One-to-one with Neil Dalrymple, World Bowls CEO

Bowls is a sport that can be played on many surfaces, under a roof or in an enclosed indoor venue and of course, outside on grass or a synthetic or carpet surface.
This is one of the great advantages of our sport, that we can be flexible about when, how and where we can play.
Recently, we have witnessed the World Indoor Bowls Championship at Potters Resorts where the games were played on a portable rink and staged at a holiday resort in England. We watched some great matches played and it was terrific to see so many people tune in to watch the streaming coverage and the live broadcast on BBC – we certainly need to see more mainstream broadcast coverage of the sport globally into the future.
Whilst it is ideal for the sport of bowls to be played on a bowling green constructed in accordance with the laws of the sport, World Bowls understands and appreciates that the cost to build a new green (whether it be indoor or outdoor) is expensive and sometimes out of reach for many countries and especially for those trying and learning to play the sport.
Bowling on grass greens is always enjoyable but our changing climate doesn’t make this always possible and in some parts of the world, playing bowls outside can often only be possible for a short time during the year so being flexible about how and where we play bowls is important.
There are several alternative options for anyone wishing to start the sport of bowls in your area and/or country.
Short mat bowls is a very cost effective and fun way of starting to play bowls and the mats and equipment can be purchased from a number of suppliers.
Bowls can also be played by simply rolling out a piece of carpet and using a flat surface. Bowls Switzerland is a great example whereby curling venues (which are ice during the winter) are turned into bowling greens into the summer. There are no permanent bowling greens in Switzerland so being creative and working with a sport like curling has been important in establishing bowls in this country.
World Bowls works closely with a number of companies who build bowling greens and provide synthetic/carpet surfaces so if you are interested in finding out more, please visit the World Bowls website: https://www.worldbowls.com/artificial-surfaces/
Additionally, late in 2023, World Bowls launched three important projects to support our Member Countries and help the global development of our sport, and these include:
• A regional buddy system whereby World Bowls will formally align any of our larger MNAs with smaller MNAs to assist in the areas of administration, marketing/communications (inclusive of social media/live streaming services and advice), coaching, umpiring and development/schools’ programmes.
• A shared resources platform on the World Bowls website which will include the profiling of successful case studies and programs currently being delivered by our MNAs. https://www.worldbowls.com/development-marketing-and-promotion/
• An equipment exchange programme where World Bowls will source and distribute bowls equipment items to those MNAs who are desperately in need of the basics, i.e. bowls, jacks and mats! https://www.worldbowls.com/equipment-support-program/

If you are willing to assist or support in any of the above areas, please contact me directly:
ceo@worldbowls.com

Caption: Bowling on grass greens is always enjoyable but our changing climate doesn’t make this always possible

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