Going for gold
The Jackaroos begin their campaign for gold medal glory at the World Bowls Championships in Christchurch, NZ. (Pictured left: Jackaroos Mark Casey and Brett Wilkie flying the flag for Australia at the official opening ceremony of the 2016 World Bowls Championships.)
The Australian Jackaroos have commenced their 2016 World Bowls Championships campaign this morning and will start to take on representatives from 33 other nations as Australia tries for a hat-trick, needing a third win as overall team champions to compliment their success in the past two championships (2008 and 2012).
The Jackaroos, led by National Coach Steve Glasson, will attempt to emulate their scintillating performance at the most recent staging of the event, which occurred in 2012 on their home deck of Adelaide, where they secured a record-breaking five gold and two silver medals from eight disciplines.
Every member of that ten-strong Jackaroos team concluded the event in 2012 with a coveted golden medallion around their neck and a world title to their name.
The Australian Jackaroos will try to continue their dominance over the competition and increase their gold medal tally this year which is currently the highest of any nation, with the women having claimed 12, while the men have won six, for a total of 18; two clear of New Zealand and five more than Scotland.
The women’s side will want to jump ahead of England with another win of the Taylor trophy of which Australia and England are most prolific winners, the trophy is awarded to the overall female winners and both countries are currently level on four wins each.
Meanwhile, the Australian men have secured the Leonard trophy, awarded to the overall male winners, three times, behind Scotland’s five, so they will be looking to close the gap at this year’s competition.
Seven of the 10-player contingent selected to don the green and gold uniform at this year’s event were a part of the 2012 campaign, with three Victorians chosen to bolster the remaining positions.
Clayton’s Aaron Wilson, 25, who was the 2013 Australian Open men’s singles winner, Sunbury’s Carla Krizanic (nee Odgers), 26, the 2016 Australian Singles Champion of Champion, and Mulgrave Country Club’s Barrie Lester, 34, a 2006 Commonwealth Games bronze medallist, have all been granted berths in a maiden World Bowls Championships.
Australia’s line-up:
Women:
Singles – Karen Murphy (41, Cabramatta, NSW)
Pairs – Kelsey Cottrell (26, St Johns Park, NSW) & Karen Murphy
Triples – Carla Krizanic (26, Sunbury, VIC), Natasha Scott (25, Raymond Terrace, NSW) & Rebecca Van Asch (28, Invermay, TAS)
Fours – Carla Krizanic, Rebecca Van Asch, Natasha Scott & Kelsey Cottrell
Men:
Singles – Aron Sherriff (30, Ettalong Memorial, NSW)
Pairs – Brett Wilkie (42, Club Helensvale, QLD) & Aaron Wilson (25, Clayton, VIC)
Triples – Barrie Lester (34, Mulgrave Country Club, VIC), Mark Casey (34, Club Helensvale, QLD) & Aron Sherriff
Fours – Barrie Lester, Brett Wilkie, Aaron Wilson & Mark Casey
Defending titleholders:
While all seven incumbents earned gold medals at the last staging, only five have been selected in disciplines that will allow them to defend their own world titles this year, while Aron Sherriff and Rebecca Van Asch will look to retain crowns won by other Australians (in the men’s singles and women’s triples).
Karen Murphy – women’s singles
Kelsey Cottrell – women’s pairs
Natasha Scott – women’s triples
Mark Casey – men’s fours
Brett Wilkie – men’s fours
Click here to view the full men’s results from the 2016 World Bowls Championships.
Click here to see the complete women’s results from the event.
