Ivan and Leonie 2025 Champs of Champs

Anyone arriving at Hillcrest Bowling Club on the morning of Saturday, 30 August, would have been struck by two things – the burst of colour as the district club champions and their supporters proudly decorated the surrounds in club colours; and the electric sense of anticipation as each champion stepped onto the mat with one goal in mind: to win and stay in the competition.

From the very first bowl, the Hillcrest greens were alive with tension. The opening round had spectators darting from rink to rink as close games ruled the morning. After some nail-biting finishes, the field was cut in half, but the excitement only grew sharper.

One of the standout clashes came in the second round; with defending champion Michelle Gerber facing Firwood’s Shannon Burger. Locked at 20-all, the match balanced on a knife-edge.

With Burger holding shot, Gerber used her second-to-last bowl to edge the jack and turn the head in her favour. But Burger wasn’t finished, drawing the shot with her final delivery.

The crowd hushed as Gerber prepared her last bowl. With nerves of steel, she produced a master stroke, drawing ahead of Burger’s bowl to claim her place in the quarter-finals. The roar of applause that followed said it all – this was bowls at its thrilling best.

The semi-final line-up worked hard for their place in the final. Gerber of Hillcrest advanced to the final after defeating Queens BC’s Jo-Anne Laden and Leonie Koedyk edged out Gillitts’ André Swanepoel.

Amanzimtoti’s Ivan van den Berg saw off Westville BC’s Russell Funnell and Queens’ Brenton van Zyl scraped through 21–19 against Firwood’s Andrew Cyster. A special mention must go to Queens Bowling Club – the only club in the district with two semi-finalists.

The semi-finals narrowed the field further, with Gerber and Koedyk emerging for the ladies’ final, while van Zyl and van den Bergh set up a exciting men’s final. Play-offs for bronze kept the crowd entertained as Swanepoel won against Laden and Wilson defeated Funnell.

The finals did not disappoint. Keeping spectators spellbound until the very last end, Amanzimtoti’s Ivan van den Bergh and Umhlanga’s Leonie Koedyk claimed top honours as the 2025 Port Natal Bowls Champions of Champions.

An elated van den Bergh, celebrating his first PNB medal, reflected: “What a great tournament! To be honest, in every game – starting with my first 20–19 win against Craig Funnell from Durban Wanderers – I felt the tension. Every opponent played amazing bowls and I could never relax or assume a win.” He was quick to thank his fellow club members for their encouragement, both at Hillcrest and via messages.

New ladies’ champion Leonie Koedyk was equally generous in victory: “I must congratulate Michelle Gerber on a great final – the scorecard doesn’t reflect how hard I had to fight to stop her bowls from holding shot. She made me work on every end.” Koedyk went on to thank her loyal Umhlanga supporters, who were greenside throughout the weekend.

For the champions, the medals will be treasured. For everyone else, the memory of colour, camaraderie and some unforgettable bowls will remain a poignant memory.