Joe Greco, and wife Mary, are co-ordinating the event and will host the teams at the Breen Ave rinks.
Mary, an Australian team member who travelled to Turkey last year for the world titles, and her husband are organising the competition as part of their commitment to the sport, which has been a long time part of their lives.
“Organising a series of community events was part of the responsibility of Mary being a part of the national team,” Joe said.
“We held series of come and try events, then decided this would be a fitting way to involve the business community.”
The business championship, which is now accepting nominations, will involve teams of four who will compete with two members at each end of the rink and contest 16 end matches.
“We are playing Raffa Bocce, which is a much more user friendly version of the sport, players won’t even have to swap ends, they will play eight ends each,” he said.
Joe said one of the 12 businesses that enterted the tournament would be given the honour of being the inaugural Raffa Champions of Kyabram.
He and his wife were encouraged to conduct a business-based tournament after they had hosted Kyabram real estate business, Hinchcliffe and Greed.
“They had 24 players involved in a pairs tournament and it was a very successful event,” he said.
The event will be a low-cost competition, costing just $5 for players to become registered for insurance purposes.
“Eventually we hope to have a community competition to run in conjunction with the business competition.
“Players involved in the business and community events will be given a temporary membership, which lasts the duration of the competition.
“On the night it will cost the players only $5 for the game, to cover the cost of putting on the event.
“And most of that money will go into prizemoney,” Joe said.
He said the business and community competitions were by no means money making ventures.
The club has been given a significant kick start to the organisation of its business event with a $5000 contribution from the Kyabram Community Bank, along with $2000 from the Campaspe Shire.
“We have bought the timber for the new borders of the rinks, which allow bowls to always remains in play,” he said.
The undercover tournament’s support from the Bendigo Bank and Campaspe Shire has also allowed the club to purchase new bowls.
Joe said when the first migrants came to Australia they introduced version of bocce named Volo, which required significantly more athletic ability than the Raffa version that will apply to the Kyabram competitions.
“When the Australian association started, Volo bocce was adopted because the people who started the competition were all northern Italians,” he said.
"Most of Asia and Oceania is going across to Raffa now and Bocce Australia wants to follow suit.“
Raffa bocce is a less demanding version of the sport and doesn’t require competitors to throw the bowl 15 metres.
Raffa also involves the use of coloured bowls and from a spectator view is easier to follow and enjoy the game.
For more informaton about the Kyabram Bocce Club event, email joemarygreco@bigpond.com or phone Joe or Mary on 041915760.
