For the first time in Tasmania, primary school children will have the opportunity to experience lawn bowls through the nationally recognised Rookie Rollers program. Spearheaded by Anthony Lowery of the Westbury Bowls Club, the initiative aims to introduce the sport to a younger generation, fostering both skill development and inclusivity in the game.
“Bowls Australia have put together a Rookie Rollers program that is aimed at primary-age children,” Lowery said. “It’s been around for a couple of years now, and I’ve been looking into it the whole time. Now, thanks to the council with a generous grant, we’ve been able to purchase the kits to go into local schools and hopefully get exposure of bowls to younger generations.”
While the program has been successfully implemented on the mainland, Lowery noted that it had yet to take off in Tasmania. “The Bowls Australia representative here in Tasmania advised me a little while ago that there wasn’t actually anybody in the state yet running the program,” he explained. “So this will be the first time that it actually gets up and going. Once I can get into the schools around this area, it’ll be the first time in the state.”
The Westbury Bowls Club has been allocated schools within its postcode, including Westbury, Bracknell, and Hagley. “Discussions with Westbury have been really positive. They’re keen to get the program up and going as soon as possible, and Hagley reached out as well. That leaves Bracknell to touch base with at some stage,” Lowery said.
The program will integrate into the schools’ physical education curriculum, allowing students to learn and practise bowls over several weeks. “Local schools, to my understanding, run P.E. one day a week, and my aim and discussion with the school has been that that one day of the week will be bowls-focused for two, maybe three weeks in a row,” he said. “I’ll go in with a program designed to change between the different age groups that will hopefully work. I’m guided by a lot of hope at the moment, but I’m willing to give it a go.”
For Lowery, bowls is more than just a sport—it’s been a lifelong passion. “Bowls has been my sport for 23 years now. I started when I was, I think, 14. So it’s actually longer than that now—25 years,” he said. “I just sort of fell in love with the game from a younger age, and I’ve always been passionate about trying to get to the next stage. But time has always been a restrictor, and family and work commitments get in the way a lot of the time. But now I’m finally at the stage where hopefully I can give a little bit back to bowls.”
What sets bowls apart, according to Lowery, is its inclusivity. “Over the years, the amount of different people—different demographics, whether they be older, younger, people in wheelchairs, people on walking frames, people with Down syndrome—I’ve seen them all, I’ve played against them all,” he said. “I just think, what better sport is there? Or what other sport has that same inclusivity? Anybody can do it, from the age of six through to 96. That’s the way I look at it.”
With the launch of the Rookie Rollers program, Lowery hopes to inspire a new generation of players while fostering a sense of community around the sport. “It doesn’t hurt that you can do it with your mates, and I’ve been fortunate to do it with some of my best mates over the years,” he added.
As the program prepares to roll out in local schools, Lowery remains optimistic about its impact. “I’m guided by a lot of hope at the moment,” he admitted. “But I’m willing to give it a go.”
