Bowlsnz.co.nz
Title
Bowls NZ
Description
Strong historical evidence suggests ancient Egyptians were the first to develop the game of bowls. One of their past times was to play 'skittles' with stones, where the object of the game was to 'hit' a target.
However, the only solid evidence of bowls dates back to the 13th century - where the Southampton Bowls Club in England, boasts the oldest green in the world. Records show the green has been in operation since 1299. Chesterfield bowling club insists their oldest green dates back to 1294, but these claims are unsubstantiated.
Historians suggest the game made its way across Europe with Julius Caesar's centurions. At that time, and still today among Italians, the game was known as "bocce". By the 13th Century, "bowls", was entrenched in the British Isles. The sport eventually spread across the world and took on a variety of forms, ula miaka (Polynesian), bolle (Danish), boules (French) and bolla, (Saxton).
Languages
English
