cluBarham has been announced as the home of the Over 60s State Championships and Women’s Country Carnival for the next three years.
Play will take place on the club’s state-of-the-art facility opened in September 2022, including two synthetic 9 rink greens, one of which is undercover.
Bowls Victoria said the revised week-long Over 60s State Championships is scheduled to run from May 20 to 26, 2024 and will see the expanded competition open to all participants, free from any pre-qualification requirement, with additional categories added to the event schedule, including the introduction of the popular Mixed Pairs category. Additional enhancements include livestreaming of the event for the first time, together with an increase in the prize money on offer.
Andrew Haug, General Manager – Commercial Operations at Bowls Victoria said, “The opportunity to further promote and expand our Over 60s State Championships has been sitting on our radar for some time. When the prospect of bringing the event to a world-class venue in cluBarham presented itself, it was an opportunity too good to be missed. The quality and choice of accommodation, food and beverage options, together with their state-of-the-art synthetic greens made cluBarham the perfect choice to host the revised and expanded Over 60s State Championships, together with the Women’s Country Carnival.”
cluBarham CEO, Jason Wallace said, “Bowls in our region is very healthy and we are delighted to be able to showcase cluBarham’s new world class greens and undercover bowls facility by hosting the Over 60s State Championships and the Women’s Country Carnival for the next three years. The significant connections with Bowls Victoria, and partnering with Murray River Council, will realise the huge economic benefit to our region. We are all most grateful to be able to deliver this for our community.”
In addition to the revised Over 60s event, the region will play host to the Women’s Country Carnival, scheduled as an annual event from 2024 due to its ever-increasing popularity. In 2024, the Women’s Country Carnival will run from October 2 to 6 and is again expected to bring many hundreds of bowlers from throughout Victoria and along the NSW border to the widely popular event.
Murray River Council Mayor, Cr Chris Bilkey said, “These events will be an exciting drawcard for bowls enthusiasts and will offer a wonderful opportunity to showcase the fantastic new facilities at cluBarham. As the May and October dates are traditionally a quieter period for regional tourism, it’s great to have another event on the calendar that supports greater visitation in the off-peak season. We look forward to welcoming competitors and spectators to River Country!”
The estimated economic benefit to the area is estimated to be in the range of $2.5 – 3 million.
This article appeared in The Koondrook and Barham Bridge Newspaper, 8 June 2023.
