World Bowls is continuing its push for the sport’s inclusion on the Olympic stage. 

As part of a broader and long-term campaign for Olympic and Paralympic inclusion – Bowls for Brisbane 2032 – World Bowls staged a special broadcast feature match on Monday, May 11, between Australia and a Rest of the World team. 

The fourth instalment of the Bowls for Brisbane showcase matches was played at Ocean Grove Bowling Club, Victoria, on the eve of the 2026 World Bowls Indoor Championship. 

Australia’s team featured World Bowls Hall of Fame member and inaugural World Bowls Series ranking list’s female No 1, current men’s No 2 Corey Wedlock and reigning World Bowls Indoor Championship men’s singles champion Jack McShane, while in the Rest of the World team were Ozkan Akar (Turkiye), Laura Butler (Switzerland) and Nayan Moni Saikia (India). 

With a stellar field of players, the match did not disappoint the lively crowd watching with the final result in favour of Team Australia 2-0. 

This was the fourth match of its kind – the first took place during Bowls Australia’s BPL22 when Australia took on the challenge of a ROW team, the second game took place during the inaugural World Cup in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, with the ROW selected players facing Malaysia, while the third saw China take on a Rest of the World encounter prior to the first-ever World Bowls Series finals at cluBarham. 

This campaign, and accompanying high-profile showcase match idea, has been in careful development for some time and involves many moving parts across both the able-bodied and para-sport sectors, and engagement with various peak bodies such as International Olympic Committee, International Paralympic Committee and Brisbane 2032 Organising Committee. 

Importantly, the matches have spotlighted both able-bodied and para-athletes, helping to demonstrate the inclusive nature of our sport and its alignment with the Olympic and Paralympic movements. 

World Bowls CEO Neil Dalrymple said: “These matches are a great showcase of bowls and are always played in excellent spirit and emphasise the importance of why bowls is a global and inclusive sport that would be a great addition to the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic program in Brisbane in 2032.” 

GET INVOLVED IN THE CAMPAIGN 

As part of the campaign, bowlers, club members and supporters are invited to become Barrackers. 

Barrackers will champion Bowls for Brisbane 2032 by signing up and helping raise awareness, showing the world that the sport enjoys passionate grassroots support. To become a Barracker, see https://bowls.com.au/events-page/bowls-for-brisbane-2032/ 

Watch the match on the World Bowls YouTube channel.