The World Bowls Board has awarded life membership to two longstanding ambassadors of the sport who have been trailblazers for development of the game over many years.

At the AGM held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Sheila Corcoran from Australia was honoured for distinguished service to para bowls, while journalist David Rhys Jones was recognised for devoting over 60 years to reporting on championship events around the globe.

Sheila Corcoran has provided unparalleled service to para-bowls and the international classification framework as Head IBD Classifier from 2002-2025, playing a central role in making our sport fairer, more inclusive, and better governed.

Over many years, Sheila has combined clinical rigour, deep technical knowledge and an unflagging commitment to athlete welfare to build robust classification systems, train and mentor classifiers across multiple nations, and ensure that athletes with disability compete on an even and transparent playing field. Her leadership has been essential to delivering major events where classification integrity and athlete confidence have been paramount.

Sheila’s influence reaches across governance, education and field operations: she has developed training pathways for medical and technical classifiers, led classification at international competitions and worked collaboratively with national bodies to strengthen para pathway programs. Her calm authority, ethical clarity and practical problem solving have earned the respect of athletes, team managers and fellow officials worldwide.

Sheila has been a long-time member of the IBD Board and was a member of the IBD – World Bowls Working Group that helped facilitate the merger process.

For distinguished service to para bowls, for improving access and fairness for bowlers with disability, and for strengthening the technical foundations of our sport, World Bowls conferred Life Membership upon Sheila Corcoran.

David Rhys Jones has given exceptional and sustained service to the sport of bowls as a broadcaster, journalist, historian, and tireless ambassador for the game.

For over six decades he has brought bowls to life for audiences across the United Kingdom and around the world, combining authoritative knowledge, warm storytelling, and an innate ability to translate the subtle drama of our sport into compelling commentary. His match coverage, features and long-form recollections have informed generations of players, officials and fans, raised the public profile of bowls, and preserved its living history for future participants.

David’s achievements as a competitor rank alongside his work as a chronicler of the game. He formed a long-term partnership with World Bowls Hall of Fame member David Bryant at Clevedon Bowling Club in Somerset, England. This partnership endured for almost thirty years and produced outstanding results, including winning the 1965 Somerset, English and British Isles pairs titles in their first year together and ultimately recording ten national titles during their partnership. His record as a player, his deep tactical understanding, and his on-green experience have given him rare authority as a commentator and mentor to subsequent generations of bowlers.

David has mentored emerging writers and broadcasters, supported major international events through incisive media work, and consistently represented bowls with dignity and passion in the wider sporting landscape. His writing and broadcasting have celebrated our sport’s characters, moments and traditions while helping to modernise its public image. For outstanding service, sustained excellence in promoting and recording the sport, distinguished achievement as a competitor, and for inspiring countless people to engage with bowls.

The presentations were made by World Bowls president Brett O’Riley.

He said: “”DRJ and Sheila are legends in our game of bowls. Classification is a critical area in Para Bowls and Sheila has been the pioneer leader of classification development and management and continues to play an important oversight role. Sheila has also been a key leader in the landmark completion of the merger process between IBD and World Bowls, an important milestone which signals the next growth phase for para bowls.

“No-one has done more to project the profile and unique stories of our game than David Rhys Jones. DRJ was a storied player in his own right winning multiple titles alongside his great friend the late David Bryant OBE, a member of the World Bowls Hall of Fame. His contributions as a journalist, broadcasters, author, and historian have helped lay the foundation for expanding the profile and reach of bowls, and DRJ is an unparalleled storyteller, including through his beloved membership of the SSI fraternity.”