Glasgow 2026 – Bowls NZ’s high performance programme targets Commonwealth Games

Julie is delighted the sport’s long standing involvement at a Commonwealth Games will continue in Glasgow.

“We are very grateful that bowls is considered one of the key sports, however it, like a number of sports, has been evolved to meet the requirements of a scaled back programme,” says Julie.

“There will be a reduced number of athletes in Glasgow as the bowls programme will only include singles and pairs as well as men’s and women’s para bowls for physical and vision impaired bowlers.”

While the four-yearly Bowls World Championship is another key pinnacle event for the sport’s high performance athletes, Julie says the Commonwealth Games are hugely important, not just as a pinnacle event but as the only opportunity high performance bowlers have to be part of a multi-sport experience.

A key difference for in Glasgow will be playing on an indoor carpet surface, using a different set format, so a significant part of campaign planning is to give New Zealand bowlers an opportunity to gain experience on the indoor surface using the new format.

Bowls NZ Head Coach, Convenor of Selectors and Commonwealth Games bronze medallist, Mike Kernaghan, (a participant in HPSNZ’s inaugural Kia Manawanui coaching programme in 2023/24) is charged with giving all his high performance athletes the very best chance to perform in Glasgow.

“The recent World Cup in Malaysia produced some very good results – silver medals for women’s pairs and women’s para singles and bronze for mixed para pairs – and provided our bowlers with a good opportunity to gain experience in the new format and on the sort of surface we will bowl on in Glasgow.

“Because there are no portable carpet surface rinks in New Zealand, our build up for Glasgow will include opportunities to gain more experience in that environment,” says Mike.

A tri or four nations event back in Malaysia in late March/early April is on the drawing board and Mike says he’s also looking to set up some match play in Britain in the 10 or so days before the Commonwealth Games start.

Cautious optimism best sums up Mike’s thoughts on the team’s prospects in Glasgow.

“We have good prospects across the board and certainly some real medal hopefuls with the likes of Tayla Bruce who is the current World Outdoor singles champion, Selina Goddard named World No. 1 women’s bowler in the new ranking system, and our women’s pairs, resulting in our women winning the overall teams event at the 2023 World Championships on the Gold Coast. All in all, our women bowlers are truly outstanding quality.

“I’m also confident our men’s team will make a good showing and I have high hopes for the women’s Para pair who are the current World Champs. Our vision impaired male bowler won two bronze medals at the World Blind Champs and there’s still an opportunity for our men’s para pair if they are selected.”

With nominations due by 31 March, Mike says he and his support team, and the athletes, will then have three to four months to prepare to perform on the world stage.