Olivia Bloomfield (right) and her women's pairs partner Lisa Prideaux, celebrate their win at the New Zealand Nationals in Auckland early January, 2025. Photo: New Zealand Bowls Photo: New Zealand Bowls
To champion bowler Olivia Bloomfield, bowls is an opportunity to represent her Niuean mother's homeland.
Bloomfield represented Niue at the 2010 and 2022 Commonwealth Games, and was especially proud to be the Niuean team flagbearer.
In 2021 and 2022, she won the New Zealand Champion of Champions title, with bowling partner Paris Baker.
Bloomfield and Baker also lifted the women's pairs Championship at the 2022 Australian Open. Recently, Bloomfield, along with bowling partner Lisa Prideaux, won the women's pairs title, at the 2025 New Zealand National Championships, in Auckland.
But despite her success, Bloomfield said she is ineligible to represent Niue at any international events, other than Commonwealth Games, claiming the Niue Lawn Bowls Association only allows bowlers who are resident on the island to represent Niue at regional and international meets.
"It hurts that I can't represent my own country, my own little island. It hurts I've got to go out there and do it on my own," Bloomfield said.
Olivia Bloomfield follows through with her bowls at the New Zealand Nationals in early January, 2025. She won the women's pairs title at the event. Photo: New Zealand Bowls Photo: New Zealand Bowls
"They refuse to let New Zealand or Australia based Niue players to play for the country. That's their mentality and that that's their rules," she told RNZ Pacific.
"Niue Bowls can't go forward with people holding us back. I didn't inject my blood into me, I'm half Niuean, I can speak, read and write it, so I'm not a plastic, and I wish Niue Bowls will look outside the box for lawn bowlers.
Niue Island Sports and Commonwealth Games Association (NISCGA) general secretary Sidney Lui said Bloomfield has created history by becoming the first Niue bowler to win the New Zealand Nationals title.
"Olivia has etched her name into the history books, becoming the first female Commonwealth bowler from the small island nation Niue to win the New Zealand National Bowls Championships," she said.
"Hailing from a nation with limited resources and a small pool of bowlers, she honed her skills through countless hours of practice and unwavering determination. Her talent was undeniable, and she quickly rose through the ranks of the Niuean bowling scene."
"It is also a beacon of hope for aspiring bowlers in Niue, demonstrating that with hard work and determination, even the most ambitious dreams can be realized," Lui said.
"As she continues to represent Niue on the international stage, her name will undoubtedly be remembered as a trailblazer for women's bowls in the Pacific nation."
Proud of Niue links
Bloomfield has maternal links to Avatele village.
Olivia Bloomfield with her teammates at the Helensvale Bowling Club in Brisbane, Australia where she is now based and competes. Photo: Olivia Bloomfield Photo: Olivia Bloomfield
She is proud of her Niue heritage.
That drives her to keep her language and customs, while also looking out for opportunities to help young Niueans who might want to take up the sport.
"My mum was a very good lawn bowler and I was brought up by my grandparents and they lived in Avatele," she said.
"I am thankful to my grandparents that I can still read, write and speak my own language. Our language is a dying language, and there's not very many that can speak it.
"Young people now days have playstations and phones these days, but back in our days, we sat down, read the Bible, go to church and speak Niuean."
She said she is willing to go back to the islands to help lawn bowls and represent Niue to win medals at international meets.
"I'd love to go back to Niue, talk to them and teach them some bowls," she said.
Bloomfield currently resides on Australia's Gold Coast, to maximise her opportunities to compete in bowls events.
She is hopeful she can get the call to rep Niue this year and at the 2026 Commonwealth Games.
Become a member - Niue Bowls
Niue Bowls vice president Catherine Papani said Bloomfield, and others residing outside of the island, can represent Niue at anytime.
But they have to be members of the Niue Bowls Association.
Papani said there is no such rule that bars overseas-based Niueans from representing the country, adding that selection of players for World Bowls competitions requires players to be members of the country's association..
"Olivia should know that in order to represent your country you first need to be a member of that country's lawn bowls association. She is not a member and never has been," Papani said,
"This has been informed to our Niuean bowlers overseas and Niue Lawn Bowls is and has always been open for overseas membership. We have indeed had Niuean New Zealand based players representing Niue in not only Commonwealth Games but also Mini Games and Pacific Games."
Papani said, Niue Lawn Bowls like many others, will give priority to Niuean based players and "when we do not have the numbers we will seek our Niuean bowlers overseas".
"We would hope that our Niuean bowlers in New Zealand and overseas would by now also have an association where it would be easier to have a pool of potential players to choose from when the need arises and can also work together to develop the sport on Niue.
"The opportunity to play for the country that you live, breathe and work in is important to Niue Lawn Bowls because players deserve that opportunity and they also come back and continue contributing to keeping lawn bowls sport alive and developing on Niue. It would be nice if our overseas players would perhaps look at supporting or contributing to the sport of Lawn Bowls on Niue as well. We have had some great contribution from NZ based players in relation to equipment and trophies."
Papani said they congratulate Bloomfield for her achievements so far but the rule is there and players should follow them.
"A great achievement indeed but its sad that we are not seeing this back on Niue," she stated.
"Niue has won medals and the best bowlers are not necessarily outside of Niue. Niuean bowlers live, breathe and work on Niue and are selected because they are Niue's best bowlers as they play hard to earn their selection as registered lawn bowls members of Niue Lawn Bowls."
Niue Lawn Bowls had claimd a medal at the Mini Games in Cook Islands with Elizabeth Reti (NZ based) and claimed a Silver Medal in Triples with two local players combining with a New Zealand-based player at the 2015 PNG Pacific Games.
The Niue team also won silver and gold medals at the 2019 Pacific Games in Samoa with all Niuean based players in the team.
