Woombye bowlers make history with nailbiting Division 2 victory

The winning team included Neville Kuskopf, Shane Krause (Skip), Paul Slatter, Peter Harris, Shane Cashill, Robin Hastie, John Crawford, Paul Newman (Skip), Doug Tognolini, Allan Sandercock, Tim Parry (Skip) and Wayne Knetter. Reserves were Syd Goodenough and Ian Kuss, with Chris Harper as coach.  Photo by Pam Cranney.

Woombye Bowls Club has made local sporting history, becoming the first Hinterland team to break into Division 1 of the Sunshine Coast District Bowls Association Pennant since the competitions merged more than 20 years ago.

After 10 rounds in the Division 2 competition, Woombye finished third on the ladder with five wins and 47 points, setting the stage for a nail-biting finals series at Nambour Bowls Club.

In the semi-final against Club Kawana, who finished second on the table with 6 wins and 53 points, Woombye edged out a five-shot win, 60–55, to progress to the grand final against top-ranked Tewantin Noosa Bowls Club. Tewantin Noosa had finished 1st on the table with 7 wins and 63 points.

The final was an even tighter contest, coming down to the very last bowls. With strong support from a vocal crowd, Woombye rallied from behind to win on the last bowls by just three shots, 66–63.

Team member Wayne Knetter, who played second for Tim Parry’s team, said the victory was a true team effort. “All Woombye bowlers played some incredible shots, but the best went to Neville Kuskopf, who played the ‘Shot of the Day’ to secure the win in the final moments,” he said.

Adding to the occasion, club president Allan Sandercock – who also serves as Chairman of Selectors for the Sunshine Coast Bowls Association – took part in the winning side.

 For more information, contact Peter Harris 0418 257 984 or Shane Krause 0411 243 987.