Scotland team named for European Championships

Bowls Scotland is delighted to announce the team to represent Scotland at the 2022 Bowls Europe Championships which will be held at the National Centre for Bowling, Ayr from Saturday 9th to Thursday 14th July.

The tournament will be the 13^th Bowls Europe Championships with 16 countries from throughout the continent competing against each other. For the first time in European Championships history each country can enter up to five female and five male players, to contest women’s and men’s singles, pairs, triples and fours. A new format which mirrors the current World Championships and Commonwealth Games set ups.

With Bowls Scotland’s High Performance players focusing on preparations for Birmingham 2022, Bowls Scotland’s High Performance coaches have decided to use this event as an opportunity to give the next generation of talent a taste of major international competition. The squad selected features a youthful but experienced line up with nine out of the ten players selected having previously played at senior international level.

The women’s team is headed up by current High Performance player, Megan Grantham, who will be looking to add to the bronze medal she won at the 2019 Atlantic Championships. Megan will be accompanied by Emma McIntyre, who won a bronze medal at the 2017 Bowls Europe Championships in Jersey. 2018 National Junior Singles champion Rachel Sinclair is also picked alongside 2018 National Singles silver medallist Dawn Anderson and 2019 Linda Brennan Ladies U25 champion Kimberley Dodds.

In the men’s team, Connor Milne has been given the nod after returning home with a silver medal in the men’s pairs from the 2019 Bowls Europe Championships in Guernsey. He will be joined by 2018 National Singles champion Mark O’Hagan, 2018 National Pairs champion John Fleming, 2019 National Junior Singles champion Jason Banks and 2017 National Singles bronze medallist Blair Davidson.

Frazer Muirhead, 1981 National Singles champion and one of Bowls Scotland’s High Performance Coaches, has been given the position of Head Coach for this event. Frazer will be supported by women’s indoor internationalist, Wendy Purdie, who will act as Lead Coach for the women’s team and 2002 Commonwealth Games gold medallist, George Sneddon, will act as Lead Coach for the men’s team. Former World Championships and Commonwealth Games medallists Billy Mellors and David Peacock will also act as Support Coaches throughout the championships.

Looking forward to the re-vamped Bowls Europe Championships, Frazer Muirhead, said: “This is a great chance for our developing players to experience and performance at a high-level tournament on home soil.

“The European Championships will form an integral part of their development pathway to compete at other major events in the future.

“We have chosen two strong teams and I am looking forward to seeing all of the players competing at Northfield. I am sure they will have a successful championships and do Scotland proud.”

Full team:

Women:
Dawn Anderson (Newton Park BC)
Kimberley Dodds (Cupar BC)
Megan Grantham (Eskmills BC)
Emma McIntyre (Dumbarton BC)
Rachel Sinclair (Kingswood BC)

Men:
Jason Banks (Inverurie BC)
Blair Davidson (Blacklands BC)
John Fleming (Port Glasgow BC)
Connor Milne (Tarves BC)
Mark O’Hagan (Whitefield BC)

Coaches:
Head Coach – Frazer Muirhead
Women’s Lead Coach – Wendy Purdie
Men’s Lead Coach – George Sneddon
Support Coaches – Billy Mellors and David Peacock

[News item provided by Bowls Scotland]

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