The Port Alfred Bowling and Croquet Club handed over their greens and clubhouse for four days last week as Eastern Areas hosted the 2025 Men’s Mini District Tournament. Seven teams saw 88 players and their entourages power up the greens with four days of quality bowls sponsored by Build it and Rosehill Superspar.
But while excellent play saw the only two full houses achieved by Eastern Areas teams, overall victory was not to be for the hosts who last won the tournament in 2010. Port Elizabeth & Districts walked away with the individual teams and overall gold, stopping Frontier’s bid for a hat-trick.
The ‘mini districts’, as the tournament is known, serves as preparation for the next stage, the inter-districts. Eastern Cape Bowls Association president Cliffie Boucher noted that Border and Eastern Province selectors would be on the lookout as they finalised their 2026 teams for this national competition.
Talk of the Town spoke to Boucher as the sixth and final rounds were under way on Monday September 22.
”Eastern Areas have done a fantastic job of organising this event,” he said. “Christa [Von Gericke] as convenor and Lydia Palmer doing the scoring and records – the tournament committee have done us proud. Their members’ hospitality, the catering – it’s been really good.”
It had poured with rain on Sunday – were there worries the greens would be flooded and sodden?
“No. All the rain does is make the greens a bit heavier, and the ball rolls a bit slower.”
The wind had dried things out – and in fact it was the wind that had proved the greater challenge.
“On Friday and on Monday the wind pumped,” Boucher said.
Indeed, on Monday the wind was so strong, some of the clubs’ and sponsors’ banners and flags had to be taken down before they were blown away.
“Apart from that, it was fantastic weather and there was some really good bowls,” Boucher said.
PICTURE GALLERY HERE
Port Alfred is “pretty central” for the seven districts – East London, Port Elizabeth, Midlands, Frontier, Ciskei, Eastern Areas and North-Eastern Districts. The last, based in Hofmeyr north-east of Nxuba (formerly Cradock) have the greatest distance to travel.
All except one team had found accommodation in Port Alfred – he team that stayed in Kleinemonde had done so because of family connections.
The rain hadn’t worried greenkeeper Jaco van Rensburg, either.
“We had lots of rain in winter and that was a worry,” he said. “Because we had to deal then with algae.”
As a result there were a few bare patches then, but they had recovered.
“The greens played beautifully this weekend,” he said. “The lines were true, the speed was good and the banks were clean. Feedback from the players was that the greens were the best they’ve every been.”
Van Rensburg is focusing now on preparing them for the week-long national croquet championships in November, and the Harry Owsley bowls tournament in December.
“We’re working flat-out.”
So are the district’s players.
Boucher said last weekend’s mini-districts was excellent practice for the upcoming national inter-districts tournament. “It’s the same format, the same scoring system,” he said.
For the mini-districts, a maximum of two current provincial players was allowed.
“The others must be newer to the game. That’s how we blood new players for the inter-districts.”
The Eastern Cape Provincial Bowls Association is affiliated to The South African Sports Confederation, Olympic and Paralympic Committee (SASCOC).
PE & Districts’ Shaun Gobey was the overall winner with 174, his three teammates and Frontier’s Johan van der Nest filling the top 5. Eastern Areas players Willie Basson, Steve Minnaar and Hein Strombeck placed 7th, 9th and 14th respectively.
PE & Districts won the tournament and the trophy with Eastern Areas a credible runner-up. Both received prize money.
The only two full houses (perfect scores) came from Eastern Areas teams led by Hein Strombeck and Stephen Minnaar. Tournament convenor Christa Von Gericke explained: “There are four players in a team and each player has two bowls. The perfect score means all of that team’s woods (that’s the correct word for the bowls) would be a perfect 8 score. It is like a golf hole in one.”
Every team played six games.
Eastern Areas last hosted the Mini-Districts in 2017. Von Gericke said, “We are so fortunate that Build it and the Superspar group gave us sponsorship. Other sponsors bought adverts in the handbooks and those funds went to the Port Alfred Bowling and Croquet Club to help with costs.”
TOP FOUR: Individual teams winners Rohan van der Merwe, Shane Gobey (skip and also overall winner), Rudy Herbst and Brian Harley of Port Elizabeth and Districts. Pictures: SUE MACLENNAN
TEAM EFFORT: The Eastern Areas tournament organising committee was complimented for the smooth and efficient running of the tournament. They are (from left) Jaco van Rensburg (greenkeeper), Noeline Kirsten (treasurer), Lydia Palmer (secretary), christa Gericke (convenor) and Graham Enslin (men’s club captain). With them (second from right) is Judy Alexander, Eastern Areas President.
- This article was first published in Talk of the Town, September 114, 2025. The newspaper serving the communities of Ndlambe and the Sunshine Coast, with a weekly wrap of Makhanda news, is available at stores from early on Thursdays
