The team will compete in the State play-offs in Tumut on August 1, 2 and 3.

Throughout a very competitive season, the team reached the State with a resounding 5-1 win over Scotts Head in the Zone Final in May.

The team includes, J Purdy, P Ostler, S Latham, T Arndell, T Kundicevic, D Rumbel, D Carney, K Pampling, L Rousell, B Herron, M Gallagher, P Saville and manager: M Gatenby.

If the club can achieve the high honour of winning a State flag, it will be the club’s first in a number of attempts.

The club competed in its first state pennant flag in 1972 when the No4s team rode roughshod over the competition to win the Zone final.

The Gazette of March 16, 1972 reported the win as follows:

‘After successfully trying since the inception of the club, success came to Wauchope in the No4 division.

‘The members of the triumphant side were heroes for the day when they brought off the victory of their lives to defeat the strong Port Macquarie side 6-1 with an aggregate win of 101-78.

‘N Brennan, C Smith, L Peters, and Fox Avery won 30-18; B Isaac, K Mooney, B Freeman and B Davidson lost 25-19; J Coombes, E Cowdery, B Jasprizza and R Foster won 30-16; M Baker, M Thompson, W Jones and R Lewis won 22-19 in the last match played over two Saturdays because of rain.’

Unfortunately the team went down in wet conditions in Sydney at State.

Eight years later the newly formed No5 pennant team stormed through to win the club a second zone pennant.

It went into the state play-offs against the Maclean Bowling Club at Coffs Harbour but went down to a more consistent opponent.

The team included, Jack Dwyer, Willy Baker, Bill Perrin, Ted Scott, Ray Lewis, George Jones, Paul Jones (manager and selector), Don McNeil, Fly Marchment, Ken Mooney, Eric Nyberg, John Blackhall (club president), Marty McLaughlin and Charles McCredie.

During the 1980s the club’s trophy cabinet was boosted with four successive Zone pennant wins – No4s in 1985, No3 in 1986, No2 in 1987 and No4s in 1988.

The 1985 team included, Lester Thurgate, Bob Stanton, George Campbell, Ted Scott, Mel Miller, Barry Barnett, Col Schmitzer, Pedro Gill, Harold Newton, Sid Smith, Kevin O’Dwyer, Jim Salmond, Paul Jones, Bruce Isaac, Keith McKenzie (secretary), Barney Avery, George Shelly and Geoff Sparrow.

The 1986 team included, K McKenzie, L Thurgate, C Schmitzer, M Baker, M Handord, J Coombes, P Jones, Noel Walker (district president), B Avery, Fox Avery, C Avery, C DeClerk, G Campbell, M Miller, Pedro Gill, H Newton, B Isaac, B Freeman.

There were also teams from 1987 and 1988 who competed in the state play-offs.

There were also a number of teams from the 1990s who represented Wauchope at the state play-offs but the Gazette was unable to confirm any of these teams.

The 2000s also saw the club represented at state finals. This kicked off in 2001 when the No7s won the district and zone and competed in the state play-offs. Two years later the No4s represented the club at state before the latest team – the No3s.

And a little more on history: Jack O’Hare holds the distinction of winning the club’s highest honour in bowls, our one and only State level championship after winning the NSW Country singles. That was in 1956.

And in further good news for the current bowling stocks of Wauchope, the No5s were defeated in the Zone Finals. This team achieved some excellent results including winning the district flag and competing at zone.