Bowlers in Coffs Harbour, New South Wales, can now enter a new national qualifying event directly without having to win regional titles first. Bowls NSW announced the change on 19 March 2026, creating a one-off competition that will run from 25 November to 2 December 2026 to decide who goes to the 2027 national finals.
This new event skips the usual steps where players must win at their club and then their region before reaching state-level playoffs. Members of the Park Beach Bowls Club and others in the Mid North Coast Bowls region can sign up for singles, pairs, triples, and fours events as long as they are part of a club. Only mixed pairs will still require players to go through a local qualifying round to find the top 32 teams.
The sports body is making this shift because it is moving to a calendar-year season starting in 2027. This makes the period from July to December 2026 a shorter bridge season, which does not leave enough time for the traditional long qualifying process. The board made the decision to change the season format following feedback from clubs across the state.
While the event is open to everyone, there will be limits on how many people can enter once venues are confirmed. Successful players from this competition will qualify for the 2027 Australian Championships run by Bowls Australia. More details about the venues and how much it costs to enter are expected to be released by mid-May 2026.
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