Calliope Black Deliver Flawless Campaign to Claim Bronze League Title

by bwilson on April 23, 2026

The Taylor Bowls State Challenge Bronze League State Finals produced a worthy champion in Calliope Black, who completed one of the most dominant campaigns of the entire finals series to claim the Bronze League title at Coolum Beach Bowls Club.

Section 1: Calliope Black Perfect from Start to Finish

Calliope Black arrived at the Bronze League finals and never looked back. Three matches, nine rinks contested, nine rinks won. It was a performance of remarkable consistency and quality across the board.

They opened their campaign with a 3-0 victory over Narangba Green in Round 1, with Lester Schelbach and skip Sam Lunck, the Triples unit of Shane Cummings, William Sophios and skip Warren Jones, and the 4’s rink of Kurt Ferris, Tina Hammond, Cameron McCrohon and skip Robert Hammond all winning, though notably each rink was decided by a tight margin, highlighting the competitive nature of the section from the outset.

Round 2 brought a 3-0 sweep of Cunnamulla Red, with Calliope Black producing their most complete performance of the section, winning 65 shots to 38. By Round 3 the title was there for the taking and Calliope Black took it emphatically, defeating Elliott Heads 3-0 and winning 71 shots to 35 in a dominant display that left no question about who deserved to advance.

Narangba Green were the section’s second strongest side, recovering from their Round 1 loss to claim two consecutive wins and book their place behind Calliope Black on the ladder. Cunnamulla Red showed fight throughout, their Triples rink of Robert Williams, Cameron Mitchell and skip Leslie Martin in particular delivering some outstanding performances across the section.

Section 1 Final Standings: Calliope Black advance to the Grand Final.

Section 2: Macleay Island’s Historic Campaign

Section 2 produced a fascinating story in its own right. Three teams finished the section on two wins and one loss, with Macleay Island claiming the section on score percentage ahead of Musgrave Pelicans and Edge Hill in one of the tightest three-way finishes of the entire finals series.

It was also a section that carried a piece of Queensland bowls history. Macleay Island’s Bronze League side became one of two Macleay Island teams to reach the TBSC State Finals, with a second Macleay Island outfit competing in the Silver League simultaneously. It is a remarkable achievement for the club and a testament to the depth and commitment of their bowls community.

Edge Hill opened the section strongly, defeating Windsor Wombats 2-1 in Round 1 before falling to Macleay Island in a remarkable Round 2 result that saw both sides finish on 53 shots each, with Edge Hill taking the match on rinks alone. Macleay Island bounced back from their Round 1 loss to defeat Windsor Wombats 2-1 in Round 2 and then close out the section with a composed 2-1 win over Edge Hill in Round 3, finishing on top by the narrowest of margins.

Musgrave Pelicans were competitive throughout, claiming two wins of their own, but ultimately fell just short of the section on percentage. Windsor Wombats, despite fighting hard in patches, could not find the consistency needed to progress.

Section 2 Final Standings: Macleay Island advance to the Grand Final.

Grand Final: Calliope Black Save Best for Last

Macleay Island arrived at the grand final as genuine contenders, having navigated a fiercely competitive section to earn their place on the biggest stage. Calliope Black, however, were in a different league on the day.

The Pairs 4 Bowl set the tone early, with Lester Schelbach and skip Sam Lunck winning 12-9 in a tight opening contest. From there, Calliope Black took complete control. The Triples unit of Shane Cummings, William Sophios and skip Warren Jones won convincingly 24-14, before the 4’s rink of Tina Hammond, Kurt Ferris, Cameron McCrohon and skip Robert Hammond delivered a stunning 20-3 victory to complete a 3-0 grand final sweep.

Winning 56 shots to 26 on the day, it was a performance entirely befitting of a team that had not dropped a single rink across the entire Bronze League finals campaign.