Edenvale hosts thrilling 2026 Perfect Delivery SA Inter-Districts bowls finals

The final bowl was delivered at the five-day-long 2026 Perfect Delivery Bowls South Africa Inter-Districts on March 13.

The competition began on March 9, with Edenvale Bowling Club being the main host of the ‘B’ Inter-Districts.

Honorary president of Edenvale Bowling Club (EBC), Bernyce Hollingworth, said, “The atmosphere at the finals was, to say the least, the most ‘gees’ I have ever experienced at Edenvale Bowling Club.

“With both Johannesburg Bowls Association (JBA) men’s and women’s B teams in the final, they were of course very proud and vocal, to the point of making even the hard of hearing at Eden Haven Retirement Village jump up and down.”

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She added that the JBA men against Western Province was a very nerve-wracking game, with a one-point win in the last end going to JBA.

The JBA women against Port Natal was just as thrilling, with lots of shrieks and laughter, Hollingworth noted.

She also acknowledged that preparing for a tournament of this magnitude is a huge task. As the event was given to Edenvale at the last moment, they had to scramble and put in all their efforts to get the greens just right.

“Our green keepers, Mathews Phiri, David Nkabinde and David Ngwenze, should be proud of their dedication and efforts in making this a green to be remembered.”

The EBC president also extended gratitude to all members who gave their time to assist with collecting empties and tidying up, putting out chairs, and ensuring players and supporters were looked after and welcomed.

She also thanked the bar staff for keeping everyone refreshed, and the kitchen staff for providing nutritious meals.

“I also need to mention Susan Grenfell, the tournament secretary, for her absolutely fantastic job in getting the players organised and out on the greens to do what they love.

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“Maria Thompson, our treasurer, worked tirelessly to make sure everyone was happy and looked after. I am an extremely proud president of this club for everyone’s dedication to the sport of bowls,” Hollingworth said.

Chantal Henn of marketing at Gauteng Bowls described the tournament as the pinnacle of district pride.

She said it was not just about the competition, but also a major economic and social boost for local clubs such as Edenvale, Benoni, Northmead, Lake, Belgravia, Bedfordview, Ridgepark and Morningside.

Henn commended the ‘extraordinary precision’ witnessed this year. “Despite the pressure of a national stage, the draw bowls were consistently resting on the jack, and the tactical weight shots were executed with clinical accuracy. What really stood out was the depth of talent.

“Even in the ‘B’ Inter-Districts and Veterans sections, the ‘conversion rate’ – the ability to turn a losing head into a winning one with a single delivery – was at a level you would expect at an international Commonwealth Games trial.”

Henn also noted that the performance of the Ekurhuleni and Johannesburg sides on their home turf was a major talking point, especially the resilience shown by the Veterans at Belgravia.

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Spectators were treated to ‘masterclass’ displays of temperament – watching players remain ice-cold under the South African sun while trailing by several shots, only to claw back for a win in the final end, she said. She extended gratitude to all involved, including title sponsor Perfect Delivery.

For the president of Ekurhuleni Bowls, Mike Hunt, the most important highlight was that it is rare for smaller bowling districts such as Ekurhuleni to host such a prestigious event.

He revealed that the inter-district tournament was originally called the ‘Provincials’ for the past two decades and only recently underwent a name change, which did not impact its importance.

Hunt said bowling clubs rely heavily on volunteers to carry out their work. Without them, the players would not have had daily meals, drinks or adequate green facilities.

“We also rely heavily on volunteers to serve as technical officials (umpires) to maintain the rules of play and apply measurement techniques to ensure the most accurate shot selection.

“Further to this, we have numerous tournament committee members who planned, managed and ran the tournament. They too are volunteers,” said Hunt.

He added that the inter-district tournament is a leading source of bowls talent selection. Hunt explained that the 20 districts from all provinces in South Africa each select their top eight players per category (A, B and Veterans) to compete against one another.

This creates strong rivalry and challenges players to perform at their best. National selectors then scout these players for selection into silver and gold squads, which in turn can lead to Proteas selection.