"King and Queen of the Roads"-Festival in Ballincurrig/Irland

Lucky 13 earns record-breaking Queen of the Roads title for Tulk

A fortunate break helped earn the first ever four-in-a-row. 

American sports are almost obsessed with statistics, there is a number for every facet of every sport. Bowlers take a more off-the-cuff approach, but sometimes the numbers reveal the facts behind the story.

Kelly Mallon will have some numbers tossing around in her head this week. The most important number is 14. That’s the number of throws she needed in her Queen of the Roads semi-final to beat the line. When she reels back the tape a little, she will compare opening the big corner in five in the semi-final and six in the final. It’s those small margins that ultimately prove critical. She knows that 14 will almost always guarantee victory, 15 puts you in the frame, but 16 leaves you exposed. She will also know that she should have absolutely beaten the line in 15 and even at the creamery 14 was still possible. Silke Tulk’s review of the numbers will make more pleasant reading. In her semi-final she had a lucky sixth shot to light at the big corner. It was most definitely lucky 13. That was the bowl that got one of the luckiest breaks of the weekend and sent her on her way to a record eighth Queen of the Roads and the first ever four-in-a-row. She got past the line in 16, the same as her total in the final. Number 15 might be just the one that gives her a cold shiver. She played her 15th shot from virtually the same place both days. She beat the line on Friday and missed it on Sunday. She knows that Kelly Mallon would have beaten the line 99 times out of 100 with her reply, somehow she didn’t in the final.

European champion, William Hobbelink, will be haunted by the disparity in his numbers between the semi-final and final of King of the Roads. His blistering start on Saturday had him close to the pony’s gate in four throws. On Sunday he was at the same point in six. After a mistake with his fifth bowl, he still managed to get out the big corner in 11 in the semi-final. It took him 13 in the final. In the semi-final he beat the line in 15, in the final he would have taken 19. In all of that number one is the key. He got a poor opener in the final, while in the semi-final he made light with a super first shot. Colm Rafferty’s numbers slipped fractionally too. In the semi-final he beat the line in 16 shots, while he was just out the last bend in 16 in the final. He will be cheered by joining an exclusive club of players who have completed the triple-crown of provincial, All-Ireland and King of the Roads in the same season. He is also the third member of the same family to win King of the Roads. His first win, added to his first-cousin, Thomas Mackle’s five and his uncle, Michael Toal’s, two, give them eight crowns. They are tied with the Murphy brothers, David has six and Aidan two.

Ellen Sexton has a special number to celebrate too. In her case the number two. She became only the third person in the history of the Proto-Mark Technologies Triple Crown to be part of two winning teams. Her sister, Hannah teamed up with Wayne Parkes to win the title twice.

Tommy O’Sullivan, who was Ellen Sexton’s team-mate in 2023, may be in the middle rung of a unique three-in-a-row. He became the first winner of the Triple Crown to win the Jim O’Driscoll Cup. He can place his focus on King of the Roads in 2025. Were he to do that he would be the first to win those three titles in successive years. It would also enrol him in a special club with David Murphy who won the Jim O’Driscoll Cup in 2004 before winning his first King of the Roads in 2007. This year’s King of the Roads, Colm Rafferty, is the only other person in that club, he won the Jim O’Driscoll Cup in 2017 and 18 Dutch woman, Suzan Zieverink, has some interesting numbers opposite her Ballincurrig CV too. She is the only person to have ever won the O’Brien Cup, for the best shot of the weekend, in successive years, 2018 and 19. She was on the winning team in the Triple Crown in 2018 and was a runner-up in 2019. She is counting down numbers to when she will be Queen of the Roads. She was highly impressive in the Dairypower Double and must have her eyes set on Silke Tulk’s crown. If she wins the Dutch Championstour in 2025 she would be an automatic inclusion in Queen of the Roads.

"King and Queen of the Roads"-Festival in Ballincurrig/Irland

Colm Rafferty defeats European champions William Hobbelink to become King of the Roads

Silke Tulk completed a glorious four-in-a-row in the Kingston New Homes Queen of the Roads.

Colm Rafferty is Hurley’s of Midleton King of the Roads after a comprehensive win over European champion, William Hobbelink, at Ballincurrig yesterday.

Dutch star, Silke Tulk, completed a glorious four-in-a-row in the Kingston New Homes Queen of the Roads, defeating her arch-rival Kelly Mallon in the last shot. It was a day when everyone got something. In the Jim O’Driscoll Cup, Munster intermediate champion, Tommy O’Sullivan, bowled well to reverse his All-Ireland defeat by Ethan Rafferty. Ireland, Oisín Gribben and Ellen Sexton, bowled well to win the Proto-Mark Technologies Youth International Triple Crown. Germany’s U18 champion, Neele Carstens, took home the William O’Brien Cup for the single best shot of the weekend.

Rafferty looked the likely winner of King of the Roads from the first shot. Hobblelink’s first bowl was left and missed light. Rafferty’s first made the school corner, giving him an instant advantage. He reached the green in two more to go a full bowl clear. Hobbelink’s next bowl was well off target and he looked set to fall two behind. Rafferty didn’t exploit that, but he still held his bowl of odds, without pushing clear, in the next five to the long straight. Hobberlink played his best bowl of the day from there. He reached the top of the long straight and knocked the bowl of odds. But there was no sustained follow-up. Rafferty got a big shot to Leahy’s next to restore his bowl of odds. He followed that with another big one to light at the big corner, which put him almost two clear. He missed the top of the short straight next, but Hobbelink didn’t ignite. His reply tailed in right short of light too. Rafferty tightened his grip on the second bowl of odds from there to the finish. He hit all his targets and was a very comfortable winner before the close of action.

Silke Tulk and Kelly Mallon produced a Queen of the Roads battle that sparkled like an electric storm. Both of these exceptional athletes had periods of dominance, with Tulk completing her four-in-a-row from what looked a losing battle at the creamery. The Dutch woman got the better of the two brilliant opening shots and beat Mallon’s big second one. Mallon closed the gap to 10m with a fine third bowl to Din Tough’s. Tulk gained a big advantage in the next exchange onto the short straight. Mallon was well short of the big corner next. Tulk’s reply looked set to open the bend, but turned in left just shy of the target. Mallon levelled in the shots around the bend. She then took over. She won the lead with a big bowl past Leahy’s. They both went onto the long straight next. Tulk then played a huge bowl right to the end of the straight and around the bend. Mallon hit back with an equally good one and beat the tip by four metres. Tulk’s next bowl caught the left verge, veered off right and missed light. Mallon went for the jugular with a perfect bowl to Hegarty’s to go almost a bowl in front. She consolidated that lead with a good bowl to the pony’s gate, which she followed with another big one towards the creamery. Tulk kept what looked like fading hopes alive with a long bowl to the creamery. Mallon looked set to beat the line in two from there. She, uncharacteristically, played her next bowl too far right and it went into the grass just 40m fore of Tulk. Tulk took that opening by making the big tree with a technically difficult shot. Mallon followed and beat it by 25m. Tulk followed with another big one, but it missed the line by 10m. Advantage Mallon now. Her bowl started to veer right and missed Tulk’s tip. Mallon’s last bowl went on well towards the school corner and landed in that troublesome place of looking as easy to miss as to beat. Tulk lined her bowl to perfection and beat it comfortably O’Sullivan led all the way in the Jim O’Driscoll Cup. A good fourth shot into the green gave him a big lead. He raised a bowl with a super sixth shot to Heaphy’s. Rafferty knocked the bowl with his 14th throw towards the muddy gap. O’Sullivan hit back immediately with a big shot to Din Tough’s to go a full bowl clear again. That turned into virtually two bowls when Rafferty misplayed his bowl at the serpent, which ended the contest.

King & Queen of the Roads (Ballincurrig) 

Hurley's of Midleton King of the Roads: Colm Rafferty bt William Hobbelink (Netherlands) 2bwls, €4,400 

Kingston New Homes Queen of the Roads: Silke Tulk (Netherlands) bt Kelly Mallon l/s, €5,300 

Jim O’Driscoll Cup final: Tommy O’Sullivan(Munster) bt Ethan Rafferty (Ulster) 1bwl, €34,000.

Proto-Mark Technologies Youth International Triple Crown: Oisín Gribben/Ellen Sexton (Ireland) bt Flynn Meyerhoff/Neele Carstens (Germany) bt Bart Lucas/Merle Aveskamp (Netherlands) 1bwl.

Richard Hudson (Interprovincial Cup): Ulster William O’Brien & Sons Cup (Best shot): Neele Carstens (FKV Germany)

"King and Queen of the Roads"-Festival in Ballincurrig/Irland

History-maker Hobbelink first Dutch player into King of the Roads final

Hobbelink beat former King of the Roads, Thomas Mackle and Munster champion, Martin Coppinger, in the first of Saturday’s semi-finals.

European champion, William Hobbelink, created history at Ballincurrig on Saturday, becoming the first Dutch player in history to reach the final of the Hurley’s of Midleton King of the Roads. Hobbelink beat former King of the Roads, Thomas Mackle and Munster champion, Martin Coppinger, in the first of Saturday’s semi-finals. All-Ireland champion, Colm Rafferty came through in the second semi-final against Arthur McDonagh and German champion Stefan Runge. This was a super contest, in which Runge almost made it a Germany-Netherlands final. *)1

Hobbelink, led from the off in the first semi-final, though both Coppinger and Mackle had his lead down to single digits at different points. He made the green in three, where he had almost a bowl on both his Irish opponents. He looked poised to extend his lead till he missed the no-play line with a poor fifth shot. That led to a period when all three were locked together, Hobbelink had just one metre on Coppinger after seven to O’Riordan’s. He made Leahy’s in two more where he had almost a bowl on Coppinger and Mackle, who were dead level. He narrowly missed the big corner in 10. Mackle played a sensational 11th bowl to light there to cut the odds to 40m. After 12 each to the top of the short straight, he led Mackle by one metre. Coppinger had failed to follow them and was now two behind and conceded. Hobbelink gained odds again in the next two past the serpent. Mackle looked to have forced a last shot when he opened the last bend with a great 15th bowl. Hobbelink replied with a fast bowl that scorched past the bend and got a perfect deflection off the bank, which sent it past the line.

In the second semi-final Rafferty had to work very hard to defeat Runge. McDonagh got the better of the opening shots, but was never in a consistent groove. Runge played an incredible third bowl into the green to take a big lead. Rafferty levelled in the next one and they were locked together for the following three to the long straight, where they led McDonagh by a bowl. McDonagh wiped all that out with a single act of genius. He played a sensational ninth bowl from poor light that covered the entire long straight to light at Leahy’s. That put him ahead of Rafferty. Runge was in a solid lead and well placed to take a bowl of odds at the big corner. He narrowly missed light there though, so all three were level again after 11. Rafferty’s next shot changed everything. He lined a perfect bowl to light at the top of the short straight, edging back in front of Runge. McDonagh was too tight right with his reply. That left him a shot adrift and he never got back into it. Rafferty looked to have killed off Runge’s challenge when he made light at the last bend with a good 15th throw. Runge had one final cast of the die with a well-played bowl around the bend, which narrowly missed the line. Things would have been trickier had he beaten it, but Rafferty had little difficult closing it out with his final throw. *)2

Hobbelink and Rafferty’s wins will give Ballincurrig a strongly orange hue on Sunday. The orange tops jerseys of Armagh and the Netherlands will also be worn in the Kingston New Home Queen of the Roads. That all-orange final was determined on Friday. Armagh’s Kelly Mallon gave a five-star display in winning the first semi-final and defending champion Silke Tulk won the second for the Netherlands.

The Dutch had a third big win on Saturday when Luuk Zanderink and Suzan Zieverink won the Dairypower Double at the expense of Liam Murphy and Hannah Cronin. Cronin won the opening shot, but the Irish got poor second and third throws, which left them a bowl behind. The Dutch pair were impeccable from there to the finish, beating the line in 14 shots and defying strong play from the Irish.

Brothers Paul and Mickey Rafferty lifted the Charlie McCarthy Cup in an epic contest with Andrew O’Leary and Willie O’Donnell. The Armagh brothers led all the way, though their lead was just one metre after five to the big corner. They opened big leads, only to be hauled back each time. The Cork men closed with three extraordinary shots from the pony’s gate to the school corner. That wiped out a big lead created by Mickey Rafferty’s huge bowl to the creamery and called for a big last shot from Paul Rafferty. 

*)1  Der All-Ireland-Meister Colm Rafferty setzte sich im zweiten Halbfinale gegen Arthur McDonagh und den deutschen Meister Stefan Runge durch. Das war ein super Wettkampf, bei dem Runge es fast ins Finale Deutschland-Niederlande geschafft hätte.

*)2  Im zweiten Halbfinale musste Rafferty hart arbeiten, um Runge zu besiegen. McDonagh war bei den Eröffnungswürfen besser, war aber nie in einem konstanten Rhythmus. Runge spielte einen unglaublichen dritten Bowl ins Grün und ging damit deutlich in Führung. Rafferty glich in der nächsten Runde aus und sie blieben für die folgenden drei Runden bis zur langen Geraden zusammen, wo sie McDonagh mit einem Vorsprung anführten. McDonagh hat das alles mit einer einzigen genialen Tat ausgelöscht. Er spielte einen sensationellen neunten Bowl bei schlechtem Stand, der die gesamte lange Gerade bis zum Stand bei "Leahy’s" abdeckte. Damit lag er vor Rafferty. Runge hatte einen klaren Vorsprung und war gut aufgestellt, um in der "Big Corner" die Chance zu nutzen. Dort verfehlte er jedoch nur knapp die Linie, so dass alle drei nach 11 wieder ausgeglichen waren. Raffertys nächster Bowl veränderte alles. Am Ende der kurzen Geraden legte er einen perfekten Wurf hin und schob sich vor Runge. McDonagh war mit seiner Antwort zu knapp. Dadurch hatte Rafferty einen Vorsprung, und er kam nie wieder her. Rafferty schien die Herausforderung von Runge abgewehrt zu haben, als er in der letzten Kurve mit einem guten 15. Wurf den Ball locker machte. Runge hat seinen letzten Wurf gut durch die Kurve gespielt, der die Ziellinie nur knapp verfehlte. Es wäre schwieriger gewesen, wenn er es geschafft hätte, aber Rafferty hatte mit seinem letzten Wurf kaum Schwierigkeiten, das Spiel siegreich zu beenden.

"King and Queen of the Roads"-Festival in Ballincurrig/Irland

Nele Carstens und Stefan Runge beeindrucken mit starken Leistungen in Irland

Nele Carstens vom BV Morriem und Stefan Runge vom KBV Kreuzmoor beeindrucken beim internationalen Boßelspektakel in Irland.

Beide erkämpften sich den Respekt der Zuschauer.

Kreuzmoor/Moorriem - Nele Carstens vom BV Morriem und Stefan Runge vom KBV Kreuzmoor haben beim internationalen Boßelspektakel „King and Queen of the Roads“ in Irland starke Leistungen gezeigt. Auf der legendären Strecke im kleinen Dorf Ballincurring zeigten der Boßler des Jahres und die Championstoursiegerin der Jugendlichen bei Bilderbuchwetter ihre ganze Klasse.

Technik gewechselt  -  Stefan Runge feierte sein Debüt in Irland. Der Kreuzmoorer hinterließ einen bleibenden Eindruck bei den Iren mit seinem Klootschießer-Rundschlag. Er wechselte die Technik zum Boßelwurf, als er durch eine 90-Grad-Kurve trüllte. Am Ende fehlten ihm im Duell mit dem Nordiren Colm Rafferty nur 60 Meter zum Weiterkommen. „Das Spektakel ist eine Reise wert“, meinte Runge trocken. Rafferty bezwang im Finale den Europameister William Hobbelink (Niederlande) mit zwei Wurf.

Schlusswurf  -  Die Jugendlichen traten im Mixed an. Die drei Teams lagen dicht zusammen. Es gewannen mit 16 Wurf die Irländer Ellen Sexton/Oisin Gribben. Nur einen Wurf mehr benötigten die Zweitplatzierten Nele Carstens und Fynn Meyerhoff (Südarle). Sie landeten vor den Niederländern Merle Aveskamp/Bart Lucas. Für ihren spektakulären Schlusswurf über die Ziellinie wurde Nele Carstens mit einem Pokal belohnt. Die Moorriemerin war schwer beeindruckt: „Hier waren weit mehr Zuschauer auf der Straße als bei der EM in Neuharlingersiel. Nach dem Abwurf war alles voller Menschen, die Kugel sieht man nicht mehr.“

Bereits zum achten Mal war Anke Klöpper aus Südarle dabei. Im Halbfinale fehlte das Glück. Die Ostfriesin musste die siebenfache Gewinnerin Kelly Mallon aus Irland bei drei Wurf Rückstand ziehen lassen. Der Titel bleibt Klöppers Traum. Im Finale schrieb die Europameisterin Silke Tulk Geschichte. Die Niederländerin lag fast einen Wurf zurück, kämpfte sich heran und besiegte Kelly Mallon. Mit nunmehr acht Erfolgen ist sie die Rekordhalterin.

"King and Queen of the Roads"-Festival in Ballincurrig/Irland

Spitzenboßlerin Anke Klöpper von „He löpt noch“ Südarle erlebt Pannen-Serie in Irland

Anke Klöpper vom KBV „He löpt noch“ Südarle ist eine der besten Boßlerinnen Europas.

Im irischen Ballincurrig kämpfte sie nun um den Titel „Queen of the Roads“.

Trotz guter Würfe musste sich Klöpper einer starken Irin geschlagen geben.

Von Ute Bruns

Ballincurrig - Sie gehört seit Jahren zu den besten Boßlerinnen Europas. Dank ihrer beeindruckenden Klasse hat Anke Klöpper als feste Nummer eins des Friesischen Klootschießerverbandes (FKV) die bereits achte Einladung seit 2012 zum hochrangigen Boßlerfestival „King and Queen of the Roads“ in Irland erhalten.

Einfach versprungen  -  In dem kleinen Ort Ballincurrig in der Nähe von Cork gelang der 32-Jährigen vom KBV „He löpt noch“ Südarle zweimal der große Coup, in das heiß begehrte Finale einzuziehen. Ein drittes Mal nach 2017 und 2023 blieb der Münkeboerin verwehrt. Im Top-Duell mit der starken Irin Kelly Mallon musste Anke Klöpper der siebenfachen Turniersiegerin den Vortritt lassen. „Ich bin sehr gut gestartet. Aber danach verließ mich das Glück. Mindestens sieben Würfe waren eigentlich super, liefen in die richtige Richtung und versprangen dann einfach“, sagte Anke Klöpper. Beim Handschlag mit den Iren hörte sie oft das Wort „unlucky“ – unglücklich. Damit kämpft die ostfriesische Ausnahmewerferin weiter um ihren großen Traum von der Krone des Boßelsports.

Während hierzulande ab dem nächsten Wochenende wieder die Gummi- und Holzkugeln bei Punktspielen über die Straßen rollen, ist das spezielle Werfen mit der kleineren und schwereren Eisenkugel die Leib- und Magendisziplin der irischen „Bowlplayer“, die sie von Kindesbeinen an mit anfangs leichteren Stahlkugeln erlernen. Sie kennen daher alle Tricks und Kniffe. Sind das direkte Duell Mann gegen Mann und Frau gegen Frau gewohnt und halten dabei dem Druck stand, dass bei den stets wettfreudigen Iren auch hohe Summen im Spiel sind. Und die absoluten Spezialisten wissen um raue, löchrige, kurvenreiche Strecken, auf denen sie mit Kraft und Präzision Herausforderungen meistern. Da wird über die knappsten Kurven gar „geflüchtet“, also durch die Luft geworfen, damit die Eisenkugel hinter dem Knick aufsetzen kann. Zum Erfolgsrezept eines „King“ oder einer „Queen“ der Straßen gehört zu guter Letzt eine besondere Prise – das nötige Quäntchen Glück auf dem tückischen Asphalt.

Rollsplitt und Löcher  -  Schon beim Training an den beiden Tagen zuvor wunderte sich das FKV-Aufgebot mit dem Südarler Fabian Schiffmann aus dem Verbandsvorstand über zusätzlich aufgetragenen Rollsplitt und tiefe Löcher. Einige Male schon hat die Straße in Ballincurrig Anke Klöpper nach monatelangem, intensiven Training einen dicken Strich durch die Rechnung gemacht. Jetzt war wieder so ein Tag.

Glück hat gefehlt  -  Nach gelungenem Start musste Anke Klöpper wiederholt völlig unverständliche Rückschläge hinnehmen, weil die Kugel plötzlich vom eingeschlagenen Kurs abwich. „Die Kugeln waren super gesetzt, versprangen dann aber einfach nach rechts oder links, wofür es gar keine Erklärung gab.“ Die Südarlerin gratulierte Kelly Mallon zu einer fehlerfreien Leistung: „Das war wirklich stark. Aber ihre Kugeln liefen auch wirklich dort, wo sie sollten.“ So geriet Anke Klöpper früh in Rückstand. Ein Konter wollte nicht mehr gelingen. Am Ende führte die Irin klar mit 3 Wurf. Die Südarlerin haderte: „Das Glück war nicht auf meiner Seite. Das war sehr ärgerlich. Uns fehlen die Worte, weil es fast die Hälfte der Würfe betraf.“ Im Finale unterlag Kelly Mallon der Titelverteidigerin Silke Tulk aus den Niederlanden.