Bowls Premier League
The Bowls Premier League (BPL) is a biannual bowls competition involving teams from around Australia. The competition was founded in 2013 as a way to popularise the sport by presenting in a modernised format, using the term "made-for-television" in its promotion. The competition features faster play, modified rules, colourful clothing and comprehensive television coverage.
 | |
| Formerly | Australian Premier League |
|---|---|
| Sport | Bowls |
| Founded | 2013 |
| No. of teams | 10 |
| Countries | Australia |
| Most recent champion(s) | Sydney Lions |
| Most titles | Sydney Lions (4) |
| TV partner(s) | Fox Sports, Sky Sport |
| Official website | http://www.bowls.com.au/events-page/national-events/bowls-premier-league |
The BPL was founded by Bowls Australia and was initially contested by teams from the five major Australian cities plus a New Zealand side and has since expanded to 10 clubs. The week-long event attracts a large number of Australia's best bowls players to compete, as well as several high-profile bowlers from overseas.
History
The first edition of the competition was held in November, 2013 under the name Australian Premier League. The inaugural clubs were Adelaide Endurance, Brisbane Gold, Melbourne Roys, New Zealand Blackjacks, Perth Suns and Sydney Lions, with Brisbane winning the first title.[1]
Two further teams – the Murray Steamers and the Gold Coast Hawks – joined the competition in 2014 to expand the competition to eight. The Murray Steamers defeated Adelaide Endurance in the final of the 2014 competition to be champions for the second running of the event.
In 2016, Bowls Australia announced there would be two tournaments held per year starting from 2017, with one event staged in Auckland in addition to the traditional event at Club Pine Rivers in Brisbane, Queensland.[2] The competition also underwent a name change to reflect the inclusion of the New Zealand leg, renaming to Bowls Premier League.
The Australian leg of the BPL has always been held in November while the first edition of the New Zealand event was held in March.
Adelaide Endurance were replaced by Illawarra Gorillas in 2017.[3]
BPL10 in 2019 marked a significant shift in the competition, as three teams - Gold Coast Hawks, Illawarra Gorillas and New Zealand Blackjacks - did not renew their licence. This opened the door to three new teams - Adelaide Pioneers, Melbourne Pulse and Tweed Heads Ospreys.[4][5]
In February 2020, Moama Bowling Club hosted the first BPL outside of Brisbane and New Zealand, with the New Zealand version of the event heading to the Victoria-NSW border town until at least 2022.[6]
BPL12, planned to be hosted by Club Pine Rivers in November 2020, was postponed due to COVID. Moama eventually hosted the event in February 2021, with Club Pine Rivers hosting BPL13 and BPL14 later the same year.
BPL14 was later moved to Moama and played in February 2022. The league expanded to 10 teams, dropping the Melbourne Roys and adding the Tasmania Tridents, Melbourne eXtreme and Gold Coast Hawks. The Murray Steamers changed their name to the Moama Steamers.[7]
BPL15 took place in late May 2022 at Pine Rivers, with the same 10 teams in competition.
Event structure
Originally, BPL competitions began on a Thursday and ended on Sunday. That was eventually changed, with competitions beginning on a Tuesday and ending on a Friday evening.
Each BPL competition runs over the course of four days at one venue in a double round-robin and finals (playoffs) system; this makes for a total of 14 rounds consisting of four matches in each round. Four rounds are held on each of the first three days with two more on the fourth day, followed by the finals in the evening.
The first New Zealand edition of the competition in March, 2017 had its event held from Monday through to Thursday.
All five matches in the final round of each day, as well as the BPL Cup Final are televised on Fox Sports in Australia and Sky Sport in New Zealand, as well as through digital streaming platform Kayo. Bowls Australia also livestream round robin matches during the day via Facebook, using their popular Rinkside Live service.
Competition format
Each match consists of a two five-end sets, with a one-end tie-break played if required. The game format is pairs, with three bowls for each player per end. A team coach also has a substitute player at their disposal which must be used during the game, but only immediately preceding the delivery of a bowl by their team player. Every player in the team, including the sub, must bowl at least nine bowls per game. The team with that wins both sets, or one set and then the tie-break, is the winner.
Instead of spending time rolling the jack, as per normal competitions, the players place the mat and advise the marker the length of the jack they would like to play to. Players have a 30-second shot clock in which they must deliver their bowl from the time the jack is placed at the start of an end or once their opposition bowl has come to a rest. Teams can nominate one Power Play end per set, enabling teams to earn double the shots scored in that end.
Finals system
Each of the ten teams play each other twice during the competition. At the end of the double round-robin, the top five teams in the standings play off in the finals series.
If teams on the ladder are equal on points they will be split on net total shots (shots for minus shots against).
The finals series includes straight eliminations and double-chance matches.
| Match | Teams | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Elimination Final 1 | 4th place team vs 5th place team | Winning team advances to Elimination Final 2. Losing team is eliminated. |
| Elimination Final 2 | 3rd place team vs Winner of Elimination Final 1 | Winning team advances to Preliminary Final. Losing team is eliminated. |
| Semi Final | 1st place team vs 2nd place team | Winning team advances to the Grand Final. Losing team advances to the Preliminary Final. |
| Preliminary Final | Winner of Elimination Final 2 vs Loser of Semi Final | Winning team advances to the Grand Final. Losing team is eliminated. |
| Grand Final | Winner of Semi Final vs Winner of Preliminary Final | Winner is the Event Champion. |
Prizemoney
The BPL competition carries a $100,000 prize-pool, with the winning franchise collecting $25,000.
Clubs
The Bowls Premier League expanded to 10 teams for BPL14, held at the Moama Bowling Club.
| Team name | Location | Region/State/Territory | Nation | Franchise Owner | Coach | First season | Titles | Last Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adelaide Pioneers | Adelaide | South Australia | Aust | Adelaide Bowling Club | Les Carter | 2019 | |||
| Brisbane Pirates | Brisbane | Queensland | Aust | Club Pine Rivers | Michael Breen | 2013 | 2 | 2018 | Formally Brisbane Gold |
| Gold Coast Hawks | Helensvale | Queensland | Aust | Club Helensvale | Anthony Kiepe | 2014 | 1 | 2018 | Did not compete in 2020-2021 |
| Melbourne eXtreme | Melbourne | Victoria | Aust | Club Sunbury | Kelvin Kerkow OAM | 2022 | |||
| Melbourne Pulse | Melbourne | Victoria | Aust | Dandenong Club | Jeremy Henry | 2019 | 1 | ||
| Moama Steamers | Moama | New South Wales | Aust | Moama Bowling Club | Kevin Anderson | 2014 | 2 | 2020 | Formally Murray Steamers |
| Perth Suns | Perth | Western Australia | Aust | Bowls Western Australia | Josh Thornton | 2013 | |||
| Sydney Lions | Sydney | New South Wales | Aust | Club Mount Lewis | Steve Glasson OAM | 2013 | 4 | 2022 | |
| Tasmania Tridents | Hobart | Tasmania | Aust | Bowls Tasmania | Mark Strochnetter | 2022 | |||
| Tweed Heads Ospreys | Tweed Heads | New South Wales | Aust | Tweed Heads Bowls Club | Wayne Turley OAM | 2019 | 3 | 2021 |
Former clubs
| Team name | Location | Region/State/Territory | Nation | Franchise owner | Coach | First season | Last season | Titles | Last title |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adelaide Endurance | Adelaide | South Australia | Aust | Bowls South Australia | Mark Haines | 2013 | 2017 | - | - |
| Illawarra Gorillas | Illawarra | New South Wales | Aust | Warilla Bowls & Recreation Club | Wes Falconer | 2017 | 2019 | 1 | 2019 |
| Melbourne Roys | Melbourne | Victoria | Aust | Fitzroy Victoria Bowling & Sports Club | Ian "JR" Ewing | 2013 | 2021 | - | - |
| New Zealand Blackjacks | N.Z | Bowls New Zealand | Sharon Sims | 2013 | 2019 | 1 | 2015 |
Champions
| Year | Edition | Location | Winner | Score | Runner-up | MVP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | APL01 | Brisbane | Brisbane Gold | 7–4, 8-2 | Adelaide Endurance | Scott Thulborn (Adelaide Endurance) |
| 2014 | APL02 | Murray Steamers | 6–2, 5-3 | Adelaide Endurance | Alex Marshall (Murray Steamers) | |
| 2015 | APL03 | New Zealand Blackjacks | 6–3, 0–8, 1-0 | Adelaide Endurance | Mark Casey (Gold Coast Hawks) | |
| 2016 | BPL04 | Sydney Lions | 6–4, 10-6 | Murray Steamers | Ryan Bester (Murray Steamers) | |
| 2017 | BPL05 | Auckland (NZ) | Sydney Lions | 3–2, 6-3 | New Zealand Blackjacks | Shannon McIlroy (New Zealand Blackjacks) |
| BPL06 | Brisbane | Sydney Lions | 10-0, 8-1 | Illawarra Gorillas | Aron Sherriff (Sydney Lions) | |
| 2018 | BPL07 | Wellington (NZ) | Gold Coast Hawks | 5-3, 7-7 | Brisbane Pirates | Aron Sherriff (Gold Coast Hawks) |
| BPL08 | Brisbane | Brisbane Pirates | 9-2, 6-2 | Murray Steamers | Ryan Bester (Murray Steamers) | |
| 2019 | BPL09 | Lower Hutt (NZ) | Illawarra Gorillas | 6-9, 7–1, 1-0 | Brisbane Pirates | Alex Marshall (Brisbane Pirates) |
| BPL10 | Brisbane | Tweed Heads Ospreys | 9-0, 8-1 | Sydney Lions | Aaron Teys (Tweed Heads Ospreys) [8] | |
| 2020 | BPL11 | Moama | Murray Steamers | 6-1, 3–11, 1-0 | Melbourne Roys | Aron Sherriff (Sydney Lions) and Aaron Wilson (Melbourne Roys)[9] |
| 2021 | BPL12 | Tweed Heads Ospreys | 6-0, 4-1 | Adelaide Pioneers | Scott Thulborn (Adelaide Pioneers)[10] | |
| BPL13 | Brisbane | Tweed Heads Ospreys | 12-2, 7-1 | Murray Steamers | Aaron Teys (Tweed Heads Ospreys) | |
| 2022 | BPL14 | Moama | Sydney Lions[11] | 5-11, 7–4, 1-0 | Moama Steamers | Aron Sherriff (Gold Coast Hawks)[12] |
| BPL15 | Brisbane | Melbourne Pulse | 5-3, 3-8, 1-0 | Melbourne Extreme | Aron Sherriff (Moama Steamers) | |
| BPL16 | Moama |
BPL All Star Team
| Year | Edition | Location | Bowlers |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | BPL14 | Moama | Aron Sherriff (Gold Coast Hawks), Ben Twist (Sydney Lions), Kelsey Cottrell (Gold Coast Hawks).[12] |
| BPL15 | Brisbane | Aron Sherriff (Moama Steamers), Matt Flapper (Melbourne Extreme), Rebecca Van Asch (Tasmania Tridents, Jeremy Henry (Melbourne Pulse) | |
| BPL16 | Moama |
Championships by club
| Team | Champions | Runners-up | Competition won |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sydney Lions | 4 | 1 | BPL04, BPL05, BPL06, BPL14 |
| Tweed Heads Ospreys | 3 | 0 | BPL10, BPL12, BPL13 |
| Moama/Murray Steamers | 2 | 3 | APL02, BPL11 |
| Brisbane Pirates/Gold | 2 | 2 | APL01, BPL08 |
| New Zealand Blackjacks | 1 | 1 | APL03 |
| Illawarra Gorillas | 1 | 1 | BPL09 |
| Gold Coast Hawks | 1 | 0 | BPL07 |
| Melbourne Pulse | 1 | 0 | BPL15 |
| Adelaide Endurance | 0 | 3 | - |
| Melbourne Roys | 0 | 1 | - |
| Adelaide Pioneers | 0 | 1 | - |
BPL Cup
In 2017, Bowls Australia announced the introduction of the BPL Cup,[13] a nationwide tournament for all clubs in the same mould as football cup competitions, such as the FA Cup.
Each of the eight Australian states and territories hold statewide competitions for all bowls clubs where an eventual state winner will progress to the national BPL Cup finals at Club Pine Rivers.
BPL Cup Champions
| Year | Club | State | Players |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Club Merrylands | NSW | Michael Clarke, Neil Burkett, Shawn Thompson |
| 2018 | Narrabri | NSW | Graham Spence, Cameron Yates and Peter Hobday |
| 2019 | South Perth | WA | Glenn Pauling, Scott Walker, Ashley Sharp |
| 2020 | West Lakes | SA | Craig Mills, Nathan Black, TJ Saunders |
| 2021 | City Memorial Bowls Club (Warrnambool)[14] | VIC | N. Billington, W. Hall, V. Moloney, C Davey |
See also
References
- "Brisbane's panning for Gold pays off". Australian Premier League. 22 November 2013. Retrieved 16 January 2014.
- "Second annual $100,000 Premier League announced". Australian Premier League. 12 July 2016. Retrieved 14 November 2017.
- "Illawarra Gorillas muscle in on BPL06". Australian Premier League. 21 September 2017. Retrieved 14 November 2017.
- "Bowls Premier League: Adelaide and Tweed Heads confirmed for #BPL10". Bowls Australia. 19 August 2019. Retrieved 6 March 2020.
- "Dandenong Club poised to enter the BPL". Bowls Australia. 10 July 2019. Retrieved 6 March 2020.
- "Bowls Premier League: Moama confirmed as February host venue until 2022". Bowls Australia. 20 August 2019. Retrieved 6 March 2020.
- "Bowls Premier League (BPL14)". bowls.com.au. Bowls Australia. Retrieved 22 February 2022.
- "#BPL10: Teys shines to collect tournament MVP". Bowls Australia. 15 November 2019. Retrieved 6 March 2020.
- "#BPL11: Sherriff, Wilson share MVP honours". Bowls Australia. 28 February 2020. Retrieved 6 March 2020.
- "#BPL12: Thulborn claims second MVP crown". Bowls Australia. 26 February 2021. Retrieved 27 February 2021.
- "Results Portal". results.bowlslink.com.au. Retrieved 26 February 2022.
- "#BPL14: Lions create history with memorable title win". Bowls Australia. 25 February 2022. Retrieved 26 February 2022.
- "BPL Cup". Bowls Australia. Retrieved 15 November 2017.
- "Results Portal". results.bowlslink.com.au. Retrieved 26 February 2022.