World Bowls Championship

The World Bowls Championship is the premier world bowls competition between national bowls organisations.

World Bowls Championship
Tournament information
SportLawn bowls
LocationVarious
Established1966 (men)
1969 (women)
AdministratorWorld Bowls
WebsiteWorld Bowls

World Outdoor Championships

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First held in Australia in 1966, the World Outdoor Bowls Championships for men and women are held every four years. From 2008 the men's and women's events were held together. Qualifying national bowls organisations (usually countries) are represented by a team of five players, who play once as a single and a four, then again as a pair and a triple. Gold, silver, and bronze medals are awarded in each of the four disciplines, and there is also a trophy for the best overall team — the Leonard Trophy for men and the Taylor Trophy for women.[1] Northern Ireland & the Republic of Ireland compete as one combined Irish team.

The 2020 event was postponed twice and scheduled for 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However following continual issues surrounding the pandemic the Championships were officially cancelled on 9 March 2021. Furthermore, it was decided that the World Championships would take place every two years starting in 2023. This also resulted in the fact that qualifying events for the Championships were no longer required meaning the Atlantic Bowls Championships and Asia Pacific Championships were terminated.[2]

Men's Titles

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Year Venue Singles Gold Pairs Gold * Triples Gold * Fours Gold * Team Champion
1966 Sydney,
Australia
 
David Bryant
 
Geoff Kelly, Bert Palm
 
John Dobbie, Athol Johnston,
Don Collins
 
Bill O'Neill, Gordon Jolly,
Ron Buchan, Norm Lash
 
Australia
1972 Worthing,
England
 
Maldwyn Evans
 
Eric Liddell, Saco Delgado
 
Dick Folkins, Clive Forrester,
Bill Miller
 
Peter Line, Ted Hayward
Cliff Stroud, Norman King
 
Scotland
1976 Johannesburg,
South Africa
 
Doug Watson
 
Bill Moseley, Doug Watson
 
Kevin Campbell, Nando Gatti,
Kelvin Lightfoot
 
Kevin Campbell, Bill Moseley,
Nando Gatti, Kelvin Lightfoot
 
South Africa
1980 Melbourne,
Australia
 
David Bryant
 
Peter Rheuben, Alf Sandercock
 
David Bryant, Tony Allcock,
Jimmy Hobday
 
Omar Dallah, Eric Liddell,
George Souza, Philip Chok
 
England
1984 Aberdeen,
Scotland
 
Peter Belliss
 
Skippy Arculli, Jim Candelet,
George Adrain *
 
Jim Baker, Sammy Allen,
Stan Espie
 
Tony Allcock, John Bell
Julian Haines, George Turley
 
Scotland
1988 Auckland,
New Zealand
 
David Bryant
 
Peter Belliss, Rowan Brassey
 
Phil Skoglund, Morgan Moffat,
Ian Dickison
 
Jim Baker, Sammy Allen,
John McCloughlin, Rodney McCutcheon
 
England
1992 Worthing,
England
 
Tony Allcock
 
Alex Marshall, Richard Corsie
 
Cecil Bransky, Lawrence Mendelsohn,
Leon Bluhm
 
Angus Blair, Willie Wood,
Alex Marshall, Graham Robertson
 
Scotland
1996 Adelaide,
Australia
 
Tony Allcock
 
Sammy Allen, Jeremy Henry
 
George Adrain, Willie Wood,
Kenny Logan
 
John Bell, Andy Thomson,
David Cutler, Brett Morley
 
Scotland
2000 Johannesburg,
South Africa
 
Jeremy Henry
 
Alex Marshall, George Sneddon
 
Peter Belliss, Rowan Brassey,
Andrew Curtain
 
Will Thomas, Robert Weale,
Stephen Rees, Mark Williams
 
Australia
2004 Ayr,
Scotland
 
Steve Glasson
 
Ryan Bester, Keith Roney
 
David Peacock, Willie Wood,
Jim McIntyre
 
Jim Baker, Neil Booth,
Noel Graham, Jonathan Ross
 
Scotland
2008 Christchurch,
New Zealand
 
Safuan Said
 
Gary Lawson, Russell Meyer
 
David Peacock, Willie Wood,
Wayne Hogg
 
Gary Lawson, Russell Meyer,
Richard Girvan, Andrew Todd
 
New Zealand
2012 Adelaide,
Australia
 
Leif Selby
 
Alex Marshall, Paul Foster
 
Graeme Archer, Darren Burnett,
David Peacock
 
Aron Sherriff, Mark Casey,
Brett Wilkie, Wayne Ruediger
 
Australia
2016 Christchurch,
New Zealand
 
Shannon McIlroy
 
Aaron Wilson, Brett Wilkie
 
Robert Paxton, Andy Knapper,
Jamie Walker
 
Ali Forsyth, Blake Signal,
Mike Kernaghan, Mike Nagy
 
New Zealand
2020 Gold Coast,
Australia
cancelled due to COVID-19
2023 Gold Coast,
Australia
 
Ryan Bester
 
Gary Kelly, Adam McKeown
 
Carl Healey, Aron Sherriff,
Corey Wedlock
 
Aron Sherriff, Carl Healey
Aaron Teys, Corey Wedlock
  Australia
2025 Hong Kong,
China
         

* Jim Candelet was taken ill during the pool stages and had to withdraw from the championships. As the USA did not have an available substitute the organisers allowed George Adrain, a reserve with the Scottish team, to take his place for the rest of the tournament.

Women's Titles

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Year Venue Singles Gold Pairs Gold Triples Gold Fours Gold Team Champion
1969 Sydney,
Australia
 
Gladys Doyle
 
May Cridlan, Elsie McDonald
 
Kathy Bidwell, Yetta Emanuel,
Sara Sundelowitz
 
May Cridlan, Kathy Bidwell,
Yetta Emanuel, Sara Sundelowitz
  South Africa
1973 Wellington,
New Zealand
 
Elsie Wilkie
 
Dot Jenkinson, Lorna Lucas
 
Cis Winstanley, Noeleen Scott,
Irene Foote
 
Cis Winstanley, Verna Devlin,
Noeleen Scott, Irene Foote
  New Zealand
1977 Worthing,
England
 
Elsie Wilkie
 
Helen Wong, Elvie Chok
 
Enid Morgan, Margaret Pomeroy,
Joan Osborne
 
Merle Richardson, Lorna Lucas,
Connie Hicks, Dot Jenkinson
  Australia
1981 Toronto,
Canada
 
Norma Shaw
 
Nan Allely, Eileen Bell
 
Lena Sadick, Rae O'Donnell,
Linda King
 
Eileen Fletcher, Gloria Thomas, Mavis Steele
Betty Stubbings, Irene Molyneux*
  England
1985 Melbourne,
Australia
 
Merle Richardson
 
Merle Richardson, Fay Craig
 
Mavis Meadowcroft, Norma Massey,
Dorothy Roche
 
Frances Whyte, Annette Evans,
Elizabeth Christie, Sarah Gourlay
  Australia
1988 Auckland,
New Zealand
 
Janet Ackland
 
Margaret Johnston, Phillis Nolan
 
Dorothy Roche, Marion Stevens,
Greeta Fahey
 
Dorothy Roche, Norma Wainwright,
Marion Stevens, Greeta Fahey
  England
1992 Ayr,
Scotland
 
Margaret Johnston
 
Margaret Johnston, Phillis Nolan
 
Frances Whyte, Janice Maxwell,
Joyce Lindores
 
Senga McCrone, Frances Whyte,
Janice Maxwell, Joyce Lindores
  Scotland
1996 Leamington Spa,
England
 
Carmen Anderson
 
Margaret Johnston, Phillis Nolan
 
Hester Bekker, Barbara Redshaw,
Jannie de Beer
 
Daphne Shaw, Margaret Sumner,
Marilyn Peddell, Gordana Baric
  South Africa
2000 Moama,
Australia
 
Margaret Johnston
 
Joyce Lindores, Margaret Letham
 
Anne Lomas, Sharon Sims,
Patsy Jorgensen
 
Anne Lomas, Sharon Sims,
Patsy Jorgensen, Jan Khan
  England
2004 Leamington Spa,
England
 
Margaret Johnston
 
Jo Edwards, Sharon Sims
 
Loraine Victor, Jill Hackland,
Trish Steyn
 
Amy Monkhouse, Jean Baker,
Ellen Falkner, Jayne Christie
  England
2008 Christchurch,
New Zealand
 
Val Smith
 
Jo Edwards, Val Smith
 
Lorna Trigwell, Loraine Victor,
Sylvia Burns
 
Karen Murphy, Claire Duke,
Julie Keegan, Lynsey Clarke
  Australia
2012 Adelaide,
Australia
 
Karen Murphy
 
Rebecca Van Asch, Kelsey Cottrell
 
Karen Murphy, Lynsey Clarke,
Natasha Scott
 
Margaret Letham, Caroline Brown,
Lynn Stein, Michelle Cooper
  Australia
2016 Christchurch,
New Zealand
 
Karen Murphy
 
Jess Sims, Laura Daniels
 
Rebecca Van Asch, Natasha Scott,
Carla Krizanic
 
Natasha Scott, Rebecca Van Asch,
Carla Krizanic, Kelsey Cottrell
  Australia
2020 Gold Coast,
Australia
cancelled due to COVID-19
2023 Gold Coast,
Australia
 
Tayla Bruce
 
Ain Nabilah Tarmizi, Aleena Nawawi
 
Kelsey Cottrell, Lynsey Clarke, Dawn Hayman
 
Amy Pharaoh, Lorraine Kuhler,
Jamie-Lea Marshall, Sophie Tolchard
  New Zealand
2025 Hong Kong,
China
         

* Irene Molyneux played in the 1981 Fours & Pairs as an injury replacement helping England to the Fours Gold medal.

Summary

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Nation Men Women Total
Singles Pairs Triples Fours Team Total Singles Pairs Triples Fours Team Total
  Australia 2 3 2 2 4 13 3 3 5 4 5 20 33
  New Zealand 2 2 2 3 2 11 4 2 2 2 2 12 23
  Scotland - 3 4 1 5 13 - 1 1 3 1 6 19
  England 5 - 2 2 2 11 1 - - 3 4 8 19
  South Africa 1 1 1 1 1 5 - 1 4 1 2 8 13
  Ireland 1 2 1 2 - 6 3 4 - - - 7 13
  Wales 1 - - 1 - 2 1 1 1 - - 3 5
  Hong Kong - 1 - 1 - 2 - 1 1 - - 2 4
  Canada 1 1 - - - 2 - - - - - - 2
  USA - 1 1 - - 2 - - - - - - 2
  Malaysia 1 - - - - 1 - 1 - - - 1 2
  Papua New Guinea - - - - - - 1 - - - - 1 1
  Norfolk Island - - - - - - 1 - - - - 1 1
  Israel - - - 1 - 1 - - - - - - 1

Para Bowls Titles

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Year Venue Para Pairs Men Gold Para Pairs Women Gold Visually Impaired Mixed Pairs Gold
2023 Gold Coast,
Australia
 
James Reynolds, Damien Delgado
 
Teri Blackbourn, Julie O'Connell
 
Jake Fehlberg, Jackie Hudson
2025 Hong Kong,
China
     

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Newby, Donald (1989). Bowls Year Book 89. Daily Telegraph. ISBN 0-330-31093-3.
  2. ^ "2021 World Bowls Championships Gold Coast & Future World Championships" (PDF). World Bowls. Retrieved 15 May 2021.
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