Ocean Grove will join bowls’ showpiece television and spectator event, the Bowls Premier League this November.
The Grovers will play under the banner of the Geelong Jets in the expanded 12-team competition.
The biannual competition will also feature an expansion in the nation’s biggest market, with a new Sydney team, St Johns Park Bowling Club Group, which includes St Johns Park Bowling Club, Tuncurry Beach Bowling Club, Club Wallacia and Wallacia Country Club under the banner of the Sydney Saints.
The Geelong Jets brand will capture support across the 24 clubs situated within the wider Geelong Bowls Region.
Both the Sydney Saints and Geelong Jets teams are committed to having international representation among their team roster to expand the reach and appeal of the event to new markets.
Ocean Grove Bowling Club chief executive Nathan O’Neill said the club was excited about the prospect of competing in the BPL.
“Ocean Grove Bowling Club is thrilled to secure a licence to establish the Geelong Jets team in what is unquestionably the sport’s premier competition, which further elevates our local and national profile and status as the largest bowls and entertainment precinct in regional Victoria,” he said.
“Our team will proudly embrace the Geelong identity and foster a strong community supporter base under our ‘community team on the national stage’ positioning and approach.”
Bowls Australia chief executive Matthew Kennedy said St Johns Park’s Sydney Saints and Ocean Grove’s Geelong Jets were welcome additions and would play an exciting part of the BPL’s evolution.
“The Bowls Premier League has established itself as a prestigious and exciting Australian sporting product across 19 events and 11 years, and it’s fantastic to see the event evolve to another level with the inclusion of two really strong, progressive and committed Clubs in Saint Johns Park and Ocean Grove,” he said.
Under the extension, SEN’s television production arm Rainmaker will continue to produce the sport’s broadcast television production of the BPL and Australian Open events for 2024, 25 and 26.
