Big calls made in picking NZ world bowls team

New Zealand bowler Andrew Kelly.
Photo: photosport

A fresh-looking New Zealand bowls team has been named for the world championships, with proven performers Shannon McIlroy and Ali Forsyth both missing the cut.

Selectors Peter Belliss and Sharon Sims have rewarded strong performances during a successful Multi-Nations tournament campaign on the Gold Coast, making some tough calls in choosing five men and five women to contest the sports’ pinnacle on the Gold Coast, starting on August 29.

Notable omissions from the men’s line-up include reigning world singles champion McIlroy and 2016 world fours champion skip Ali Forsyth – both narrowly missing the cut in favour of two standout performers from recent seasons, Andrew Kelly and Sheldon Bagrie-Howley.

Off the back of what was a promising international performance on the Gold Coast last month, Kelly has taken the singles spot and will skip the pair – combining with Tony Grantham, who was in stellar form throughout the seven-day event.

Joining Kelly and Grantham will be Bagrie-Howley, Lance Pascoe and Chris Le Lievre – all impressing in various combinations during their time in the triples and fours disciplines.

The women’s line-up is more consistent with recent campaigns, although Wellington duo Nicole Toomey and Clare Hendra the most notable omissions.

Katelyn Inch and Selina Goddard will form the pair after they secured bronze at last year’s Commonwealth Games and convincingly won gold at the Multi-Nations event.

Burnside’s Tayla Bruce has been given the nod in the women’s singles berth, reflecting a strong win in the World Champion of Champion Singles earlier this season and rewarded for a string of promising solo performances among international company.

Joining Bruce, Inch and Goddard will be perennial campaigner Val Smith, back for a remarkable fifth world championships and charged with skipping the triple and playing three in the four – while recent debutant Leeane Poulson will round out the fifth spot, playing lead in both the triples and fours.

Bowls New Zealand head coach Mike Kernaghan says there is an air of excitement among the squad, as well as confidence.

“(Clearly) there have been some uncomfortable calls to make, but equally there has been delight in those players that have been given this next opportunity. For those that missed selection on this occasion, they are all understandably disappointed and gutted, as you would expect,” Kernaghan said.

“However, they all understand and have taken it as well as they can – with Ali himself reaffirming his commitment to wanting to be in the Commonwealth Games team for 2026 – and like anyone else in the squad, he will get that opportunity to put his best foot forward and be open for selection again down the line.

“Looking at this team, it’s fair to say the selectors have sent a really good message to all those players in the squad, or on the fringes of the squad, that if given the opportunity and you perform, you will be right in the frame for the big moments.”

New Zealand teams for the 2023 World Bowls Championships, Gold Coast:

Men

Singles: Andrew Kelly

Pairs: Andrew Kelly (S) Tony Grantham (L)

Triples: Sheldon Bagrie-Howley (S) Lance Pascoe (2) Chris Le Lievre (L)

Fours: Sheldon Bagrie-Howley (S) Lance Pascoe (3) Chris Le Lievre (2) Tony Grantham (L)

B6 – B8 Pairs: Darron Wolland (L) Mark Noble (S)

Women

Singles: Tayla Bruce

Pairs: Katelyn Inch (S) Selina Goddard (L)

Triples: Val Smith (S) Tayla Bruce (2) Leeane Poulson (L)

Fours: Katelyn Inch (S) Val Smith (3) Selina Goddard (2) Leeane Poulson (L)

B6 – B8 Pairs: Julie O’Connell (L) Teri Blackbourn (S)

– RNZ