The World’s Biggest Bowls Event — And Wairarapa Was There

You might think of Wimbledon, the Masters, or the Tour de France when you picture the world’s biggest sporting events — but in bowls, it’s the Australian Open that takes the crown.

Held on the Gold Coast across 14 days, 14 venues, and drawing over 3,500 players, the Australian Open is officially the world’s largest and richest bowls tournament. With more than 1,300 players in the men’s singles alone and a record $314,000 prize pool in 2025, it’s not just big — it’s monumental.

And this year, Wairarapa was on the map.

🎯 Gavin Hamlyn: Into the Last 32 (and a World Champion Scalp)

With over 1,300 bowlers in the men’s singles field, just making it through the early rounds is an accomplishment. But Gavin Hamlyn did more than that — reaching the last 32 in one of the toughest tests in the sport. On the way, he claimed a huge win over current World Singles Champion Ryan Bester — a career highlight and a serious feather in the cap for both Gavin and the region.

👊 Strong Performances Across the Board

Rozanna Muriwai qualified for the women’s singles — a great achievement — and was narrowly beaten in a tight first-round battle. She also teamed up with Wendy Mackie in the over-60s pairs and made it to the last 32. In the Open Fours, they qualified from their section before falling at the first knockout stage. Garry Muriwai also made it through qualifying in the over-60s pairs — proving that Wairarapa is competitive at every level.

In the fours, Harry Hamlyn, Scott MacKenzie, Gavin Hamlyn, and Garry Muriwai picked up two wins from three in qualifying — narrowly missing out on progressing, but only because they lost to the eventual tournament winners. That’s bowls: close margins and class opponents.

Gavin and Harry Hamlyn both performed strongly in their Open Pairs qualifying section, picking up two wins from three matches, but missed out on progressing — falling short on countback.

🧢 Next Gen Rising: Harry Hamlyn in the U18s

Harry Hamlyn returned to the U18 division and showed how much he’s progressed, claiming a win and pushing hard in two narrow losses. Against top competition from across Australia, it was a clear step forward from last year.

🟢 Why This Matters

Playing in the Australian Open means testing yourself against the world’s best — across multiple days and formats. Every game is a challenge. Every win is earned. The fact that Wairarapa bowlers not only showed up but qualified, competed, and beat champions shows what’s possible from a small but proud region. Let’s keep supporting those putting themselves out there and proving that bowls in Wairarapa can stand tall on the world stage.