Vale Robbie Dobbins
Bowls Australia is deeply saddened by the passing of Commonwealth Games gold medallist, former Australian National Coach and highly respected international coach Robbie Dobbins.
One of the most influential figures in Australian bowls across several decades, Dobbins leaves an extraordinary legacy as an international player, coach, mentor and servant of the sport.
Dobbins holds a special place in Australian sporting history as a member of the nation’s first bowls team to win Commonwealth Games gold.
Selected to make his international debut in 1982, Dobbins made an immediate impact, with just his second appearance in the green and gold delivering history.
At the 1982 Commonwealth Games in Brisbane, he combined with Herbert ‘Bert’ Sharp, Don Sherman and Keith Poole to claim the men’s fours title, securing Australia’s first bowls gold medal in Commonwealth Games history.
Dobbins would go on to represent Australia on 25 occasions before a serious workplace accident in the coal mines brought his international playing career to a premature end.
His success extended beyond the green, with Dobbins going on to forge an exceptional coaching career that would influence generations of bowlers in Australia and around the world.
Dobbins’ affinity for coaching began with a role as national selector in 1985, with the aim to give back to the sport that had provided him with so much enjoyment, which lead to being appointed as the nation’s first head coach of both the national men’s and women’s teams from 1994 to 1996.
He served as Australian National Coach across a number of periods, including being re-appointed National Coach of both the Australian men’s and women’s teams from 2003 to 2004.
In recognition of his outstanding contribution to the sport as both a player and coach, Dobbins was inducted into the Bowls Australia Hall of Fame in 2013.
His contribution to the Jackaroos would continue long after his time in the top job.
Dobbins later returned to the national program as an Assistant Coach in 2011, working alongside National Coach and close friend Steve Glasson OAM and playing an important role in the Australian team’s preparations and performances on the international stage until September 2014.
Fittingly for a man whose own Commonwealth Games triumph formed such an important part of his career, Dobbins was part of the Australian coaching team at the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games, more than three decades after standing atop the podium himself.
Former National Coach Glasson said Dobbins had given an enormous amount to the sport throughout a lifetime in bowls.
“Robbie was a wonderful bowls person and someone who gave an enormous amount to our sport over many decades,” Glasson said.
“He achieved at the highest level as a player, including that historic Commonwealth Games gold medal in Brisbane, before becoming an outstanding coach and mentor to so many people here in Australia and around the world.
“On a personal level, Robbie was a great mate and someone I had enormous respect for.
“I was fortunate to work alongside him with the Australian team and his knowledge of the game was exceptional, but more importantly, he was always willing to share that knowledge and help others.
“His contribution to Australian bowls is immense and he’ll be very sadly missed.”
Dobbins’ expertise was sought well beyond Australian shores.
He made a significant contribution to the development of bowls internationally, holding coaching roles with several nations and sharing the knowledge and experience accumulated over a lifetime in the sport.
Among his international appointments was an influential period with Malaysia, where he helped develop the country’s high-performance program during its emergence as a force in international bowls.
His coaching journey would also take him to nations including Canada, Thailand, Scotland and Fiji.
Whether wearing the green and gold himself, guiding Australia’s leading players or helping develop the sport internationally, Dobbins was enormously generous with his knowledge and passionate about helping athletes fulfil their potential.
His achievements place him among a rare group to have represented Australia with distinction as both an athlete and coach, while his influence on the sport stretched far beyond results and medals.
Bowls Australia extends its deepest condolences to Robbie’s family, particularly Bev, his friends and the many members of the bowls community in Australia and internationally whose lives he touched.
Vale Robbie Dobbins.
