MULTI-NATIONS SELECTIONS CONFIRMED

March 25-31, Gold Coast

By Aidan Davis

The sport’s national selection panel have edged a step closer to determining the Right at Home Australian Jackaroos and Para Jackaroos players to contest this year’s World Bowls Championships, with the naming of selections for next month’s Multi-Nations event.

The lead-in international competition, set to be staged on the Gold Coast from March 25-31, will feature seven nations in attendance, including New Zealand, Malaysia, South Africa, Ireland, Hong Kong China and Norfolk Island, with Australia fielding two teams – Australian Jackaroos Green and Australian Jackaroos Yellow.

The Multi-Nations will be the last international event featuring a full team contingent on Australian soil ahead of the sport’s marquee event, the World Bowls Championships. This event is contested across five Gold Coast clubs from August 29-September 10, with selectors using the occasion to cast an eye over a field featuring four vision-impaired, four para men, four para women, 10 open men and 10 open women players. Last year’s Commonwealth Games para men’s and women’s silver medallists are among those set to compete, with Queenslanders Cheryl Lindfield and Serena Bonnell lining up alongside each other once again, while Damien Delgado (Queensland) and Chris Flavel will be united with new teammates on this occasion, with Delgado teaming up with Manchester 2002 Commonwealth Games bronze medallist and newly appointed NSW/ACT Pathways Coach James Reynolds, while Flavel will be joined by 2018 Commonwealth Games gold medallist Queenslander Tony Bonnell, and rounding out the eight selected para players is Louise Hoskins (Queensland) and Jo Hunter.

In the vision-impaired discipline, last year’s pairing of Helen Boardman and Jake Fehlberg will be acquainted with new partners, with Boardman (Queensland) leading for Fred McConnell, while 2018 Commonwealth Games gold medallist Fehlberg (Queensland) will skip for Jaqueline Hudson.

In the open ranks, all three 2022 Commonwealth Games gold medal winning players have retained their positions but are spread across the two teams.

Back-to-back Commonwealth Games singles winner Aaron Wilson headlines the Australian Jackaroos Green Team, in the blue-ribbon men’s singles and skip of the pairs, while Corey Wedlock and Ben Twist each have an opportunity to make a mark on the event as skip of the triples and fours respectively.

Australia’s most capped competitor, Queensland’s golden girl Kelsey Cottrell, returns to the fold after being unavailable for the Commonwealth Games campaign, slotting in the Green Team’s prime women’s singles position and will also skip the triples with teammates Bolivia Millerick and Chloe Stewart, while Dawn Hayman will take the reins of pairs and fours.

Dual 2022 Commonwealth Games gold medallist Ellen Ryan unsurprisingly slots straight back into the coveted women’s singles position of the Australian Jackaroos Yellow Team and will reunite with fellow gold medallist Kristina Krstic in the pairs, while Natasha Van Eldik has now been afforded the opportunity to guide both the triples and fours disciplines as skip.

Aaron Teys has been tapped to return to the men’s singles role of the Yellow Team, and will lead for Cody Packer in the pairs, while 2022 Commonwealth Games silver medallist Carl Healey has been afforded the chance to skip his own teams in both the triples and fours.

Competition will be spread across the five host clubs set to stage the World Bowls Championships in August/September, including Broadbeach, Mudgeeraba, Paradise Point, Club Helensvale and Club Musgrave.

Australian Para Jackaroos:

Vision-impaired pairs

• Helen Boardman & Fred McConnell

• Jaqueline Hudson & Jake Fehlberg

Women’s para pairs

• Cheryl Lindfield & Serena Bonnell

• Louise Hoskins & Jo Hunter

Men’s para pairs

• Tony Bonnell & Chris Flavel

• Damien Delgado & James Reynolds

Australian Jackaroos – Green Team:

• Singles: Kelsey Cottrell

• Pairs: Jamie Lee Worsnop & Dawn Hayman

• Triples: Bolivia Millerick, Chloe Stewart & Kelsey Cottrell

• Fours: Jamie Lee Worsnop, Bolivia Millerick, Chloe Stewart & Dawn Hayman

• Singles: Aaron Wilson

• Pairs: Ben Twist & Aaron Wilson

• Triples: Barrie Lester, Matthew Lucas & Corey Wedlock

• Fours: Barrie Lester, Matthew Lucas, Corey Wedlock & Ben Twist

Australian Jackaroos – Yellow Team:

• Singles: Ellen Ryan

• Pairs: Kristina Krstic & Ellen Ryan

• Triples: Kylie Whitehead, Lynsey Clarke & Natasha Van Eldik

• Fours: Kristina Krstic, Kylie Whitehead, Lynsey Clarke & Natasha Van Eldik

• Singles: Aaron Teys

• Pairs: Aaron Teys & Cody Packer

• Triples: Jesse Noronha, Aron Sherriff & Carl Healey

• Fours: Jesse Noronha, Cody Packer, Aron Sherriff & Carl Healey