Bowls Auckland is the regional governing body for lawn bowls across the Auckland area — not a single club you join, but the organisation (a “Centre”) that supports and coordinates dozens of member clubs, runs regional competitions, and delivers coaching and development from first-timers through to representative players.
If you’re looking to take up lawn bowls in Auckland, find a club near you, or improve your game, Bowls Auckland is the natural place to start. This page explains what it does and how to get involved.
What Is Bowls Auckland?
Bowls Auckland (officially Bowls Auckland Incorporated) is the Auckland Centre affiliated to the national body, Bowls New Zealand. It has a long history — its 112th Annual General Meeting was held in 2025 — and its role is to govern, support and grow lawn bowls across the region rather than to operate a single green.
In practice, that means coordinating member clubs spread across Central, East, South and West Auckland, organising Centre-wide competitions and representative bowls, delivering coaching and umpire training, and helping clubs with funding, development and events. The Centre also works beyond its own boundaries — it describes a “bowls without borders” philosophy and has delivered coaching courses on behalf of the neighbouring Bowls North Harbour Centre.
A point that often confuses newcomers: greater Auckland is split between two regional bodies. Bowls Auckland covers the central, eastern, southern and western parts of the city, while Bowls North Harbour covers the North Shore, Hibiscus Coast and Rodney areas. If your local club is in, say, Takapuna, Orewa or Manly, it sits under North Harbour; clubs in Mt Eden, Blockhouse Bay, Howick or Papatoetoe sit under Bowls Auckland.
Coaching & Development: Improving Your Game
This is where Bowls Auckland is especially useful if you want to get better, not just have a roll. The Centre runs a layered set of programmes for players and coaches at every stage:
Foundation coaching introduces the basics to newcomers — grip, delivery, line and length — and is the entry point for people who have never bowled.
The 1–5 Year Winter Coaching Programme is aimed at developing newer bowlers (those in their first five years), and culminates in dedicated competitions — the Campi Cup (women) and Canoe Trophy (men) — giving emerging players a goal to work toward.
The Emerging Players and Coaches Programme (EPAC) is Bowls Auckland’s talent-development initiative, launched in 2025. It’s designed to nurture the next wave of players and coaches and build pathways toward representative selection.
EPAC is open to players with 1–10 years’ experience and to coaches who have completed their Development Coach qualification. Sessions focus on specific themes — shot selection and practice, strategy and tactics, head building and head reading, and game planning — and use the Teaching Games For Understanding (TGFU) approach, which encourages learning through problem-solving and play.
Current representative-squad players act as mentors, and the programme is deliberately flexible: participants can attend one, two or all of the sessions, which are capped at 48 players each. Applications are made through Bowls Hub (reference: EPAC).
Bowls Auckland also supports umpire training through the Auckland Bowls Umpires’ Association, for those who want to get involved in officiating.
Competitions & Events
Bowls Auckland runs a full calendar of Centre events and interclub competition through the season. One of the most popular is the Taylor Interclub Eights and Sixes, which brings clubs from across the region together — in a recent edition, eighteen clubs hosted play over two weekends.
There are also events like the Rapid Roll Pairs, club tournaments hosted at greens across the city, and pathways into representative bowls for those competing at a higher level. Member clubs host much of this play, so joining a club is the way into the competitive scene.
Finding a Club
Bowls Auckland’s “Find a Club” directory is the gateway to its member clubs, searchable by region (Central, East, South and West Auckland). Member clubs include several featured on our Auckland page — such as Carlton Cornwall Bowls and Howick Bowling Club — along with many others like Auckland Bowling Club (Grafton), Balmoral, Blockhouse Bay, Point Chevalier, Epsom, Remuera and Bowls Papatoetoe.
(Note: Takapuna and Ponsonby, which also appear on our Auckland page, are excellent clubs but sit within the Bowls North Harbour and central areas respectively — always check the club’s own Centre affiliation when entering Centre events.)
For the full, current list, use the Find a Club tool on the Bowls Auckland website.
How to Get Started
If you’ve never bowled before, getting started is low-cost and low-commitment:
- Contact a local club or Bowls Auckland. The Find a Club directory lists clubs by area with phone numbers and websites.
- Go to a “have-a-go” or roll-up session. Many clubs run casual sessions where you can try the game; clubs usually provide bowls for newcomers, so you don’t need your own gear.
- Wear flat-soled shoes. That’s typically the only requirement to step onto a green — no special clothing needed to start.
- Ask about Foundation coaching. If you enjoy it and want to improve, this is the structured next step, leading into the winter coaching programme and, for keen players, EPAC.
Contact Bowls Auckland: PO Box 74 077, Greenlane, Auckland 1546 · Phone 09 623 3555 · bowlsauckland.co.nz
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Bowls Auckland a club I can join? Not directly — Bowls Auckland is the regional governing body (a “Centre”). You join one of its member clubs, and that club is affiliated to Bowls Auckland. The Centre is your starting point for finding a club and accessing coaching.
How do I find lawn bowls coaching in Auckland? Start with Foundation coaching through a member club, then the 1–5 Year Winter Coaching Programme, and — for players with 1–10 years’ experience — the Emerging Players and Coaches Programme (EPAC). Bowls Auckland coordinates these.
Do I need my own bowls to start? No. Most clubs provide bowls for newcomers and “have-a-go” sessions. You generally just need flat-soled shoes.
What’s the difference between Bowls Auckland and Bowls North Harbour? They’re two separate regional Centres covering greater Auckland. Bowls Auckland covers central, east, south and west Auckland; Bowls North Harbour covers the North Shore, Hibiscus Coast and Rodney. Your club’s Centre depends on its location.
How do I enter Bowls Auckland competitions? Most Centre events and interclub competitions are entered through your club. Join a member club, and it will guide you into events like the Taylor Interclub Eights and Sixes.
Who runs Bowls Auckland? It’s an incorporated society governed by a board, with a CEO and staff team, and supported by many volunteers — including long-serving life members recognised for decades of service to the sport.