Event History
In 1982, a small but energetic gymnastics club, that had only been formed eight years previously, decided that what their gymnasts required was International experience, if they were going to have any chance of ever competing in National Teams. The Camberley Invitational was born.
Colin and Bernie Wright drawing on a wide network of friends, managed to attract International Club teams to the very first event, which featured just eight Clubs and was held in Camberley’s new purpose built facility. The first winners were
Excelsior / KGV from Holland.
After a few years, it became apparent that the ‘Foam Dome’ as it was affectionately known, in Camberley was no longer big enough to accommodate the event that had by then grown to sixteen teams, and was already attracting teams, not just from Europe but also from North America.
The competition moved to the Camberley Arena for a few years, and then on to Bracknell Sports Centre where the format changed to include a warm-uphall for the first time.
Over the years the event developed from purely a club invitational, to its current format that caters for Clubs, Regions and Counties and National Teams, with each group awarded their own presentations.
Some teams have made long journeys to attend. The Australian National team have attended on two occasions, and in 1991 we hosted a top club team from Japan.
Only three teams have managed to win the event on three consecutive years (They receive a copy of The Rose Bowl plinth with all of the previous winners) they were Camberley Gymnastics Club from 1984 to 1986; Berks Academy from Reading P.A. in the U.S.A. from 1988 to 1990 and finally the City of Liverpool from 2003 to 2007.
On only one occasion has one gymnast dominated the competition and won the Individual Championships along with all four apparatus finals. This was Aliya Mustafina in 2007. Aliya went on to great performances for her country in many major competitions, culminating in her becoming overall World Champion in 2009. She also medalled in the 2014 World Championships in Nanjing, China.
Aliya of course has not been alone at debuting her talent at The Rose Bowl
before winning fame and acclaim at Europeans, Worlds and Olympic Games. Senior British International Claudia Fragapane is the only gymnast to have won both the Junior and Senior titles at the event. She currently holds the record with eight Rose Bowls on her mantelpiece. Claudia also starred for Team G.B. in Rio.
In 2025 The Rose Bowl is celebrating its 44th Anniversary. However ‘The Rushmoor Rose Bowl’ is the longest running Invitational in the country and the R.G.A. is proud to
welcome guests from far and wide every October.
