The final event on the 2025 World Bowls calendar begins tomorrow as 24 of the top-ranked bowlers in the world meet in Australia for the inaugural World Bowls World Series Finals.

After a long season, in which international players were awarded ranking points for performing well in prestigious tournaments, the best 12 available men and women were selected to compete in a winner-takes-all Singles competition, hosted by cluBarham in New South Wales.

England boast strong representation, with Dominic McVittie and Sam Tolchard playing in the Men’s Singles and Emily Kernick, Nicole Rogers and Stef Branfield in the Women’s Singles.

All six have had a brilliant 2025 season, and should they come out on top in this battle of the best, will be crowned the World Bowls Series Champion.

Tolchard and McVittie Face Off in Round 1

The tournament will commence in Round-Robin fashion, seeing the field of players split into two sections and with the top two from each going through to the semi-finals.

English eyes will be on one game in the first round of fixtures, as McVittie and Tolchard go head-to-head in an all-English clash.

McVittie (currently ranked sixth in the World Bowls Rankings) travels to Australia having just clinched a silver medal in the Men’s Pairs at the notoriously tricky Hong Kong International Classic.

Success at cluBarham would end his year as brilliantly as it started, as he claimed two medals at the World Bowls Indoor Championships; a gold in the Mixed Pairs and silver in the Men’s Singles.

To achieve that though, he must get off to a strong start against the in-form Tolchard, who recently clinched a superb Men’s Singles gold at the World Bowls World Cup in Malaysia.

The Devon player added the accolade to his earlier triumph in the Men’s Pairs at the Aviva National Bowls Finals in August.

Both Englishmen have had a fantastic 2025, and will need to repeat those high standards in a group consisting of Wales’ Ross Owen (Rank #4), Ireland’s Gary Kelly (Rank #16), and the Australian duo of Cohen Litfin and Aron Sherriff.

England Well Represented in Women’s Singles

The English pair of Emily Kernick and Nicole Rogers have fallen together in the Women’s Singles draw, both competing in Section Two of the Round-Robin stage with Stef Branfield in Section One.

The duo face each other in the third round of matches, with victory potentially proving critical to who claims a spot in the top two and advances to the semi-finals.

Kernick, who is currently the highest ranked English player at number four in the world, has had a glittering 2025.

She secured a gold and silver at the World Bowls Indoor Championships in April, pairing with McVittie to claim the win in the Mixed Pairs before making the final in the Women’s Singles.

She then followed that up with another pair of medals at the British Bowls Championships, claiming gold medals in the Women’s Pairs and Fours competitions.

Twelfth-ranked Rogers has also seen silverware this calendar year, earning a brilliant World Indoor Bowls Championship bronze in the Singles and Mixed Pairs at Potters Resorts in January.

Not to be outdone, Branfield staved off all challengers in the Aviva National Bowls Finals Women’s Singles, defeating Sophie Tolchard in the final to claim the trophy.

Kernick and Rogers begin their tournaments with tough games against Nurual Jamil of Malaysia and Australia’s Kelsey Cottrell respectively, with Branfield set to face Kelly McKerihen of Canada and World Number One Selina Goddard of New Zealand in her opening two games.

Thoughts From the Team

“I am incredibly proud of our five international players who have travelled to Australia to compete in the World Bowls Series Finals. Their hard work and successes throughout the year secured a place at the top of the World Rankings and a deserved invitation to this esteemed event. It is testament to the high standard of our international squads that we are well represented and I hope they perform to their full potential, enjoy this exciting and fresh event, and bring the trophies home. We all wish them the very best of luck.”

Mo Monkton, Performance Director

Seedings

Follow the Action

You can keep up with all the action on the World Bowls website.

For all the upcoming fixtures, results and group stage ladder, go to the World Bowls Match Centre.

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