Bowls marks 180 years, ramps up Olympics pitch
Hobart's Sandy Bay Bowls Club held a celebration on Monday to mark 180 years since the first recorded game in Australia.
That match took place a few kilometres up the road at the then-named Beach Tavern between English immigrant and father-of-19 Frederick Lipscombe and T Burgess.
"We know it was 25 ends, which started the tradition of 25 ends in Australia," Bowls Australia president Iain Evans said.
"Mr Burgess won on the very last end. It was a very close game."
The sport, which has become intertwined with Australian culture and more recently, allowed players to forgo footwear, spread its wings to Sydney and Melbourne in the following decades.
The Hobart event featured a barbecue, tea and coffee and sandwiches, while young and old got to have a crack on the green.
Bowls Australia used the anniversary to ramp up its push for the sport's inclusion in the 2032 Brisbane Olympics.
Bowls was a demonstration, non-medal event in Seoul in 1988 and has been part of the Paralympics.
"That exposure we get every four years when it is Commonwealth Games time is really exciting for us," Commonwealth Games gold medallist and world champion Rebecca Van Asch said.
"To take that next step up ... would be phenomenal for the sport and how people perceive us. We think we can be really competitive on that stage."
Australia boasts the No.2 and No.3 ranked men in the world and the No.2, No.3 and No.4 players on the women's side.
People from WA, NSW, Victoria and South Australia travelled to Tasmania for the anniversary.
"Bowls clubs are really the centre of communities … it brings people together which is why I think bowls has been so successful over 180 years," Mr Evans said.
Sandy Bay Bowls Club acting president Yvonne Buckley, who was introduced to the sport by her parents, said it was an honour to host.
"Bowls is not just a sport for old people, it is a sport for everyone," she said.
"It's a sport that requires a degree of fitness, skill and a lot of strategy, which is why I enjoy it."
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"But if we knew it was coming, and it was here every so often - I think we could do a Magic Round every five years - it would act as a stimuli to think about how we're going to fill the four years in between to drive innovation of inventory around transport and aviation." Mr Creedon, who now lives in Brisbane, believes the men's Magic Round will ultimately move to new locations. "Brisbane were very clever in what they've done, and the NRL ... do I think it will move? Absolutely," he said. "I actually think it will go to Asia and other places. There will be a bidding war, because the economic influence it has is significant, and the Hunter needs to be thinking like that. "Not just with the NRL, but every other code as well." Part of the 'magic' of Magic Round is the proximity of hospitality businesses to the venue. Newcastle's popular Beaumont Street is a five-minute drive, or 30-minute walk, from the stadium. The city centre is less than 10 minutes drive away. A train line to both is a mere 10-minute walk. "Newcastle is a great city for this sort of event because the CBD area is compact with lots of dining and entertainment options, spectators can access the stadium easily with public transport and we have so many other amazing attractions within a short distance to fill out visitors' itineraries," Business Hunter chief Bob Hawes said. "We've also got an airport that intra-and-interstate visitors can fly right into. "The economic benefits from events of this calibre flow onto a diverse range of businesses including accommodation providers, cafes and restaurants, pubs and clubs, but also service providers like caterers, cleaners, security companies, uber and taxi drivers and merchandise sellers. "It also projects the city and region onto television screens around the country." Other stakeholders the Herald spoke to raised the idea of Newcastle hosting a 'mini' men's Magic Round or a combined men's and women's version in the short term, if the men's event gets locked into Brisbane into the 2030s. That could potentially entail a one-day NRL triple-header on a Saturday, if other clubs were willing to sacrifice home games to bring matches here. Or perhaps a two-day event combining men's and women's fixtures. Newcastle Tourism Industry Group chair Dominic May said any large-scale sporting event that attracted people to the region for the first had flow-on benefits. "We've been very supportive of the partnership between Venues NSW and City of Newcastle to increase major events in the city, because across visitor-economy businesses ... what we often find is events are a big driver of people to the city and often for the very first time," May said. "People will often extend their stay pre-or-post major events, like this, and that's where the real value lies ... and we find they spread out right across the region. "Major events are also a big drawcard for repeat visitation. If a person has a great experience ... they're surprised by how much they enjoyed themselves ... they're likely to return for leisure purposes." The women's Magic Round could yet return to Newcastle next year given the NRL struck a deal with the NSW government for it to be held in 'regional NSW' for the three years. Depending on the level of interest, it could yet shift to places like Mudgee, Tamworth or Bathurst. Wollongong would be another alternative with a bigger stadium than the country towns. Securing the men's Magic Round would likely require significant government investment, like Queensland has funded. 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Hawes added: "Landing the NRLW Magic Round is a huge coup and snaring the men's version would add further to the Hunter's growing reputation as a high-quality host destination for national and international sporting events." Sports and tourism leaders believe Newcastle should "go big" and position itself to take the NRL's Magic Round away from Brisbane, spruiking the Hunter's credentials ahead of the inaugural women's event this weekend. McDonald Jones Stadium in Broadmeadow is hosting the first NRLW Magic Round across Saturday and Sunday, where all six games will be played at the one venue. The women's round has been launched after the success of the men's event which has been held annually in Brisbane since 2019. The forecast rain might put a dampener on crowds at the women's version, but that hasn't diminished a view that Newcastle would be more than capable of hosting the men's Magic Round too. "We should strive for any event, as we have in relation to this one and as we have done with the events we've seen so successful [in the past]. You have to go big for the future," former rugby league administrator and Hunter resident, John Quayle, told the Newcastle Herald. "It doesn't happen just overnight, because cities now, in every event, are going to bid for the long term. They want it for their city. They don't want one-offs. "It's like the Grand Prix or Supercars, they are international events and with exposure sent around the world that you can't buy." As it stands, Brisbane will host the men's Magic Round until at least 2027, while a five-year extension has been mooted through to the 2032 Olympics. The Queensland government's strong financial support has kept the event in the Sunshine State since its inception. But whether its popularity ultimately wanes in Brisbane and the NRL opts to move it, remains to be seen. The NRL Nines suffered that fate after several years in Auckland before being revived and relocated to Perth in 2020. It hasn't been held since as the sport has generally moved away from the format at the elite level. Newcastle's track record in terms of hosting major sporting events speaks for itself. In the past year alone, the city has hosted the Wallabies, Wallaroos, Matildas and Women's State of Origin. The national women's netball and basketball teams have also previously played in the city, drawing capacity crowds. In a rugby league heartland, Knights games are well attended even when the team is struggling. But Magic Round is also about drawing visitors to justify government investment. Brisbane's Magic Round sold out this year, essentially attracting 150,000 fans across three days. McDonald Jones Stadium holds close to 30,000, which would likely mean more expensive tickets if it was to move to Newcastle, to draw similar revenue. One concern with drawing 30,000 people each day would be accommodation. But Will Creedon, a long-time Hunter accommodation provider and former local tourism chief, said the city had grown its short-term stay capacity and it wouldn't be an issue. "Why not?" Creedon said of hosting the men's event. "There's about 16,500 bedrooms across the region. That's not considering there are opportunities to bring people in by bus, or via train, from outlying areas. "Is there enough supply for each category of accommodation? That's an interesting question, but we'd be close to it I suspect. "But if we knew it was coming, and it was here every so often - I think we could do a Magic Round every five years - it would act as a stimuli to think about how we're going to fill the four years in between to drive innovation of inventory around transport and aviation." Mr Creedon, who now lives in Brisbane, believes the men's Magic Round will ultimately move to new locations. "Brisbane were very clever in what they've done, and the NRL ... do I think it will move? Absolutely," he said. "I actually think it will go to Asia and other places. There will be a bidding war, because the economic influence it has is significant, and the Hunter needs to be thinking like that. "Not just with the NRL, but every other code as well." Part of the 'magic' of Magic Round is the proximity of hospitality businesses to the venue. Newcastle's popular Beaumont Street is a five-minute drive, or 30-minute walk, from the stadium. The city centre is less than 10 minutes drive away. A train line to both is a mere 10-minute walk. "Newcastle is a great city for this sort of event because the CBD area is compact with lots of dining and entertainment options, spectators can access the stadium easily with public transport and we have so many other amazing attractions within a short distance to fill out visitors' itineraries," Business Hunter chief Bob Hawes said. "We've also got an airport that intra-and-interstate visitors can fly right into. "The economic benefits from events of this calibre flow onto a diverse range of businesses including accommodation providers, cafes and restaurants, pubs and clubs, but also service providers like caterers, cleaners, security companies, uber and taxi drivers and merchandise sellers. "It also projects the city and region onto television screens around the country." Other stakeholders the Herald spoke to raised the idea of Newcastle hosting a 'mini' men's Magic Round or a combined men's and women's version in the short term, if the men's event gets locked into Brisbane into the 2030s. That could potentially entail a one-day NRL triple-header on a Saturday, if other clubs were willing to sacrifice home games to bring matches here. Or perhaps a two-day event combining men's and women's fixtures. Newcastle Tourism Industry Group chair Dominic May said any large-scale sporting event that attracted people to the region for the first had flow-on benefits. "We've been very supportive of the partnership between Venues NSW and City of Newcastle to increase major events in the city, because across visitor-economy businesses ... what we often find is events are a big driver of people to the city and often for the very first time," May said. "People will often extend their stay pre-or-post major events, like this, and that's where the real value lies ... and we find they spread out right across the region. "Major events are also a big drawcard for repeat visitation. If a person has a great experience ... they're surprised by how much they enjoyed themselves ... they're likely to return for leisure purposes." The women's Magic Round could yet return to Newcastle next year given the NRL struck a deal with the NSW government for it to be held in 'regional NSW' for the three years. Depending on the level of interest, it could yet shift to places like Mudgee, Tamworth or Bathurst. Wollongong would be another alternative with a bigger stadium than the country towns. Securing the men's Magic Round would likely require significant government investment, like Queensland has funded. Sydney could shape as a competitor to Newcastle in attracting the event, but it has its own drawbacks and similar events like rugby sevens tournaments and the A-League's Unite Round have flopped in the state capital. A decent turnout at the inaugural women's Magic Round this weekend would only put another feather in Newcastle's sporting cap, and further its case to try and host the men's version. "Recently with the big international [sporting] events, we've seen it and the sports are recognising it," Quayle said. "The councillors, too, recognise how good it is for the region. "We are seeing this prominently over the last five years, with the concerts [the stadium hosts] as well, it doesn't take long over a number of days to match, if you're talking Brisbane, [a crowd] of 50,000. "But the administrators won't make the decision just on people, it's how the event will be, which for me, is always a big plus for Newcastle, is the support it's going to get." Hawes added: "Landing the NRLW Magic Round is a huge coup and snaring the men's version would add further to the Hunter's growing reputation as a high-quality host destination for national and international sporting events."
