Come and Join us

If you can no longer play the physically active sport you used to enjoy, then why not give bowls a try?

Or perhaps you’re an established bowls player but looking for a friendly club closer to you.

Perhaps you’ve never played the game but think you wouldn’t mind giving it a try.

 Well, there’s a warm welcome waiting for you at Rotherfield Bowls Club. And that’s a welcome held out to established players or anyone new to the game or our club.

 An ideal start is to join our Monday afternoon open session. No pressure – it’s a bit like a football kick about, or a tennis warm up. We’ll buddy you up with one of our members to help you get started.

 All you’ll need is a pair of flat shoes – we’ll provide the bowls, which some players call ‘woods’. And if you like the game, we’ll sign you up but won’t charge you a membership fee for your first three months with us.

Is bowls competitive? You bet it is, but in a friendly way.

So, come along, we’d love to meet you. Just call us on 01892 664973 for Ron or 01892 852460 for Jerry.

  • If you’ve just joined Rotherfield Bowls Club having only played the game once or twice, maybe not at all, or if you’re a more experienced player, then a warm welcome to you.

    Here are some introductory guidance notes to help you understand how things are run and organised at the Club.

    Monday afternoons we have a ‘roll-up’: a sort of practice for members and new players. It’s very informal, no dress regulations save that you’ll need flat shoes to avoid damaging the green.

    If you’ve never played bowls before it’s very simple. If you’ve played boule on the beach, then it’s basically much the same. One player rolls and positions the jack (a small white ball). The objective is to get your bowls, called woods, as close to the jack as you can. If you have one wood closer to the jack than your competitor’s nearest, you score one point. If you have two or perhaps three woods nearer the jack than your competitor, you score two or three points. To make it a bit more challenging, the bowls have a bias, so they curve in from the left or the right. If this is your first time, members will help you with the finer points. Rotherfield is a very friendly club, don’t hesitate to ask.

    The club runs a number of internal competitions and also plays ‘friendlies’ and league games against other local clubs. You’ll be encouraged to take part. Players for internal competitions, such as men’s singles, initially start with names drawn from the hat. Fixture dates for league and friendly matches are posted on the noticeboard inside the club house. Just add your name to the list for the match you’d like to be selected. The team chosen will also be shown on the same sheet.

    The dress code for some matches is whites: white top and white trousers or skirt. For other games it could be ‘greys’: white top, grey trousers or skirt. The fixture list will state which. And either is ok for internal competitions. After you’ve been with the club for a while, you may like to buy a top with the Rotherfield Bowls Club logo and perhaps get some club stickers for your bowls.