AUSTRALIA, NEW ZEALAND CLAIM OVERALL TROPHIES

Overall World Championship team trophies will be staying in the southern hemisphere, with Australia and New Zealand coming away with the three honours available (writes Lachlan Williams, Bowls Australia).

Teams earned points based on performances throughout the sectional stages of the event, and earned bonuses for collecting medals, weighted based on which medal was won.

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Para

The inaugural para team trophy well and truly belonged to Australia, with the host nation well clear of competitor countries.

Finishing with two gold (men’s para pairs and mixed vision-impaired pairs), a bronze (women’s para pairs) and with plenty of sectional success, the Right at Home Jackaroos finished well clear in first with 70 points to take out the inaugural award.

Scotland secured second place with 54 points, narrowly clear of New Zealand who rounded out the top three with 52 points.

Australia Para Overall Champions team: Damien Delgado, James Reynolds, Serena Bonnell, Cheryl Lindfield, Jacky Hudson, Rob Hudson, Jake Fehlberg & Cody Fehlberg

Overall Para Team Trophy Standings – Top 6

1. Australia – 70
2. Scotland – 54
3. New Zealand – 52
4. South Africa – 48
5. England – 44
6. Hong Kong China – 42

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Women

For the first time since 2004, Australia was not crowned overall women’s champions as New Zealand swept in to win the honour for the first time since 1973, and just the second time ever.

New Zealand finished the championships with three women’s medals (singles gold, triples silver and fours bronze), helping put them clear of England by two points who also collected three medals (singles bronze, pairs bronze and fours gold).

All five members of New Zealand’s team departed the Gold Coast with a medal.

Australia wasn’t far from a fourth consecutive women’s title, finishing on 88 points having won triples gold, fours silver and singles bronze.

New Zealand Women’s Overall Champions team: Tayla Bruce, Selina Goddard, Katelyn Inch, Leeane Poulson & Val Smith

Overall Women’s Team Trophy Standings – Top 10

1. New Zealand – 92
2. England – 90
3. Australia – 88
4. Canada – 74 (+207 shot difference)
5. Malaysia – 74 (+157)
6. Scotland – 74 (+145)
7. South Africa – 70
8. Hong Kong China – 64
9. Wales – 62
10. Philippines – 58 (+119)

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Men

A dominant two weeks on the Gold Coast secured the Jackaroos the overall men’s team trophy, the fourth time Australia claimed the crown.

Similar to New Zealand, all five members of Australia’s men’s team walked away with a medal from the 2023 World Championships.

Gold in the triples and fours, silver in the pairs and bronze in the singles helped Australia to 94 points, narrowly edging out Ireland.

The Irish came close to collecting their first ever team crown, but walk away from the event with a second place finish, just two points shy of Australia and with medals from all disciplines.

Despite missing out on gold, Scotland’s three men’s medals helped them to 88 points to finish third.

Australia Men’s Overall Champions team: Aaron Wilson, Aaron Teys, Corey Wedlock, Carl Healey & Aron Sherriff

Overall Men’s Team Trophy Standings – Top 10

1. Australia – 94
2. Ireland – 92
3. Scotland – 88
4. Malaysia – 74 (+333)
5. England – 74 (+298)
6. Canada – 74 (+228)
7. New Zealand – 72
8. Wales – 70
9. India – 64 (+204)
10. Hong Kong China – 64 (+145)