Women allowed into a bowls club following the end of a century-old ban are battling male traditionalists who refuse to play against them.

Josephine Rosen, 64, of Westbourne Villas, Hove, is attempting to end sexual discrimination at the Hove and Kingsway Bowling Club at The Beach in Kingsway, Hove.

Last year Mrs Rosen's husband Cyril fought a campaign to get the club, which was one of the last male-only clubs in Sussex with a ban on women, to accept women as members.

The move upset some members who said it went against the founding principle of the club but a motion to let women in was passed almost unanimously at last year's AGM.

But Mrs Rosen and her fellow female bowlers were dismayed when they discovered they were not welcome to play in club competitions.

About 20 of the club's regular bowlers were refusing to play against them in the internal tournaments and their objections forced women off the green for the entire season.

At a motion Mrs Rosen is tabling for debate at the club's AGM on Thursday, she says: "Women won the vote in 1918 but it seems we are still experiencing discrimination nearly 100 years later.

"Is it too much to expect that as we are now full members we should actually be treated as such?"

The traditionalists argue that because some county and national bowling competitions are men-only and certain internal competitions determine who goes on to represent the club at these higher levels, letting women compete at the internal level could put the club at a disadvantage.

If a woman won internally, the club would have no men eligible to put forward for the county and national competitions.

But the Rosens said it did not make sense - the club could simply put forward the highest-placed man instead.

This has been confirmed by a representative of the London and Southern Counties Bowling Association and the England Bowling Association.

Mr Rosen, 79, who is on the Hove and Kingsway club's committee, said: "At the beginning of this year's season they sent out information to all members which included a list of all the internal competitions. When Josephine and I opened our separate envelopes this year, we discovered that I had been given the list but Josephine hadn't.

"I brought this issue up at committee and they looked at me in amazement.

"They were thunderstruck at the idea that women should actually be included in competitions."

Raymond Cluness, the club's secretary, denied there was any remaining prejudice against women bowlers amongst members.

He said a mixed pairs competition had been arranged last season so the women were able to play and more competition categories which could include women were being planned for next season.

Mr Cluness, 64, of Thornhill Rise, Portslade, said: "We are not trying to stop women bowling.

"We want them to be able to join in which is why we let them in as members.

"But we have only been a mixed club since last April and it will take a year or two before everything is put into place.