Australia’s history at the World Bowls Championships
We are just over a month away from the 2023 World Bowls Championships on the Gold Coast where the world’s best will converge for one of the most hotly contested tournaments yet.
There are more medals up for grabs, which means more history for the Right at Home Jackaroos to create, but what exactly is Australia’s history like at the tournament over the years?
It’s pretty handy, with 29 titles across singles, pairs, triples, fours and overall team categories, the most out of any country in the event’s history.
Let’s dive into some of the Australian records and statistics from the tournament since the inaugural edition all the way back in 1966.
Most gold medals on green:
A total of 37 Jackaroos have been draped in gold following their exploits on the green at the World Bowls Championships, with 13 of them going on to win multiple titles at the tournament throughout their career.
Karen Murphy leads the way with four, while Merle Richardson, Dorothy Roche, Rebecca Van Asch and Natasha Van Eldik have all accrued three throughout their involvement with the event.
Lynsey Clarke has a chance to equal Murphy’s record in 2023 should she salute in both the triples and fours disciplines, having won titles in 2008 and 2012.
The only male bowler to have won two golds is Brett Wilkie with each of the quintet selected this year a chance to at least match that tally.
Of the 2023 contingent, Clarke, Aron Sherriff, Aaron Wilson and Kelsey Cottrell have all previously clinched titles on previous occasions.
Most golds by Australia at a single event:
This record was set more recently as the men’s and women’s competitions were only unified for the first time at the Auckland 2008 event.
It was set at five back in 2012 as each member of the selected Jackaroos squad went home with a gold medal in one of the most dominant displays seen at the tournament.
In addition, Australia claimed both the W.M Leonard and Taylor trophies as the best performed men’s and women’s teams throughout the fortnight in South Australia.
However, in 2023 that record could very well change with the exciting inclusion of the para disciplines.
Most successful discipline:
For Australia, nothing has been more successful than the women’s fours throughout the country’s history at the tournament, claiming five gold medals.
Australia’s maiden women’s fours crown came in 1977 where Richardson, Lorna Lucas, Connie Hicks and Dot Jenkinson celebrated in Worthing.
Eleven years passed until the Jackaroos enjoyed the taste of fours gold again, as Roche, Marion Stevens, Greeta Fahey and Norma Wainwright added more silverware to the successful campaign at Auckland 1988.
Leamington Spa 1996 would be Australia’s next salutation, as Daphne Shaw, Margaret Sumner, Marilyn Peddell and Gordana Baric took home the gold medal with victory over South Africa in the decider.
Christchurch 2008 saw another title as Murphy, Clarke, Claire Turley and Julie Keegan added to Australia’s success in the discipline with a resounding win over Wales in the final.
The most recent victory came in 2016 as Van Asch, Van Eldik, Carla Krizanic and Kelsey Cottrell enjoyed their taste of fours glory and taking the nation’s tally to five.
Only England has matched that feat in a discipline, clinching five men’s singles titles since 1966.
Multiple titles at the same event:
Eight Australians have clinched multiple World Championships gold medals at the same event, and the first to do so was Mearle Richardson in 1985 as she clinched the singles and pairs in Melbourne.
Dorothy Roche, Marion Stevens and Greeta Fahey followed in 1988 with titles in the triples and fours disciplines in Auckland.
In 2012 Karen Murphy achieved the feat as she dazzled in South Australia to take home the singles and triples crowns, while four years later Natasha Van Eldik, Rebecca Van Asch and Carla Krizanic clinched both the triples and fours.
