THERE are concerns local bowling clubs are forcing female competitors to play below their skill level in Saturday pennant by stacking top divisions with male players.
The spotlight has been thrust onto bowls associations across regional Victoria following a sexual discrimination complaint made to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT).
The complainant, Kerang Bowling Club’s Ken Strachan, claimed clubs in the Northern District Bowls Division were undercutting female bowlers’ skills by playing them in lower grades on Saturdays, despite the fact they were playing in the top divisions of midweek pennant.
VCAT struck out Mr Strachan’s complaint last week, however, deciding instead to send out a letter to clubs warning them against discrimination.
Swan Hill Racecourse Bowls Club chairman Norm Smith said the problem was widespread and it was causing skill-level mismatches in the lower grades.
“What happens in a lot of clubs is they pick their men first and they put the ladies in the bottom grades,” Mr Smith said.
“A lot of men don’t like losing to ladies, that’s for certain.
“Some of the ladies are as good as some of the men, you see, and they’re going crook because they’ve got all the good ladies playing against the weaker men.”
For more on this story, grab a copy of Monday’s Guardian (August 10).
