Members of the Alexandra Bowling Club and the Alexandra Pétanque Group breathed sighs of relief at the weekend when their respective greens and piste dried out in time for Sunday tournaments.

Bowling club manager Paul 'PJ' Jerrom said the club held its Rutherford Memorial competition on Sunday, an event that has taken place since the 1980s in honour of brothers and former life members, Tom and Don Rutherford.

“They were instrumental in the club rooms being moved here,” he said of the current location in Poole Road. 

“Tom was also the national singles champion in 1983.”

Tom also ran the Blacks Hotel in Ophir, meaning he was known and well-respected throughout the community. Tom’s son Scotty, who now lives in Australia, sponsors the cup event each year and the club looks forward to being able to host him sometime soon, PJ said.

The event is held during the weekend of the Alexandra Blossom Festival and is open to all, with one team coming from Outram this year, he said. Twenty-four players in eight triples teams entered.

Winning team, from left, Len Lynskey, Marty Geary, and Kathryn Lynskey with the Rutherford Memorial cup.

The winning team was from the Alexandra club, indicating there may have been some home advantage, although the lawn greens were a little slow after torrential rains going into the weekend.

Right next door is the home piste of the Alexandra Pétanque Group and the two clubs share their clubhouse and bar. 

Murray McDowell of Dunedin City Pétanque, skippers his team.

Club captain Bernice “Bunny” Hamilton said Sunday was the second year the group had run its Alexandra Blossom Festival Open Triples Tournament, which attracted 12 teams and 36 players. Some had come for the weekend to enjoy the blossom festival while others attended just for the tournament, she said.

“The piste was totally flooded on Friday but by Sunday it was totally fine,” she said.

Bunny was part of the winning team, together with her husband Roger Hamilton and talented young player Jackson Gallagher (19), of Dunedin City Pétanque.

Jackson Gallagher, centre, and Roger and Bernice ‘Bunny’ Hamilton won the pétanque tournament on Sunday.