Bowls: Senior and Junior teams named for World Cup

Bowls New Zealand has today announced their senior and junior players to compete at their respective World Cup events in Australia during March next year.

Representing the Blackjacks at Warilla for the senior World Cup will be Jo Edwards and Ali Forsyth.

Edwards has previously won this indoor event a record 4 times. The last time being in 2013. A finalist here again last year she will be looking to improve on her bronze medal in the singles at the recent World Championships held in Christchurch. A win at this
annual New South Wales event would again see her challenging Australia's Karen Murphy for the title of the "world's best female player." A challenge that continues to bring the best out of Edwards.

After being the skip of the World Champion Fours Ali Forsyth will relish the chance to show his skills at the singles game. His form in Christchurch at the World
Championships, especially in post section knock out play, was one of the most significant factors behind the team's success. A performance that selector and past World Champion Peter Belliss described as being one of the most complete and dominant displays he had ever seen.

In the Junior (under 25) World Cup to be held at Queensland's Broadbeach Club New Zealand will be represented by Canterbury's Tayla Bruce and Southland's Sheldon Bagrie- Howley. They will then partner each other to play in the mixed pairs.

Bruce, considered by many unlucky not to make the World Championships team, will be endeavouring to prove her worth and push for full Blackjack selection come the mid-year internationals.

Bagrie- Howley played this event in 2016 but failed to make it to post section play. The experience has certainly served him well and he will now be totally aware of the level of play required to be a threat at the business end of the tournament.

Kerry Clark CEO of Bowls New Zealand in releasing the teams stated "that with the World Championships over and a new coach in Sharon Sims in place, the work towards the 2018 Commonwealth Games now begins. Jo and Ali are at the top of their games and they, and us, expect them to do very well. Tayla and Sheldon both have a great chance to now push for higher honours and places in the team working towards 2018 and beyond. The sport is ending 2016 on a real high, it's now up to the players selected to keep the momentum going. We are confident they can".