Youth Ranked Season Heads to Ballina for NSW Youth Cup

The TBA Youth nationally ranked season heads to Ballina this weekend, with a strong field preparing to tackle two oil patterns at the 2026 NSW Youth Cup.

Ballina Tenpin Bowl will host competition on 31 October – 1 November, following official practice on Friday 30 October. Male and female titles will be contested alongside a separate handicap-based Silver Challenge.

With only the Grand National Youth Eliminator remaining after Ballina, the fourth stop of the season offers another important opportunity to collect ranking points before the year draws to a close.

Event Snapshot

• Event: 2026 NSW Youth Cup
• Dates: 31 October – 1 November 2026
• Official practice: Friday 30 October
• Venue: Ballina Tenpin Bowl, Ballina, NSW
• Division: Youth
• Edition: 19^th
• Status: TBA Nationally Ranked Event
• Season stop: Fourth of five

Strong Field set for Title Chase

All six champions from the opening three Youth ranked events are listed to compete in Ballina, setting an intriguing weekend across both divisions.

Seth Gray has claimed two of the three male titles awarded this season, while Zayne Pirlo secured the Queensland Youth Cup crown. Samantha Clifton, Brianna Walsh and Tamarin Christensen have shared the female honours.

They will meet a field featuring several bowlers who have already challenged for podium positions this year, with the dual-pattern format adding another test as the season enters its final stages.

Gray Chases a Third Youth Title

Seth Gray has already made his mark on the 2026 Youth season.

The Victorian successfully defended his Wyncity Youth Cup title in March before adding the TBA21 National Masters crown in July.

Ballina presents another opportunity to add to that record, although Queensland Youth Cup champion Zayne Pirlo will be among those looking to stop him after winning his first title in May.

Another will be Jackson Buckingham who enters the field as the defending champion.

Three Champions Headline the Female Field

The female division has produced a different winner at each Youth ranked event this season, and all three are set to compete in Ballina.

Samantha Clifton opened the year with victory at the Wyncity Youth Cup, finishing 46 pins clear of Bella Westlake to claim the title after several near misses at the event.

Brianna Walsh followed with victory at the inaugural nationally ranked Queensland Youth Cup. She then reached the title match at the TBA21 National Masters, where Tamarin Christensen completed a breakthrough run to her first nationally ranked title.

With each having demonstrated the ability to finish on top of the standings, the trio provides a compelling starting point for a division with plenty of challengers.

Podium Contenders Look to Take the Next Step

Bella Westlake and Brooke Buckingham will be looking to turn earlier runner-up finishes into a Youth ranked title.

Westlake finished second at Wyncity, while Buckingham claimed silver at the Queensland Youth Cup. Elouise Cocks and Emily Starkey also reached Youth ranked podiums at those events and are listed for Ballina. Bella Westlake also enters as the defending champion.

Their results underline the depth of the female field, where several bowlers have already shown they can stay in contention through qualifying and the finals.

Two Patterns, One Title Chase

Adapting to the lane conditions will be central to the weekend.

Bowlers will complete six qualifying games on a long oil pattern and six on a short pattern. Those who advance to the Youth Cup finals will then face both conditions on the same pair, with the short pattern on odd-numbered lanes and the long pattern on even-numbered lanes.

With qualifying pinfall carrying forward, a strong start will remain valuable throughout the tournament. Matchplay bonuses provide another opportunity to gain grown as the title race unfolds.

Format

Qualifying

All bowlers complete 12 qualifying games across two six-game blocks, bowling once on each oil pattern.

The top 10 male and top 10 female bowlers by combined scratch pinfall advance to their respective NSW Youth Cup finals.

NSW Youth Cup Finals

Qualifying pinfall carries forward into matchplay, with bowlers competing on dual-pattern pairs and moving pairs after each game.

Bonus pins are awarded as follows:

• Win: 30 pins
• Tie: 15 pins
• Loss: No bonus pins

The male and female championships will be determined by combined qualifying pinfall, finals pinfall and matchplay bonuses. There is no stepladder final.

Silver Challenge

The top eight bowlers by handicap who do not qualify for the Youth Cup finals advance to the Silver Challenge.

Handicap is calculated at 90 per cent of the difference between a bowwler’s average and 240.

The eight finalists bowl two games, with the top four advancing to a further two games to determine their final placings.

Schedule

Day	Session	Start time
Friday 30 October	Official practice – session one	4:00PM
Friday 30 October	Official practice – session two	6:00pm
Saturday 31 October	Squad A – long pattern	8:00AM
Saturday 31 October	Squad B – long pattern	12:00PM
Saturday 31 October	Squad A – short pattern	4:00PM
Sunday 1 November	Squad B – short pattern	8:00AM
Sunday 1 November	Finals	Approximately 12:30PM

All times are local NSW time (AEDT). Check-in closes 30 minutes before each qualifying squad. Schedule is subject to change.

How to follow the event

Ballina Tenpin Bowl is located at 16 Clark Street, Ballina, NSW.

Keep an eye on TenpinResults throughout the weekend for tournament updates, scores and standings as the 2026 NSW Youth Cup champions are decided.

Past Champions

Formally known as the Sydney Youth Cup.

Year	Male	Female
2007	Michael Craig	Cassie Staudinger
2008	Ben Coupland	Emily Robertson
2009	Stephen Cowland	Jacinta Gilliland
2010	Stephen Cowland	Rebecca Whiting
2011	Dion Alexander	Bec Whiting
2012		Nicolle Williams
2013	Paul White	Katey Furze
2014	Paul White	Emily Rigney
2015	Blayne Fletcher	Maddy Kemp
2016	Jayden Lemming	Chloe Jones
2017	Blayne Fletcher	Heather Penatzer
2018	Blayne Fletcher	Jamie Phelan
2019	Jackson Botham	Grace Fahy
2021	Jesse Ellis	Emily Johnston
2022	Jamie Robinson	Grace Fahy
2023	Ben Pettit	Tamika Pettigrew
2024	Blake Walsh	Emily Hinspeter
2025	Jackson Buckingham	Bella Westlake