Broadbeach 5 a side
This years $70,000 Broadbeach 5 a side, attracted the strongest field in the history of the event. With only the strongest clubs across Australia & New Zealand invited, this year boasted an extraordinary field of 140 bowlers of which, 66 had played or had been selected in a national squad at some stage of their careers.
Each club selects 5 players and then splits into singles, pairs, triples & fours. Cabramatta were favourites winning back-to-back titles in 2023 & 2024. Cabra continued to impress in 2025 topping the table at the completion of the regular 14 rounds prior to finals. Not only did they top the table, but topped the best pairs, triples & fours disciplines.
Out of 28 teams, only 6 progresses to finals. The top 2 qualifying sides, Cabramatta & Warilla, advanced directly to the semifinals. Whilst 3rd placed Broadbeach, took on Sydney’s powerhouse, Club Merrylands who qualified 6th in the first elimination final. 4th placed, Newcastle’s Raymond Terrace took on 5th placed Tweed Heads in the 2nd elimination final.
Both unbelievable spectacles, but it was the locals, Broadbeach and Tweed Heads that prevailed, booking a semi final birth for the last day.
Broadbeach faced the extreme task of taking down the favourites in Cabramatta and Tweed Heads had to verse Warilla who were last years runners up. It was the “who’s who of bowls”, with the “GOAT” and 7 times Australian Open singles champion, Broadbeach’s Aron Sherriff, versing 2 x Commonwealth games gold medallist, Aron Wilson from Cabramatta in the singles. Before we got to that game the pairs & triples disciplines had to play out first. Broadbeach claimed both and put themselves in the box seat for a grand-final prior to the all awaited singles game between Sherriff & Wilson. This occasion, “the GOAT” prevailed 21-16 and sealing the victory.
In the other semi-final, Warilla with their star-studded side of 3 internationals from the 5 players took the victory over Tweed Heads after a scare in the singles discipline with Tweeds Peter Taylor dominating Australian Jackaroo in the singles. Warilla’s wins in the pairs & fours on margins were enough to book a grand-final ticket.
The GF! The locals, Broadbeach Bulls v last year’s runners up, the Warilla Gorillas
Possibly the best final of all time. First we played the pairs & tripes disciplines, Broadbeach pair of Brad Lawson & Aron Sherriff had a good win against Warilla’s & Australian Jackaroo Corey Wedlock pairing Irish international superstar, Gary Kelly.
Warilla’s triples side of Jackaroo Aaron Teys, Luke Jones & Des Cann hit back beating Broadbeach trio of Andrew Waddell, Jarryd Davies & Sean Ingham by a good margin. Going into the singles, the two teams were equal on rinks and only separated by one shot in margin.
In the Singles, Aron Sherriff took on Corey Wedlock, two mates that shared a world title together going at it for their clubs. It was neck in neck pretty much the entire game but it was Warilla’s Corey Wedlock that sealed the match 21-19. Broadbeach were then left a task to win the fours discipline by 3 shots for a draw to force an extra end or 4 shots would give them the overall victory. What a scene, Broadbeach fours, skipped by Sean “Nuggett” Ingham were 1 in front playing the last end, meaning they needed to score 3 shots for victory. Nugget was 2 down with the last bowl of the match but had an opportunity to ditch the jack for 3, possibly 4 shots for victory. He played, got the jack on the right side but the bowls Gods shined on the Warilla side as the jack hit a bowl on its travels to the ditch. Broadbeach score 1, Warilla win by 1.
Great event and great spectacle of bowls.
