One small step for Maj Paul Brady, one perfect bowl for the team. Maj Brady shows his talent in sequence showing off perfect bowls technique at the NSW Interservice Sports Lawns Bowls Carnival, in Newcastle. Image by Cpl Belinda Mepham 1JPAU(P), photo by Bill Cunneen

LAWN bowls may not be everyone’ s idea of an exciting sport but in a recent NSW inter-service competition the game’s profile was definitely raised.

At the Beresfield Bowling Club in Newcastle, a combined Army and RAAF team defeated the Navy 10-8, with 24 people involved in the competition.

Flg-Off Andrew Gibbs, Air Traffic Control Officer at RAAF Base Williamtown, said the inter-service lawn bowls competition had been running for many years.

“Numbers have dropped off because of people leaving the ADF, but we have some young guys here this year,” he said.

“The sport within Defence is again gaining popularity.

“At the beginning of the competition the RAAF and Army won two rinks, then lost one, but when we added up all the scores on the master board the Navy had beaten us by six shots.

“In the afternoon the same thing occurred and the Navy won one rink while the RAAF and Army won two. Later in the competition the RAAF and Army won all three rinks and we came out on top of the master board, so we won that rink six-nil.”

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