Second edition of Junior BPL Challenge to take place in Moama alongside BPL21
Coinciding with BPL21 in Moama will be the second running of the Junior BPL Challenge where some of the best young talent in Australia will take to the greens in a BPL Cup style format.
The brainchild of the Moama Bowling Club and Club Sunbury, the competition will see eleven of the twelve franchises field teams with Bowls ACT sending a team in place of the Perth Suns.
Among the talented crop of individuals are a plethora of players involved in the State Based Jackaroos Academies that are aiming to climb the rungs towards the status of becoming a Right at Home Jackaroo in the future.
The age criteria for the competition is that every player must be 18 or under as of February 21, 2025.
Defending champions in the Melbourne eXtreme will field a completely new lineup consisting of 2024 Australian Open Under-18 Girl’s champion Akasha Fortune, Victorian National Schools Championships representative Joshua Leszczynski and Eridani Wheeler.
After going down to the eXtreme in a tiebreak in the 2024 event, the Moama Steamers will see two returning players striving to go one better in Josh Cartwright and Addy Ryan, with Queensland under-18 representative Todd Brain joining the team with Monique Crothhers.
The Adelaide Pioneers will bring an abundance of quality with emerging stars Charlie Hicks and Anda Panchawat named in the team alongside Kobe Jarman.
Panchawat made the Australian Open girl’s singles decider last year and Hicks has represented his state with distinction already.
After winning the title with the eXtreme last February, Jonty Hayes will represent the Tweed Ospreys in the 2025 competition alongside up and coming star Lilly Vardy and Ashton Vardy.
The Gold Coast Hawks have come out swinging with its foundation team, naming Levi Rice, son of former Jackaroo and current Hawk Nathan, as well as Nate Kiepe, son of former Australian representative Anthony.
Lining up with them will be Skye Peters and Xavier Parkinson.
The Geelong Jets have listed a phenomenal squad that includes 2024 Australian Open boy’s champion Koby Cromie, as well as Nationals junior champions Chanel Chakouch and Charlie Boswood.
Riley Gerick, a previous champion at The Nationals and Australian Open, will be a prominent feature in the Moreton Bay Pirates squad, linking up with his Queensland teammate Trent Brehmer and Logan Hughes.
The Sydney Saints will see New South Wales under-18 representative Jasmine Smith in the team, as well as Jason English and Billy Waite.
Their crosstown rivals in the Sydney Lions have named Peytan Bunn, Noah Jedrzejczyk and Thomas Rich, while Bowls ACT will send Alicia Murphy, Tom Penyu and Logan Waters.
Finally, the Tasmania Tridents will field Riley Davie, Oliver Morrison and Miley Sutton and the Melbourne Pulse have named Jack Wardrope, Marlie Malcolm and Cooper Sutton.
VIEW THE SCHEDULE HERE
The Junior BPL Challenge will be played at the Moama Bowling Club from February 20-21, 2025.
