Youth comes with many advantages, especially when it comes to traditional sporting prowess, but the residents at Parkside Lucas demonstrated that age is merely a state of mind at the first official Staff vs Residents Lawn Bowls championships.

Held on a sunny March afternoon, the competition drew a crowd of supporters (with pom poms!) followed by an awards ceremony and celebratory BBQ.

The event was not the result of a long-standing dramatic rivalry between staff and residents, rather, it was a good chance to get together and have some fun – something the team at Parkside Lucas is always looking to do. But after such a spectacular takedown, there is now a sense of unfinished business amid the staff cohort.

“Let’s just say, our team put up a valiant effort, but the residents showed them who the real pros were,” said Parkside Lucas front office team member Lynley. “We even had some residents make up our numbers, and we still had no chance.”

While there was little experience among the staff team ranks, there were some creative techniques applied on the lawn, not to mention unintentional trick shots, which were appreciated by the enthusiastic spectators.

Prizegiving after the match commended the top performers in the day’s game, including a coveted trophy for the winning team, and also celebrated the biggest hecklers and best dressed. From the cheeky coach’s moveable fake beard and silly hat, to the professional and coordinated residents team who sported hand-made pink bandanas, the community spirit shone strongly (as did resident crafting skills).

While the staff are plotting their comeback with rumours of secret training sessions at dawn, residents have already marked the event in their calendars for next year to mark the beginning of an annual tradition.