The 2025 World Bowls champion of champions is here!
Welcome to our daily wrap highlighting the day’s news at the pinnacle singles event in the World Bowls calendar.
Fifty-seven national champions from all corners of the globe took to the greens at cluBarham in New South Wales, Australia, as day one got underway competing for two of the ultimate prizes in bowls – the honour of being men’s and women’s champion of champions winner.
It’s the 21st event which features 26 men and 31 women.
Competitors are split into three sections in the men’s and women’s disciplines.
Format is two sets of seven ends with a three-end tiebreak if needed.
Qualifying rounds take place over the first four days, with quarter-finals on Wednesday afternoon (September 24) and the semi-finals and the grand final on Thursday (September 25).
The top two finishers in each section will progress to the quarter-finals, while out of the three third place getters, one will get an automatic place in the last eight with the other two playing-off for a spot in the knockouts.
Defending women’s singles champion Milika Nathan, of Tonga, and World Bowls Series number seven seed Iain McLean, of Scotland, winner in 2014, are two returning champions who headline the field.
Hosts for the ninth time Australia are represented by Jacob Nelson and Chloe Stewart – Nelson aiming to win his family’s second World Bowls title in 12 months for his brother Kane is the current World Bowls Junior Indoor Championship men’s singles and mixed pairs gold medal winner. He’s aiming to win back-to-back titles for his country following in Lee Schraner’s footsteps in 2024, while Stewart is the highest ranked female competing – she is currently in third place.
Malta’s Rebecca Rixon, the World Bowls Junior Indoor Championship women’s singles holder, Ireland’s Shauna O’Neill, a double singles and mixed pairs winner at the same event in 2023 and current British Bowls women’s singles gold medallist and New Zealand’s Debra White, a silver medallist in 2019, are also strong title chasers.
Bowls as we know is a sport for all ages and competitors age from 23 – England’s Izzie White and Tiare Tapita Jim, to 79, Japan’s Hisaharu Sato.
Section leaders after the opening day Thailand’s Naret Aiangehuen, Fiji’s Rajnesh Prasad and India’s Putul Sonowal top the men’s sections, while Irish star Shauna O’Neill, Kiwi Debra White and Hong Kong China’s Gloria Ha are in first place in the women’s competition.
As well as the world titles up for grabs, extra incentive is platinum ranking points with an opportunity if you are ranked in the top 10 on October 31 to secure a spot in the WBS finals to be staged December 9-12, also at cluBarham.
Full daily results and up-to-date tables – HERE
Live streaming – HERE
Photo gallery – HERE
Report compiled by: Ceris Hewlings, World Bowls media officer, ceris.hewlings@keypublishing.com
Photo caption: How many sports can you compete for a world title at the age of 79? Bowls is one. Japan’s Hisaharu Sato (left) is the oldest competitor in the World Bowls champion of champions. He’s seen with Ngatuakana Ahfo Junior Anthony, of the Cook Islands ahead of their round one which Sato won 2-0
