Southland’s Sheldon Bagrie-Howley is about to put his case for a place in the Blackjacks bowls team for the 2022 Commonwealth Games. 

The Croydon Aircraft Company engineer has just been included in Bowls New Zealand selectors Peter Belliss and Phillip Skoglund’s penultimate cut of 10 men and eight women for a two-day trial in Auckland next month. 

It’s the second and final trial for the code’s high-performance squad and will be held on a purpose-built green at Rocky Nook Bowling Club which has been designed to mimic the slow greens expected in Birmingham. 

Fellow Southlanders Bronwyn Stevens and Sarah Scott were also included in the original 42-strong selection squad but have not progressed. 

This is a moment Bagrie-Howley, 27, has been preparing for almost since he first tagged along with his Nana to the Gore Bowling Club. He remembers playing with the ‘old boys’ and winning a bottle of whiskey as an 11-year-old, which was happily swapped for cash. 

“I’ve been thinking about this for 15 years and since I first made the New Zealand development team the goal has been the Commonwealth Games.” 

Bagrie-Howley was disappointed with his performance in the first trial and honing his mental skills has been a big part of his preparation. That’s included working with Academy Southland’s Jason McKenzie. 

“It’s about dealing with the pressure, how to identify if something’s not going well, how I cope with that in-game. It’s about trying to gain every one-percent that you can work on and will give you an edge,” he said. 

“Until the trial I won’t be playing any bowls down here, I’ll just be training on the slower surfaces to give myself the best chance.” 

Blackjacks head coach Mike Kernaghan expects competition at the Games trial to be fierce. 

“During the last trial, it was clear that every player has been putting in the hard yards, we expect to see the same at the upcoming trial and are confident that whoever is selected for the New Zealand team will represent our country with distinction.” 

Chris LeLievre will be able to travel from where he is domiciled in Australia to attend this trial, however Ali Forsyth and Katelyn Inch are unable to do so. 

A team of five men and five women will be nominated to the NZOC for approval to compete at the Commonwealth Games following the conclusion of the trial.  

The Commonwealth Games are being held in Birmingham from July 28 to August 8. 

New Zealand bowlers have a long and proud history of success in the international arena and will be looking to build on this success at the 2022 Commonwealth Games where the New Zealand team will compete for 11 medals. 

The selected players for the March 12 and 13 trial are; 

Men: Sheldon Bagrie-Howley, Seamus Curtin, Mike Galloway, Tony Grantham, Andrew Kelly, Gary Lawson, Chris Le Lievre, Ray Martin, Shannon McIlroy, and Lance Pascoe. 

Women: Tayla Bruce, Selina Goddard, Kimberley Hemingway, Clare Hendra, Leeane Poulson, Val Smith, Nicole Toomey, and Debbie White. 

Article added: Friday 25 February 2022