Northern NSW Sweeps Opening Day at TBA21 National Teams Challenge
By Matt Stevens
Coolangatta Tweed Tenpin came alive on Thursday as the 2026 TBA21 National Teams Challenge officially got underway, with Australia’s best young bowlers representing their State, Country or Zone in an action-packed opening day featuring the Doubles and Traditional Teams events.
Throughout the day, valuable challenge points and challenge medals were on the line as teams looked to establish an early advantage in the race for the 2026 TBA21 National Teams Challenge.
Female Doubles
Fresh from helping Australia claim bronze in the Women’s Team event at the IBF World Youth Championships, Samantha Clifton and Brianna Walsh continued their outstanding form by capturing the opening gold medals of the 2026 TBA21 National Teams Challenge.
The World Youth bronze medalists established themselves at the top of the standings early and held a commanding 228-pin advantage after five games. A closing game of 380 sealed the title with a winning total of 2,510, finishing 262 pins clear of North Queensland.
Walsh fired the highest game of the session with an opening 264 before Clifton answered with 258 in Game 2, helping Northern NSW build an early lead they would never relinquish. Clifton finished with a 215.5 average and Walsh 202.8, making them the only pairing to have both bowlers average above 200 across the six-game event.
While the battle for gold was largely decided before the final game, the race for the remaining podium positions went down to the wire. North Queensland’s Sophie Jones and Bella Westlake held onto second place with 2,248, while a brilliant final game of 416 propelled Northern NSW’s other pair, Aleisha McGarry and Brook Buckingham from fifth into the bronze medal position on 2,198, edging out New Zealand’s Kaitlyn Hoare and Elise Lewis (2,166).
Female Doubles – Final Results
| Place | Pair | Total |
| 🥇 | Samantha Clifton (1293) Brianna Walsh (1217) Northern NSW | 2,510 |
| 🥈 | Sophie Jones (1041) Bella Westlake (1207) North Queensland | 2,248 |
| 🥉 | Aleisha McGarry (1073) Brooke Buckingham (1125) Northern NSW | 2,198 |
Male Doubles
The Male Doubles event produced one of the closest contests of the opening day, with four different pairings featuring prominently before Connor Raines and Blake Walsh delivered a composed finish to secure gold for Northern NSW.
Victoria 1’s William Zaccaria and Nicholas Rajkovic burst out of the blocks with a tournament-high 477 in the opening game, powered by Rajkovic’s outstanding 279. Their benchmark lasted just one game, however, as New South Wales duo Ziyah Keil and Luca McPherson responded with an even better 480 in Game 2 to take over the lead.
Northern NSW moved to the top after three games and never surrendered their advantage, with Raines and Walsh producing consistent scoring throughout the six-game block. Walsh finished with the highest individual average of the event at an incredible 233.0, while Raines averaged 214.3, combining for a winning total of 2,684.
The race for the remaining medals remained wide open until the closing stages. South Queensland’s William Mison and Tyler Clarkson finished strongly to claim silver with 2,588, while Victoria 1’s William Zaccaria and Nicholas Rajkovic held on for bronze with 2,573 after leading the tournament early. North Queensland’s Tristan Wallwork and Lachlan Hembrow, who sat second after four games, slipped to fifth after a challenging finish.
Such was the quality of competition that all five of the leading pairings averaged above 200 highlighting the remarkable standard across the field.
| Place | Pair | Total |
| 🥇 | Blake Walsh (1398) Connor Raines (1286) Northern NSW | 2,684 |
| 🥈 | William Mison (1302) Tyler Clarkson (1286) South Queensland | 2,588 |
| 🥉 | William Zaccaria (1268) Nicholas Rajkovic (1305) Victoria 1 | 2,573 |
Traditional Teams
The opening day concluded with the Traditional Teams event, where one final opportunity remained to secure valuable challenge points and medals before the standings were set heading into the final day.
Female Traditional Teams
Northern NSW completed a perfect opening day by claiming its second gold medal of the 2026 TBA21 National Teams Challenge, holding off a determined North Queensland outfit to secure the Female Traditional Teams title.
Separated by just four pins after the opening game, Northern NSW produced the performance of the event in Game 2, combining for a superb 851 to extend its advantage to 66 pins heading into the final game. Although the leaders posted their lowest team game of the event in the finale, their 780 proved enough to secure victory with a winning total of 2,440, finishing 38 pins clear of North Queensland.
The champions were led by Samantha Clifton, who averaged 220.7, while Brianna Walsh continued her outstanding day with 219.0 average. Strong support from Aleisha McGarry (203.3) and Brooke Buckingham (170.3) ensured Northern NSW produced another complete team performance.
North Queensland fought back with their best game of the event (808) in the final round, led by Emily Starkey’s 224, but ultimately fell just short on 2,402. Bella Westlake (210.7) and Emily Starkey (205.3) both averaged above 200 as the Maroons pushed the eventual champions all the way.
New Zealand secured their first medal, collecting bronze with 2,167, with Elise Lewis leading the team at a 206.3 average.
| Place | Team | Total |
| 🥇 | Northern New South Wales | 2,440 |
| 🥈 | North Queensland | 2,402 |
| 🥉 | New Zealand | 2,167 |
Male Traditional Teams
Northern NSW capped a remarkable opening day with a dominant victory in the Male Traditional Teams event, producing one of the standout team performances of the Challenge.
The opening game belonged to both New Zealand and New South Wales, who each fired 886 – the highest team game of the division – to immediately announce themselves as contenders. Northern NSW responded in style, following an equally impressive opening game of 878 with a superb 857 in Game 2 to establish a 77-pin lead over New Zealand heading into the final game. The effort was a true team performance, with every bowler contributing a 200-plus game during the second block.
Rather than protecting their advantage, Northern NSW matched its Game 2 effort with another 857 in the final game to finish on a commanding 2,592. All four bowlers averaged above 210, led by World Youth Championships gold medallist Blake Walsh (231.3), while Jake Sayer (211.7), Connor Raines (211.0) and Sam Coombs (210.0) capped an outstanding all-round display.
New Zealand claimed its first men’s medal of the Challenge with 2,413, with Ronan Richardson leading the way at a 221.7 average. Victoria 1 produced the comeback of the day, storming from sixth place after two games with a brilliant 877 final game to snatch bronze on 2,401. William Zaccaria starred with a 229 average, highlighted by a huge 279 game.
| Place | Team | Total |
| 🥇 | Northern New South Wales | 2,592 |
| 🥈 | New Zealand | 2,413 |
| 🥉 | Victoria 1 | 2,401 |
Please note: Team Medal photos will be taken tomorrow along with the Baker Team photos.
Challenge Standings After Day 1
A dominant opening day has placed Northern NSW firmly in control of the 2026 TBA21 National Teams Challenge, leading the Male, Female, and Combined standings after sweeping all four gold medals on Thursday.
In the Combined race, Northern NSW holds a healthy 174-point advantage over New Zealand (892-718), with North Queensland remaining well within striking distance in third on 690 points. Victoria 1 sits fourth on 677, setting up an exciting race for the podium heading into the final day.
The Female Challenge remains tightly contested despite Northern NSW’s perfect start. North Queensland sits just 37 points behind the leaders (460-423), while New Zealand (370) and Victoria 1 (339) round out the leading contenders.
In the Male Challenge, Northern NSW has established a more commanding position on 432 points, ahead of New South Wales (360), New Zealand (348), Victoria 1 (338) and South Queensland (315). Friday’s Singles, Baker Teams, All-Events and All-Star honours ensure plenty of valuable challenge points remain on offer, with every title still very much alive.
Performers of the Day
Highest Female Game – Brianna Walsh (Northern NSW) – 264
Highest Male Game – William Zaccaria (Victoria 1) and Nicholas Rajkovic (Victoria 1) – 279
Highest Female Series – Samantha Clifton (Northern NSW) – 1,293
Highest Male Series – Blake Walsh (Northern NSW) – 1,398
Looking Ahead
The 2026 TBA21 National Teams Challenge concludes on Friday with the Singles and Baker Teams events, where further medals and valuable challenge points will determine the Male, Female, and Combined Champions, along with this year’s prestigious All-Star Teams and automatic qualification into the TBA21 National Masters.
After an exciting opening day, the stage is set for a thrilling conclusion as competitors return to Coolangatta Tweed Tenpin tomorrow chasing championship glory for themselves and their teams.
Full results from today’s competition are available via TenpinResults, with updates continuing throughout the championships on the TBA21 National Youth Championships Hub which you can access by clicking the button at the bottom of the page.
Please note –
A few slight time adjustments for tomorrow are listed below and have been updated in the schedule section on our hub.
Boys 8am till 11.30am
Oil
Girls 12.30 till 2.30pm
Oil
Bakers teams 3.15pm
