New Zealand Indoor Bowls
| Nicknames | NZIB |
|---|---|
| First played | 1908 |
| Characteristics | |
| Contact | NZ Indoor Bowls Federation website |
| Mixed gender | Yes |
| Type | Bowling |
| Equipment | Bowl & Jack |
New Zealand Indoor Bowls (NZIB) is a form of Indoor bowls that is a highly competitive strategic sport. As its only international fixture is a Trans-Tasman event played under Trans-Tasman rules, it is a sport unique to New Zealand.
NZIB started in Auckland, New Zealand around 1908. It is thought to have first been brought to New Zealand by a John Jenkins.
Until 1925 however there was a need for bowls that took a consistent green. The answer came when English bowl manufacturer Taylor Rolph began to produce four inch lignum vitae bowls in sets of 16 that were guaranteed to take a consistent green. These are believed to be the first indoor bowls made specifically for the New Zealand market.
Another problem faced by the pioneers of the sport was finding a suitable mat. After many others had tried to find a mat suitable for the game, W Miller, manager of the Onehunga woollen mills, was approached to design a special mat that played in a way that satisfied the needs of the game. The size eventually decided on was 22 ft long by 6 ft wide. These measurements are still in use today.
After these standardisations the game began to spread rapidly. By 1938 there were an estimated 10,000 bowlers in the Auckland area alone. By the mid 1940s NZIB was growing rapidly in most areas. As a result of this growth the New Zealand Indoor Bowling Federation (NZIBF) was formed on 18 September 1948.
The NZIBF is managed by an executive committee made up of nine members, elected by vote. Canterbury, Hawkes Bay, Horowhenua, Hutt Valley, Palmerston North, Central Taranaki, South Taranaki, Wanganui and Wellington were the first member districts of the Federation. Waikato and Taranaki North joined in 1949 but it wasn't until 1954 that the large Auckland Association affiliated. Their entry brought the total affiliated membership of the time to 21,000.
Because the game has developed solely in New Zealand various rules have developed over time that make NZIB unique to New Zealand, Although major rule changes are rare, the NZIBF releases a NZIB law book every 5 years. One notable rule change was the completement of the harmonising of the game by introducing a 2" diameter jack, as up until 1950 an outdoor jack had been used.
It was around this time that Australian Bowl Manufacturer Hensilite first made its appearance in the NZIB market. Hensilite is now the sole brand of indoor bowl in use in New Zealand.
A bowl suitable for use in NZIB as defined by the '05 NZIB law book should have these characteristics:
New Zealand Indoor Bowls is made up of 37 centres and 767 clubs covering all of New Zealand. Membership peaked in 1963 with 73,100 affiliated members. Today it has an estimated 30,000 members. Many are attracted to the sport due to the competitiveness and skill it requires.
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Wikipedia