Inaugural inter-region Maurie Rowlands-Geoff Sutcliffe trophy tournament a raging success

By Zac Standish

Mar 15, 2022

Local legends: Maurie Rowlands and Geoff Sutcliffe with the trophy named in their honour.

The skies cleared just in time for keen bowlers from the Goulburn Valley and Murray playing areas, as hundreds gathered at Cobram Bowls Club for the inaugural women’s and men’s Maurie Rowlands-Geoff Sutcliffe Playing Area Challenge.

The Goulburn Valley Playing Area emerged victorious over three rounds of hotly-contested bowls action, 52-427 to 26-370.

Each playing area brought a 48-player squad to the much-anticipated round-robin tournament, with a 24-strong women’s team and a 24-strong men’s team gracing the greens across the day’s competition.

Taking the crown as the champion women’s rink was Loris Houlihan, Kerry Baldacchino, Jenny Warfe and Lidija Patching from Murray with a score of six points and +17, while the winning men’s rink was David Daws, David Cartwright, Joe Lia and Scott Adams from Goulburn Valley who registered six points and +24.

Queens of the green: Champion women’s rink Loris Houlihan, Kerry Baldacchino, Jenny Warfe and Lidija Patching with region treasurer Jenny Sutcliffe.

Goulburn Murray Bowls Region secretary Stephen McGregor said the day went off without a hitch.

“From all reports it was a great day and very successful. Everyone had a really good time and played some pretty good bowls,” McGregor said.

“Cobram put together a great day. All the greens were very well maintained and full of people, which was just fantastic. The food put on was also great and everyone enjoyed being able to socialise. It really couldn’t have gotten any better.”

The day also gave both associations the opportunity to recognise two of their greats, with the legendary Maurie Rowlands and Geoff Sutcliffe immortalised by the trophy.

We are the champions: Best men’s rink David Daws, David Cartwright, Joe Lia and Scott Adams with region treasurer Jenny Sutcliffe.

“The idea was that Maurie Rowlands has been very important to the Goulburn Valley as far as administration goes, while he was also a previous president of the Central Goulburn Murray region,” McGregor said.

“Geoff Sutcliffe is a very well-known bowler amongst both the Murray and Goulburn Valley regions. He coached a couple of premierships and was very good, so both names were just put forward straight away to name the trophy.

“It is brilliant to be able to honour them both in this way and you couldn’t think of two any more worthy people to have their names on the trophy.”