Commonwealth quest for Qld five
Five Queenslanders will be on the plane to Scotland for the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. Queenslanders Lynsey Clarke, Brett Wilkie and Nathan Rice have all been selected to represent Australia at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow later this year.
Also in the squad are Tony Bonnell and Joy Forster who make the cut for the
Para-sport team.
The announcement made this morning took place in bright sunshine at City of Melbourne Bowls Club.
Present in Melbourne was Lynsey Clarke, fresh from her Premier League win at the weekend, who will be making her third appearance at the Games.
“It’s a big thrill to be announced in any Australian team, the Commonwealth Game is the pinnacle for our sport.”
“I was more positive for the announcement this time because of how we’ve worked together as a squad. We trained really hard and been fully dedicated.”
Nathan Rice is back in the fold after and international hiatus, having won Commonwealth pairs bronze in Melbourne 2006.
“I’m over the moon. It’s not everyday you find out you’re picked to play the in Commonwealth Games.”
Glasgow 2014 has been a long-term focus for the Helensvale Hawk.
“This was my goal for four years, this Scotland trip. Only five of us get picked so it’s a bit of a shock.”
Rice heads to the Australian Sides in South Burnie on Wednesday high in confidence, having also been a member of the Premier League triumph for Helensvale at the weekend.
But there’s no rest for the man known as Lurch.
“I’m going to keep working hard, training, training and training. After the Sides I have a month off and I’ll be training on the slower greens. We’ve been fortunate that Southport have kindly done that for us. There’s also croquet greens we can use.”
Rice’s club mate, Brett Wilkie, who skipped the triples to silver in Delhi 2010, also boards the plane for Scotland, and noted on his feeling on his Twitter.
“Extremely honoured to be selected. Congrats to selected, feel for mates who missed out.”
Joy Foster makes her debut at the Games in the Vision Impaired mixed pairs with her director Bruce Jones.
Also lining up in green and gold for a Commonwealth debut is Tony Bonnell, who will be competing in the Bowlers with a Disability triples.
The 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games bowls event will be held over nine of the eleven days of competition, from July 24 to August 1.
The full squad is as follows:
Australian Commonwealth Games Lawn Bowls Women’s team
Lynsey Clarke (30, Club Helensvale, QLD) Kelsey Cottrell (23, St Johns Park Bowling Club, NSW) Karen Murphy (39, Cabramatta Bowling Club, NSW)
*Carla Odgers (23, Lalor Bowling Club, VIC) Natasha Scott (23, Raymond Terrace Bowling Club, NSW)
Australian Commonwealth Games Lawn Bowls Men’s Team
*Matthew Flapper (35, Ocean Grove Bowling Club, VIC) Nathan Rice, (34, Club Helensvale, QLD) *Wayne Ruediger (37, Grange Bowling Club, SA)
Aron Sherriff (28, Ettalong Memorial Bowling Club, NSW) Brett Wilkie (39, Club Helensvale, QLD)
Australian Commonwealth Games Lawn Bowls Para-Sport Team
Vision Impaired Mixed Pairs:
*Joy Forster (64, Chermside Bowls Club, QLD – Director Bruce Jones) *Tony Scott (54, Racecourse Bowls Club, VIC – Director Peter Scott)
Bowlers With A Disability Triples:
*Anthony Bonnell (46, Club Pine Rivers, QLD) James Reynolds (33, Tathra Beach Bowling Club, NSW) *Tim Slater (22, Victoria Bowling Club, VIC)
*denotes Commonwealth Games debutant