2023 World Bowls Championships squad announced
The Right at Home Australian Jackaroos squad that will represent the nation at the 2023 World Bowls Championships on the Gold Coast in August has been selected, with 12 tournament debutants named in the team, 14 including vision-impaired directors.
The National Selection Panel chaired by Steve Glasson OAM has selected the team based on trials in January and performances at last week’s Multi-Nations, which saw Australia’s two teams collect a combined seven gold medals.
In the women’s squad, two-time Commonwealth Games champion Ellen Ryan will take part in her inaugural World Championships in the singles and pairs disciplines.
The Goulburn native enjoyed a stellar conclusion to her Multi-Nations campaign by claiming the singles title with a victory over compatriot Kelsey Cottrell in the final to secure her place within the sport’s benchmark event later in the year.
Cottrell, a five-time world champion herself, has been named as one of just two women across the entirety of the team to have played in the tournament previously, having donned the green and gold regalia at Christchurch 2008, Adelaide 2012 and again in Christchurch in 2016.
In her home city, she will take part in the triples and fours disciplines as skipper, aiming to add to her pairs title from 2012 and fours gold from 2016 in addition to being a member of the Taylor Trophy winning women’s squads in all previous involvements.
The 32-year-old has enjoyed a stellar past year on the green, claiming the 2022 Australian Open singles and fours titles, the Australian Indoor Championships crown and the Australian Championships singles title at the Nationals.
Joining Cottrell in having played the tournament before is four-time world champion Lynsey Clarke, who will look to add to her on-green fours title from 2008 and triples crown in 2012 in addition to her Taylor Trophy medals at both events.
Clarke will front up in both triples and fours as she aims to take gold in front of friends and family on the Gold Coast.
Following one of the most memorable gold medals in Commonwealth Games history, Western Australia’s Kristina Krstic will make her World Championships debut in the pairs and fours.
Her pairs campaign will see her reunite with best friend Ryan, as they look to repeat their Birmingham heroics where they clinched the title after famously defeating England’s Sophie Tolchard and Amy Pharoah with the final bowl of the extra end last August.
The 28-year-old enjoyed a brilliant Multi-Nations last week, taking home gold in the women’s fours.
Another debutant will be Dawn Hayman, who will join Clarke and Cottrell in both the triples and fours come August.
The 25-year-old has put together a stellar few years on the national stage, securing a litany of titles across various disciplines to cement herself as one of the country’s most formidable players.
In the men’s squad, Aaron Wilson returns for his second tournament, having tasted gold in the men’s pairs with Brett Wilkie seven years ago, in addition to a silver medal in the fours.
The man affectionately known as Disco will front up to defend his pairs crown and aim for his maiden men’s singles title at the event.
Having won the blue-ribbon singles crown at the past two Commonwealth Games, Wilson will look to become the second male bowler in history, after England’s David Bryant, to win the discipline at both the Games and World Championships, and in the same city as his famous 2018 triumph, the Gold Coast will hold fond memories for the 31-year-old.
Aron Sherriff also makes his return for his fourth event, having snared the coveted gold medal in 2012 in the men’s fours, as well as five additional medals since his inaugural tournament in 2008.
The 37-year-old will take to the green in the triples and fours in the city he calls home in a bid for a second World Championships crown.
His recent form, like Cottrell, has been dominant with the indoor/outdoor singles double, the Australian Open men’s singles and Australian Indoor Championships trophies, as well as a gold in the men’s fours at the Multi-Nations last week.
Joining Sherriff in both disciplines is Carl Healey, who will make his World Bowls Championships debut.
In less than a year since his international debut, Healey has already amassed over 50 caps and a Commonwealth Games silver medal in the men’s triples, while enjoying his first title in Australian colours in the fours at the Multi-Nations.
Another debutant will be Aaron Teys, whose performances in Australia in recent years have been nothing short of magnificent in all formats of the game, taking awards at the Bowls Premier League (BPL), the Australian Championships and Australian Sides Championships.
Teys secured gold in the singles at the Multi-Nations and will take part in men’s fours as well as joining forces with Wilson in the men’s pairs.
The Warilla exponent will be joined by his club and Tweed Heads Ospreys teammate Corey Wedlock in the squad as both make their tournament debuts.
Wedlock will lead the triples and fours as he looks to build on his already enviable honours list across national and international events.
For the first time in tournament history para disciplines will be included, and Birmingham silver medallists Cheryl Lindfield and Serena Bonnell will reunite in their inaugural combined World Championships as they bid to go one better in the women’s para pairs having just tasted gold at the Multi-Nations.
Their fellow Commonwealth Games silver medallist in Damien Delgado will get his first taste of tournament action, as will the ACT’s James Reynolds, who took bronze at the Manchester 2002 Commonwealth Games.
The pair played together at the Multi-Nations last week and performed with valour to take the silver medal.
In the vision impaired mixed pairs, 2018 Commonwealth Champion and 2023 IBBA World Champion Jake Fehlberg will make his debut at the event with his brother and director Cody.
The Fehlbergs will be joined by Jaqueline Hudson and her husband and director Robert, with the pair performing magnificently last week to bring home a silver.
National Selection Panel Chairperson Steve Glasson OAM is jubilant with the selected team, adding that it was a difficult process with a plethora of players warranting selection.
“We feel as though we have put together a team that is ready to go out and challenge for the gold medal in each discipline at this year’s World Bowls Championships,” Glasson said.
“Many of the bowlers put their hands up for selection with brilliant displays on the green which made it an extremely difficult process for myself and the rest of the National Selection Panel.
“I would like to extend my thoughts to the players that missed out on selection, all of whom are fantastic bowlers and people who we wish the ultimate success for in the future.”
National Coach Gary Willis is looking forward to the commencement of the tournament as the entire squad aims to capitalise on the history-making Commonwealth Games performance last year by maintaining the Jackaroos’ place at the top of the medal tally.
“Birmingham was a magnificent campaign and we are not resting on our laurels in our quest to get better,” Willis said.
“This team thrives on the challenge and we have been working diligently on many facets of our collective games in order to ensure gold come August.
“To be able to represent your country in an event like this on home soil is a special privilege and that is certainly not lost on our squad, who can’t wait to compete against the best in the world.”
The World Bowls Championships will run from August 29 to September 10, 2023, across five Gold Coast host clubs.
Right at Home Jackaroos 2023 World Bowls Championships line-ups:
Women’s Singles: Ellen Ryan
Women’s Pairs: Kristina Krstic & Ellen Ryan
Women’s Triples: Dawn Hayman, Lynsey Clarke & Kelsey Cottrell
Women’s Fours: Kristina Krstic, Dawn Hayman, Lynsey Clarke & Kelsey Cottrell
Men’s Singles: Aaron Wilson
Men’s Pairs: Aaron Teys & Aaron Wilson
Men’s Triples: Corey Wedlock, Aron Sherriff & Carl Healey
Men’s Fours: Corey Wedlock, Aaron Teys, Carl Healey & Aron Sherriff
Para Women’s Pairs: Cheryl Lindfield & Serena Bonnell
Para Men’s Pairs: Damien Delgado & James Reynolds
Vision Impaired Mixed Pairs: Jaqueline Hudson (Director: Robert Hudson) & Jake Fehlberg (Director: Cody Fehlberg)
Right at Home Jackaroos 2023 World Bowls Championships Squad:
Lynsey Clarke:
Club: Club Tweed
State: Queensland
Previous World Championships appearances: 2 (Champion: 2008 fours & team, 2012 triples & team)
Kelsey Cottrell
Club: Club Helensvale
State: Queensland
Previous World Championships appearances: 3 (Champion: 2008 team, 2012 pairs & team, 2016 fours & team)
Dawn Hayman:
Club: St John’s Park
State: New South Wales
Previous World Championships appearances: Debut
Kristina Krstic:
Club: Manning Memorial
State: Western Australia
Previous World Championships appearances: Debut
Ellen Ryan:
Club: Cabramatta
State: New South Wales
Previous World Championships appearances: Debut
Carl Healey:
Club: Cabramatta
State: New South Wales
Previous World Championships appearances: Debut
Aron Sherriff:
Club: Broadbeach
State: Queensland
Previous World Championships appearances: 3 (Champion: 2012 fours)
Aaron Teys:
Club: Warilla
State: New South Wales
Previous World Championships appearances: Debut
Corey Wedlock:
Club: Warilla
State: New South Wales
Previous World Championships appearances: Debut
Aaron Wilson:
Club: Cabramatta
State: New South Wales
Previous World Championships appearances: 1 (Champion: 2016 fours)
Serena Bonnell:
Club: Club Tweed
State: Queensland
Previous World Championships appearances: Debut
Cheryl Lindfield:
Club: Mt Gravatt
State: Queensland
Previous World Championships appearances: Debut
Damien Delgado:
Club: Club Tweed
State: Queensland
Previous World Championships appearances: Debut
James Reynolds:
Club: Canberra Bowls Club
State: Australian Capital Territory
Previous World Championships appearances: Debut
Jake Fehlberg:
Director: Cody Fehlberg
Club: Bagara
State: Queensland
Previous World Championships appearances: Debut
Jaqueline Hudson:
Director: Robert Hudson
Club: Fingal Bay
State: New South Wales
Previous World Championships appearances: Debut
