The Carnival was cancelled last year due to COVID-19, the first time it has not been played between Christmas and New Year since 1959.

This year's 62nd Carnival will again feature the time-honoured disciplines of Singles, Pairs and Fours, plus Mixed Pairs which will replace Combination Pairs, which was introduced in 2019.

The overall prize pool of $17,600 remains on par with previous years and tournament officials expect nominations to be similar numbers to recent years, with approximately 850 combined entries turning out two years ago.

Zone 16 official Brian Gibson confirmed that three-time Singles champion Corey Wedlock would line up in the Pairs, partnering his father Glen.

The Wedlocks will also link up with Irish international Gary Kelly, and reigning Zone 16 Singles and Pairs champion Lee Stinson in a formidable Fours team.

''Considering we've only just let people know the Carnival is on the response has been tremendous,'' Gibson said.

''It seems everyone is looking forward to it coming back this year, having missed out last year.''

This year's Carnival will have a different format and program but will be played over nine days and commence on December 27 as it has done in other years.

The opening two days will feature Sectional Pairs, and then Knockout Pairs, followed by two days of Singles on December 29 and 30. A Singles and Pairs Finals day has been pencilled in for December 31.

The event will break for New Year's Day before returning with two days of Fours including its finals on January 3. The carnival will finish with the debut of Mixed Pairs on January 4 and January 5 - COVID and weather permitting.

The challenges of COVID and sponsorship mean this year's event won't have a designated headquarters, but clubs are urged to contact Zone 16 if available to be a hosting venue.

Carnival officials will then determine which clubs will host the finals of Pairs and Singles on December 31, plus the Fours final on January 3 and Mixed Pairs decider on January 5.

Zone 16 will again need considerable support from its 22 member clubs in making greens and club facilities available for nine playing days.

At least a dozen clubs will be required to host matches on the busiest days of the early rounds of the Singles, Pairs and Fours. But with no bowls for four months and the sport rebounding from lockdown, it's hoped clubs will be keen to support the region's biggest annual event.

Meanwhile, Zone 16 anticipate holding the 2021 Zone Triples next February to complete its Zone Championships for this year, ahead of the rescheduled 2021 State Finals pencilled in for late May at Ettalong Memorial BC.

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For a second straight year COVID has forced the NSW Open Gender State Championship finals to be rescheduled up to a year later than planned.

A full schedule of Bowls NSW events for 2022 is expected to be released in the next couple of weeks.

With the 2021 State Championship Finals set down for late May, the knock-on effect will be a later start to the 2022 Zone 16 Championships.

And with Australia's best male and female bowlers off to Birmingham, England for the Commonwealth Games from July 28 to August 8, 2022, next year is shaping as the most hectic year on record.

Warilla's Irish international Gary Kelly will link up again for an unchanged Dandenong in the anticipated return of the Ultimate Bowls Championship at Deer Park BC in Victoria.

Warilla hosted the inaugural UBC in 2019 but the tournament was cancelled entirely last year due to COVID , while its 2021 return at Warilla was also called off due to the pandemic.

Kelly was part of the winning Dandenong team at the inaugural UBC and is back with his championship-winning teammates Barrie Lester and Wayne Turley for the December event.

With Victoria the worst Australian state hit by COVID there is still no guarantees the UBC will go ahead at Deer Park, though team owners are busy securing their stars for the event scheduled to start on December 13.

Warilla is loaded with international stars with Gary Kelly joined by Jeremy Henry, Corey Wedlock, Aaron Teys and Brendan Aquilina, ensuring that the Gorillas feature heavily in bidding by the UBC franchises.

Likened to bowls' version of Twenty20 cricket, the UBC delivers fast, short games with every bowl counting in a unique scoring system.

The event has been well received by bowlers and fans as innovative and exciting.

The top players are attracted by the massive prizemoney on offer, including $60,000 for the winners of the two events in 2019.

Kelly was not the only Illawarra-based bowler to enjoy success in 2019 with John Green a member of the Taren Point-based The Point franchise which won Event 2 at Deer Park.

The race to finish club championships for 2021 is set to be begin across the 22 clubs in Zone 16.

All clubs were hit hard by the four-month lockdown with club officials busy scheduling the resumption of some events and the months-overdue start to others.

Among the club championships resuming this weekend is the Bellambi Major Singles final between Paul Duck and Milavoy Marcovic on Saturday (OCT 23) from 11am.

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Also on Saturday morning, Figtree Sports is running round two of its Triples Championship. The quarter-finals are slated for October 30 with the final on November 13.

Zone 16 is urging clubs to prioritise finishing their Major Singles and Major Pairs, to ensure its winners qualify for the 2021 Zone Champion of Club Champion Singles and Pairs to be played early next year.

The Zone 16 Champion of Club Champion winners then advance to the NSW State Finals, making it important for clubs to have their Major Singles and Pairs completed as soon as possible.

While some clubs have completed both championships, most were left in limbo by the COVID lockdown which shut down bowls on June 26.

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