIBA National Finals where they sadly lost at the last 16 stage of the ladies' pairs competion.
In the Avon Valley club competitions Dawn and Anita won the Ladies' Pairs competition and together with Debbie Bloxham who plays outdoors at Stratford BC they also won the Ladies' Triple Competition.
Anita then went on to win the mixed pairs competition and finally became Ladies Club Champion in the 4-wood singles.
These are all great achievments.
Anita is pictured with the four trophies. She will soon need a Trophy Cabinet at home!
Club Members called up for England Trials
Several Warwickshire players have been called up for Bowls England Trials on Saturday 18th May at Royal Leamington Spa.
For Senior Trials Andrew Walters (Welford), Emily Kernick and Kirsty Richards (both Royal Leamington Spa) have been named. Emily Kernick will also be considered for the Junior squad as well. Avenue Leamington's Daniel Ellicott and Lily-Mae Adams (Welford) will have Junior Trials.
On the Sunday Trials for the Under 18 squad will feature Amy Williams (Sherwood Park) while Lewis Gardner (Three Spires) and Thomas Mills (Rugby) will be taking part in the Junior Performance Day.
Congratulations to you all and we hope that the trial goes well.
New Members
If you are an experienced bowler that is looking for a new club you have found the perfect place - take a look at our membership page and give us a call.
If you have never bowled before now is the time to give it a try - people of all ages and those with disabilities can play the sport. It is a sport that can be played by multi-generations of your family - why not look at our membership page and give us a call to discuss or to arrange to give it a go?
We look forward to sharing our love of the sport with people of all ages and abilities.
Stratford Herald League - Final Table 2023
South Warwickshire Short Mat League
Club Finals Weekend
The finals of all the 2023 club competitions took place over the weekend of Saturday 9th and Sunday 10th September. A full report on all matches can be found here.
Congratulations go to all our newly crowned champions and runners-up :-
Men's 4-Wood Singles - Graham White (Champion), Tom Head (Runner-up) Ladies' 4-Wood Singles - Anita Cowdrill (Champion), Janice White (Runner-up) Men's 4-Wood Handicap - David Payne (Champion), Mervyn Taylor (Runner-up) Ladies' 4-Wood Handicap - Christine Leigh (Champion), Dawn Horne (Runner-up) Men's 2-Wood Singles - Malcolm Wickens (Champion), David Payne (Runner-up) Ladies' 2-Wood Singles - Anita Cowdrill (Champion), Sandra Payne (Runner-up) Men's "Novice" Singles - Paul Smith (Champion), Tony Allibone (Runner-up) Ladies' "Novice" Singles - Christine Leigh (Champion), Caroline Williams (Runner-up) Men's 4-Wood Pairs - Dave French & Neil Weston (Champions), Malcolm Hayes & Malcolm Wickens (Runners-up) Men's 3-Wood Pairs - Ian Plant & Dave Gardner (Champions), Andrew Scares & Ray White (Runners-up) Ladies' Drawn Pairs - Pauline Macdonald & Enid Reece (Champions), Pauline Dineley & Jane Wigman (Runners-up) Ladies' Chosen Pairs - Anita Cowdrill & Tracey Turner-Smith (Champions), Pauline Dineley & Jane Wigman (Runners-up) Mixed Pairs - Christine Leigh (substitute for Bonny Claridge) & Bill Claridge (Champions), Anita Cowdrill & Graham White (Runners-up) A selection of photographs taken over the weekend is available to view by clicking on Home at the top of this page, then Gallery, then 2023 Club Finals.
Ladies County Finals
There were mixed fortunes for RLS members and the club in the 2023 finals of all the Warwickshire Women’s Bowling Association competitions, which took place at a very hot and sunny Lillington BC over the weekend of Saturday 2nd and Sunday 3rd September.
In the Champion-of-Champions 4-Wood Singles final, Anita Cowdrill faced young Lily-Mae Adams from Sherwood Park, who had been crowned National Junior Pairs Champion just 2 weeks earlier. There was little between the two in the early stages with Anita just ahead 6-4 after 8 ends. However, an excellent run of scoring ends put Lily-Mae 20-10 up. Anita took shots on the next two ends but it only delayed the inevitable as Lily-Mae took the title 21-13.
In the Triples final, Dawn Horne, Jenny Wickens and Janice White faced Gillian Greenbank, Ros Taylor and Liz Wooding from Coventry Avenue. Despite taking 4 shots on the first 2 ends, the RLS trio then dropped 8 shots on the next 5 ends. The two sides traded singles before a couple of 4’s in a run of 4 scoring ends put Dawn, Jenny and Janice seemingly in control, 16-9 ahead after 13 ends. However, Coventry Avenue took shots on the next 4 ends to leave the game tied at 16 shots apiece going into the final end. An early bowl dropped on the jack by Dawn proved crucial as they finished 17-16 winners, to take the Triples title for the second time in the last 5 years.
In the 2-Wood Singles final against Welford’s Lisa Smith, Dawn Horne proved far too hot for her opponent. A dominant display saw Dawn take the title 17-5 after just 17 ends.
In the 2-Bowl Benevolent Triples final, Caroline Edwards, Anita Cowrill and Tracey Turner-Smith played Wendy Holloway (Welford), Trish Jarvis (Wolvey) and Moira Parsons (Welford). The RLS trio trailed 4-9 after 9 of the 15 ends had been played, but fought back strongly to be tied 10-10 after 14 ends. The team holding shot changed frequently during the final end but when Tracey went to bowl, although being a shot down, she drew both of her bowls to within a foot of the jack to leave the RLS trio holding two shots. With the very last bowl of the match, Moira drew just inside Tracey’s wood to take the shot and the title, by 11 shots to 10. A disappointing finish for Caroline, Anita and Tracey, but a great spectacle for the large crowd watching.
Lastly, in Sunday’s “Top Club” final, RLS took on Welford in a repeat of the 2021 final. As the match progressed, Welford took good leads in the Singles (Anita Cowdrill) and Triples (Caroline Edwards, Caroline Williams and Tracey Turner-Smith) contests, whilst RLS held the upper hand in the Pairs game (Dawn Horne and Janice White) and Rink (Pauline Dineley, Chris Leigh, Jenny Wickens and Enid Reece). First to finish was the Singles game, with Welford taking the tie 21-10, but RLS replied with a convincing win of their own in the Pairs (19-11). A strong Welford finish just edged them the Fours game 15-12 and with the Triples trailing 21-10 with an end to play, the match was conceded, with Welford taking the title 3-1.
Photos of all our finals day competitors with their winners or runner-up trophies can be found by clicking on Home at the top of this page, then Gallery, then WWBA 2023 Finals.
Despite the mixed fortunes, the club extends it’s congratulations to all those lady members who reached County finals, making RLS the best represented club in the weekend’s matches.
RLS Members in Action at This Year’s National Championships
Congratulations to those club members who have qualified (see reports below) to represent Warwickshire at this year’s National Championships, taking place at Victoria Park between 10th and 27th August. Please come along and support them when they take to the greens as follows :-
Gill Allibone Helps Out Bowls Canada
Any individual that competes in para sport must have a classification that checks their medical eligibility and groups them into a specific class according to their ability, and the sport of bowls is no different. Many members may not be aware, but our very own Gill Allibone, who works as a physiotherapist, has been an International Medical Classifier since 2018, and has worked extensively with Bowls England and other teams. Because Bowls Canada hope to enter a para team into World Bowls 2024, but lacked a classifier, they recently invited Gill to fly over to Calgary, Canada for a week, to assess Canadian para lawn bowlers for international competition. Whilst she was there, Gill also trained two local bowlers to take on the role.
RLS Win Ivens Cup
At the Warwickshire Men’s County Finals played at Victoria Park on Sunday 30th July, our team of Neil Weston (substitute for Andy Gardner), Dave French, Dave Payne and Dave Harding won the Ivens Cup. Having fought through five rounds during the course of the season to win the South Warwickshire section of the competition and then defeat the Coventry section winners in a semi-final played earlier this month, the four faced strong opposition from Rugby BC in the final. A topsy-turvy start saw an early 6-0 lead quickly turn to a 6-12 deficit, but with 4 of the 18 ends remaining, the score was back level at 15 all. Neil, Dave, Dave and Dave kept up the pressure and a double and two singles gave them a 19-15 lead going in to the final end. Neil dropped a bowl right on the jack and despite Rugby’s best efforts to dislodge it or to kill the end, they failed to do so and we took 4 shots to lift the trophy with a 23-15 win, the second time in the past four years that the club has won the Ivens Cup. A great performance from the team !
County Awards
Congratulations to Sandra Payne on receiving her County Badge when playing for Warwickshire against Wiltshire recently at RLS - Full report and picture.
Congratulations also go to Caroline Edwards on receiving her County Colts Badge at the match against Bedfordshire at Stewartsby BC on 8th June - picture here.
Congratulations to Paul Smith on receiving his County Colts Badge when playing for Warwickshire against Oxfordshire at Banbury Borough BC on 4th July.
A warm welcome to the club and congratulations to Paul E Smith (our second Paul Smith) on receiving his County Badge when playing for Warwickshire against Leicestershire at Stoke BC on 29th June.
Ladies "Top Club" Competitions
Congratulations to our ladies "Top Club" team on reaching the final of this year's County competition. Following previous wins over Lillington (3-1) and Rugby Rail (4-0), the team beat Coventry Avenue 4-0 this week (11th July) in the semi-final. Comfortable wins in the triples (31-2) and fours (29-4) meant that despite only narrow wins in the singles (21-20) and pairs (13-12), the outcome was never really in doubt. The team will now face Welford in the final, to be played at 10am on Sunday morning 3rd September at Lillington BC.
Sadly, following wins over Welford, Lillington and Coventry Avenue to win the Warwickshire Area of the National "Top Club" competition, just 24 hours after their success in the County competition the team's run in the National competition came to an end when they were narrowly beaten by Kingscroft BC, the Leicestershire Area champions. With wins in the singles (21-20) and pairs (12-11) and a 14-20 defeat in the fours, the outcome of the match rested on the triples game. Trailing 13-15 going in to the final end, they needed to take a minimum of 2 shots to win the overall match. In a nail-biting finish, they took just a single to go down 14-15 and although the match ended in a 2-2 draw, Kingscroft took the win on shots (66-61).
National Champion-of-Champions Competition (Updated 31/July/23)
Congratulations to current club singles champions Anita Cowdrill and Bill Claridge, who both did the club proud in this year's BE National ladies and men’s Champion-of-Champions competitions.
Following a series of excellent performances in previous rounds, Anita won the Warwickshire Area of the ladies competition with a 21-5 win in the final over current English Under-25 Indoor Singles Champion, Emily Kernick from Sherwood Park. Unfortunately, Anita's great run in the competition came to an end in the last 32 of the competition, when she was narrowly beaten 21-13 by England Under-25 International Izzie White from Chester Road BC in Kidderminster, winner of the Worcestershire/Herefordshire Area.
After an excellent quarter-final win over Welford’s England international and past National singles champion, Andy Walters, Bill beat Avenue’s Daniel Ellicott in the semi-final of Warwickshire Area of the men's competition by the narrowest of margins, 21-20. Unfortunately, in the the Area final, after an excellent run in the competition, Bill lost 21-13 to Nuneaton’s Graham Ashby, an eight-times County singles champion and twice runner-up in the National singles competition. (Graham Ashby subsequently went on to take the title of Men's National Champion of Champions at the National Championships.)
Success for Club Members in County Competitions (Updated 25/July/23)
Congratulations to all club members who reached the latter stages of this year's County competitions.
In Ladies County competitions :-
All finals will be played at Lillington on Saturday 2nd September. As a result of reaching the finals, Dawn will be one of the two Warwickshire representatives in the ladies 2-Wood Singles at the National Championships to be held at Leamington in August, whilst Dawn, Jenny and Janice will represent the county in the ladies triples competition at the Nationals.
In Men's County competitions :-
2023 John’s Trophy, Walker Cup and Middleton Cup (Updated 25/July/23)
The John’s Trophy is an inter-county ladies competition organised by Bowls England, featuring teams of 6 rinks. The early stages are played in a series of leagues, and the competition culminates in finals played at Leamington during the National Championships.
Following an extensive selection process over the past few months, no less than five of our club members have been selected for the squad to represent Warwickshire in this year’s competition - Anita Cowdrill, Caroline Edwards, Dawn Horne, Janice White and Jenny Wickens. In the first round of league matches on Saturday 3rd June, Anita, Dawn, Janice and Jenny all featured as part of the Warwickshire team that defeated 2021 champions Devon by 16 points to 6. Unfortunately, in the second round of matches on Saturday 17th June, Warwickshire failed to capitalise on that performance when they lost 5-17 away to Gloucestershire. Anita, Dawn, Janice and Jenny once again played and Caroline was a travelling reserve. Sadly, this loss meant that Warwickshire did not qualify for the latter stages of the competition.
The Walker Cup is an inter-county ladies double-rink competition, played on a knock-out basis, and the following day (Sunday 18th June), Dawn and Janice were one quarter of the Warwickshire team that travelled back down the M5 to play Somerset in this year's opening round match. Anita was also in attendance as a reserve. Unfortunately, the team fell at the first hurdle, losing 28-42.
The equivalent men’s competition to the John's Trophy is the Middleton Cup and Bill Claridge was part of the Warwickshire men’s teams that lost 3-19 to Worcestershire in their opening match but then secured a remarkable 22-0 win over Somerset in the second round of matches. To have any chance of progressing beyond the league stage, Warwickshire needed a big win in their final match against Cornwall, and did exactly that, returning from their long trip with an 18-4 win and with Bill having been part of their highest winning rink. Thanks to Somerset defeating Worcestershire 17-5, Warwickshire won the group by a single point and played Devon in a quarter-final tie on 22nd July. Despite losing 4 of the 6 rinks, Warwickshire secured a narrow 114-112 overall victory, with Bill having played on one of the two winning rinks. Warwickshire will now face the current holders of the trophy, Berkshire, in the semi-final, to be played at 9.30 am on the last day of the National Championships (Sunday 27th August).
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