Bowls England, working with Disability Bowls England, is delighted to announce the Para team for the 2023 World Bowls Championships which will be held on the Gold Coast, Australia, from Tuesday 29th August to Sunday 10th September.
The Para England team, sponsored by Aviva, is made up of a Women’s Pairs, a Men’s Pairs and a Visually Impaired Mixed Pairs who complete the full contingent of 16 players and 2 Directors across men’s, women’s and para events – the open teams can be found here. This is the first time the para disciplines have been included by World Bowls in this pinnacle event.
The team includes Alison Yearling, who came away with a bronze medal in the Visually Impaired Mixed Pairs at the 2022 Commonwealth Games and now teams up with Stephen Hartley. Michelle White, who narrowly missed out on reaching the podium in Birmingham last year joins forces with Jennie Sandford in the Women’s Pairs.
Fynn Kyser, who attended Birmingham 2022 as part of the Team England Futures initiative, and Jack Pullin make their debut on the world stage in the Men’s Pairs event as part of the build up to Victoria 2026.
Working closely with Disability Bowls England on the selection process, those players selected will head to Australia with Para Team Manager Helen Lewis-Wall, who led the successful Para Team at the 2022 Commonwealth Games.
Bowls England Performance Director Mo Monkton said: “It is credit to the dedication of all players that we have had a very difficult selection process this year, the first year the Para Team will be playing in the World Championships alongside the open teams. Alison and Michelle will bring valuable insights with their experience of the 2022 Commonwealth Games, and we are excited to see our debutants in action who will no doubt learn from their peers on the world stage. The event will be invaluable preparation in southern hemisphere conditions as we begin our journey to Victoria 2026”.
Bowls England Chief Executive Jon Cockcroft added, “Birmingham 2022 not only showcased the immense talent of our leading bowlers but proved a wonderful celebration of the inclusivity of lawn bowls. We are delighted to be able to build on that success and send a full team to the World Championships. With 12 days of the event being live streamed, we hope the team will inspire people to give bowls a try as we saw throughout Bowls’ Big Weekend. Huge thanks to Aviva, Sport England and Disability Bowls England for their support.”
We are delighted that Aviva, the Insurance, Wealth & Retirement company, are the new Principal Partner of the England Senior and Junior International Squads. Aviva branding will feature on the England Team’s kits, provided by Aceit, as they compete on the international stage this summer, including the World Championships on the Gold Coast. To learn more about the partnership, please click here.
BOWLS ENGLAND WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP SQUAD – GOLD COAST, AUSTRALIA
MANAGEMENT TEAM
Performance Director – Mo Monkton
Women’s Team Manager – Sandy Hazell
Men’s Team Manager – Kirk Smith
Para Team Manager – Helen Wall
PARA TEAM
Women’s Pairs:
Gill Platt (Wonersh BC, Surrey)
Jennie Sandford (Lindfield BC, Sussex)
Non-Travelling Reserves:
TBC
Michelle White has pulled out due to injury.
Men’s Pairs:
Fynn Kyser (Countesthorpe BC, Leicestershire)
Jack Pullin (Bredon BC, Worcestershire)
Non-Travelling Reserves:
Craig Bowler (Wellingborough BC, Northamptonshire)
Kieran Rollings (Kettering Lodge BC, Northamptonshire)
VI Mixed Pairs:
Alison Yearling (Plymouth Hoe BC, Devon)
Stephen Hartley (Tavistock Sir Francis Drake BC, Devon)
VI Directors:
Jane Herbert (Kingscroft BC, Leicestershire)
Isaac Shieh (Paddington Sports Club BC, Greater London)
Non-Travelling Reserves:
Sarah Marshall (Berkhamsted BC, Herts)
Ron Homer (Yeovil BC, Somerset)
WOMEN’S TEAM
Amy Pharaoh (Burton House BC, Lincolnshire)
Jamie-Lea Marshall (Kingscroft BC, Leicestershire)
Katherine Rednall (Norfolk BC, Norfolk)
Lorraine Kuhler (Oxford City BC, Oxfordshire)
Sophie Tolchard (Kings BC, Devon)
Non-Travelling Reserve:
Nicole Rogers (Kings BC, Devon)
MEN’S TEAM
Ed Morris (Essex County BC, Essex)
Jamie Walker (Kings BC, Devon)
Louis Ridout (Kings BC, Devon)
Nick Brett (Brampton BC, Huntingdonshire)
Sam Tolchard (Kings BC, Devon)
Non-Travelling Reserve:
Harry Goodwin (Appleyard BC, Kent)