After a four-year delay, caused by the unprecedented challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Rarotonga Bowling Club is celebrating the arrival of their long-awaited equipment worth $51,000 for their bowling greens.

The club has procured and assembled three machines thanks to the generous support of the India Grant Fund, which provided $41,275 from the 2018/2019 round, and the tireless fundraising efforts of the club members, who collected approximately $10,000.

The club members and sponsors came together to celebrate the handover of the machinery – Bowling Green Roller from Balmac Manufacturing, SISIS Dart Unit from Power Turf and a Walk Mower + Grooming Reel from C-Brent Baber Turf Equipment – at a special ceremony on Saturday at the Rarotonga Bowling Club.

The ceremony included speeches highlighting the support of the club members by its president Nooroa Teipo, followed by the unveiling and blessing of the machinery.

Teipo expressed his heartfelt gratitude to the India Grant and to all those who had contributed to the long-awaited project.

“It has been a challenging journey, and although it took so long, it’s here,” Teipo said.

“Thanks to the support of the India Grant Fund and the dedication of our club members, we can finally celebrate the handover of our machinery.

“To the bowling club members, it has been a long time coming, but your perseverance, dedication and hard work has helped to bring us here today.

“We got there, it took time, but we got there.”

The club’s proposal for funding was submitted in 2018, when the cost of the equipment was estimated to be $43,000.

However due to the global Covid-19 pandemic disruption, the proposal was approved by the Government of India in October 2021. Implementation of the project started in July 2022.

And due to the Covid-19 pandemic and inflation, the prices quoted in 2018 were no longer accurate in 2022. As a result, the total cost of the project increased to $51,000. Rarotonga Bowling had to cover the shortfall of approximately $10,000 in order to complete the project.

The members of the club pulled together to fundraise, hosting Ambrose events, food sales and raffles.

Teipo was pleased to announce that the machinery is now ready for use by the club’s greenkeepers, Tere William and Ngavavia Tou.

He also acknowledged Maru Apera from Matson Shipping, former club president Veia Mani who was involved in the initial project proposal, and the India Grant facilitators Tracy Wildin, MFEM-Development Coordination Division (DCD) – the project manager for India Grant Fund Programme, and her colleague Stephanie Vaiimene.

In her address, Wildin said: “Congratulations to the Rarotonga Bowling Club and its members for successfully completing this project, it was great to see the excitement of the members receiving the machines as these machines will enable continuous use of the lawns for bowling by the people in the Cook Islands.”

“We also acknowledge and appreciate the support of the Government of India for its ongoing contribution to not only the Rarotonga Bowling Club but to many other projects in the Cook Islands,” she said.

Emcee for the handover ceremony was Papatua Papatua, with Papa Veia conducting the opening and closing prayers.

Sponsors were treated to a special kaikai hosted by the club members, and bowling games followed shortly after.

The Rarotonga Bowling Club operates the only two lawn bowling greens on the island, which also caters for bowling clubs from the Pa Enua.

The procured equipment and machinery are to ensure that the conditions of the greens are maintained to a high standard, comparable to those in Aotearoa New Zealand and Australia.