More than 350 primary school pupils from across the Caerphilly County Borough were introduced to the sport of bowls as part of this year’s county schools competition, organisers have confirmed. After cluster rounds staged at four local venues, 76 teams progressed to Finals Day, which took place at Islwyn Park and Oakdale Bowls Club.
Local rounds feed into county final
Qualifying matches were held in April at Ystrad Mynach Bowls Club, Blackwood Bowls Club, Morgan Jones Park Bowls Club and Ynysddu Bowls Club. The top two teams from each of those cluster events advanced to the borough final, where they competed for county honours across four age and gender categories.
The competition is part of ongoing efforts to broaden sporting opportunities for young people in the borough and to encourage lifelong participation in physical activity. It forms a strand of the borough’s Sport and Active Recreation Strategy 2019–2029, which aims to introduce children to a range of sports and help build confidence through competitive and recreational play.
- Entrants: 350+ pupils borough-wide
- Finalists: 76 teams
- Final venues: Islwyn Park and Oakdale Bowls Club
County champions
| Category | Winner |
|---|---|
| Year 3/4 Girls | Glyngaer Primary School |
| Year 3/4 Boys | Bryn Primary School |
| Year 5/6 Girls | Blackwood Primary School |
| Year 5/6 Boys | Tyn–Y–Wern Primary School |
“Providing opportunities for children to experience a wide range of sports is a key part of helping them lead active, healthy lives,”
said Cllr Chris Morgan, the council’s Cabinet Member for Sport and Leisure, reflecting on the competition’s role in promoting physical activity and confidence among young people. He added that it was encouraging to see strong participation and hoped pupils would continue to enjoy bowls and other sports.
The event also serves to highlight the role of community clubs and school partnerships in delivering accessible sport across the borough. Local bowls clubs that hosted the cluster rounds provided coaching and match-day facilities, giving pupils their first exposure to the game in a supervised setting.
Parents, teachers and young people interested in trying bowls or finding other physical activity opportunities in Caerphilly are encouraged to contact Sport Caerphilly for information about local sessions, clubs and school offers.
