Hughes makes indoor bowls history | Rotorua Sport | Surfing, Rugby, Soccer, Football, Cricket in Rotorua

Rotorua's Delwyn Hughes is one of the most well known and well liked figures in the New Zealand indoor bowls movement.

It was, therefore, no surprise when she was honoured at the weekend with a life membership to New Zealand Indoor Bowls.

"I was really excited because I've been going to back and forward to Wellington on a regular basis and this honour is just the icing on the cake," a delighted Hughes told The Daily Post.

"I've found that being on the national executive has enabled me to travel around New Zealand and after so many years I've come to know so many people. It's meeting the people and the fellowship among the players that I just love."

The Owhata Surgery practise nurse said she's still on cloud nine after making history at the association's annual meeting in Wellington on Saturday by becoming the first woman to be awarded a life membership, following 20 years' outstanding service on the executive.

The other member honoured was North Shore's Ivon Pash following 14 years' service to the governance and administration of indoor bowls. Ian Fraser from Nelson became the 26th President of New Zealand Indoor Bowls Inc.

Hughes began playing indoor bowls in Hamilton in 1973. After moving to Rotorua three years later, the bubbly mother of three was quickly elected to the Owhata executive and undertook several administrative roles.

In 1985 she was the first woman to be elected to the national executive and became national publicity officer in 1987, a position she still holds.

Hughes was elected deputy president from 1992 to 1994, and president in 1995 to 1997. She served as past president for three years, was re-elected to the executive in 2001 and continues to remain in this position.

She has also been the Bay of Plenty title holder eight times and was presented with a Bay of Plenty membership badge in 1994.

"I started thinking about joining the executive in 1981, when Rotorua hosted the nationals, after someone suggested it to me. I guess I was head-hunted in a way and it was great to be the first woman on the executive - it was great to break into a male dominated arena," she reflected.

"At the same time, I was given so much support by my family ... they kept telling me not to hold back."

Hughes will now focus on increasing both the Bay of Plenty and New Zealand's indoor bowls membership, as well as concentrate on her other roles as a North Island and New Zealand Academy team selector and manager of the North Island Team.