World Championship

First held in Australia in 1966, the World Bowls Championships for men and women are held every 4 years. From 2008 the men's and women's events are held together. Qualifying national bowls organisations (usually countries) are represented by sides of 5 players, who play once as a single and a four, then again as a pair and a triple. Gold, silver, and bronze medals are awarded in each of the 4 disciplines, and there is also a trophy for the best overall 5-player side — the Leonard Trophy for men and the Taylor Trophy for women.

The next World Bowls Championships will be held in Adelaide, Australia from 24 November – 9 December 2012.Men's Titles
2012 World Championships

Year	Venue	Singles Champion	Fours Champions *
1966	Sydney, Australia	David Bryant (ENG)	Bill O'Neill, Gordon Jolly, Ron Buchan, Norm Lash (NZL)
1972	Worthing, England	Maldwyn Evans (WAL)	Peter Line, Ted Hayward, Cliff Stroud, Norman King (ENG)
1976	Johannesburg, South Africa	Doug Watson (RSA)	Kevin Campbell, Bill Moseley, Nando Gatti, Kelvin Lightfoot (RSA)
1980	Melbourne, Australia	David Bryant (ENG)	Omar Dallah, Eric Liddell, George Souza, Philip Chok (HKG)
1984	Aberdeen, Scotland	Peter Belliss (NZL)	Tony Allcock, John Bell, Julian Haines, George Turley (ENG)
1988	Auckland, New Zealand	David Bryant (ENG)	Jim Baker, Sammy Allen, John McCloughlin, Rodney McCutcheon (IRE)
1992	Worthing, England	Tony Allcock (ENG)	Angus Blair, Willie Wood, Alex Marshall, Graham Robertson (SCO)
1996	Adelaide, Australia	Tony Allcock (ENG)	John Bell, Andy Thomson, David Cutler, Brett Morley (ENG)
2000	Johannesburg, South Africa	Jeremy Henry (IRE)	William Thomas, Robert Weale, Stephen Rees, Mark Williams (WAL)
2004	Ayr, Scotland	Steve Glasson (AUS)	Jim Baker, Neil Booth, Noel Graham, Jonny Ross (IRE)
2008	Christchurch, New Zealand	Safuan Said (MAS)	Gary Lawson, Russell Meyer, Richard Girvan, Andrew Todd (NZL)

Year	Pairs Champions *	Triples Champions *	Leonard Trophy
1966	Geoff Kelly, Albert Palm (AUS)	John Dobbie, Athol Johnston, Don Collins (AUS)	Australia
1972	Eric Liddell, Saco Delgado (HKG)	Dick Folkins, Clive Forrester, Bill Miller (USA)	Scotland
1976	Bill Moseley, Doug Watson (RSA)	Kevin Campbell, Nando Gatti, Kelvin Lightfoot (RSA)	South Africa
1980	Peter Rheuben, Alf Sandercock (AUS)	David Bryant, Tony Allcock, Jimmy Hobday (ENG)	England
1984	Skip Arculli, George Adrain (USA)**	Jim Baker, Sammy Allen, Stan Espie (IRE)	Scotland
1988	Peter Belliss, Rowan Brassey (NZL)	Phil Skoglund, Morgan Moffat, Ian Dickison (NZL)	England
1992	Alex Marshall, Richard Corsie (SCO)	Cecil Bransky, Lawrence Mendelsohn, Leon Blum (ISR)	Scotland
1996	Sammy Allen, Jeremy Henry (IRE)	George Adrain, Willie Wood, Raymond Logan (SCO)	Scotland
2000	Alex Marshall, George Sneddon (SCO)	Peter Belliss, Rowan Brassey, Andrew Curtain (NZL)	Australia
2004	Ryan Bester, Keith Roney (CAN)	David Peacock, Willie Wood, Jim McIntyre (SCO)	Scotland
2008	Gary Lawson, Russell Meyer (NZL)	David Peacock, Willie Wood, Wayne Hogg (SCO)	New Zealand

* Team order is Skip to Lead

**  Jim Candelet (USA) was taken ill during the pool stages and had to withdraw from the championships. As the USA did not have an available substitute the organisers allowed  George Adrain (SCO), a reserve with the Scottish team, to take his place for the rest of the tourname

Women's Titles

Year	Venue	Singles Champion	Fours Champions *
1969	Sydney, Australia	Gladys Doyle (PNG)	May Gridlan, C Bidwell, Y Emanuel, S Sundelowitz (RSA)
1973	Wellington, New Zealand	Elsie Wilkie (NZL)	Cis Winstanley, Verna Devlin, Noeline Scott, Irene Foote (NZL)
1977	Worthing, England	Elsie Wilkie (NZL)	Merle Richardson, Lorna Lucas, Connie Hicks, Dot Jenkinson (AUS)
1981	Toronto, Canada	Norma Shaw (ENG)	Mavis Steele, Betty Stubbings, Gloria Thomas, Eileen Fletcher (ENG)**
1985	Melbourne, Australia	Merle Richardson (AUS)	Frances Whyte, Annette Evans, Elizabeth Christie, Sarah Gourlay (SCO)
1988	Auckland, New Zealand	Janet Ackland (WAL)	Dorothy Roche, Norma Wainwright, Marion Stevens, Greeta Fahey (AUS)
1992	Ayr, Scotland	Margaret Johnston (IRE)	Senga McCrone, Frances Whyte, Janet Maxwell, Joyce Lindores (SCO)
1996	Leamington Spa, England	Carmen Anderson (NFK)	Daphne Shaw, Margaret Sumner, Marilyn Peddell, Gordana Baric (AUS)
2000	Moama, Australia	Margaret Johnston (IRE)	Anne Lomas, Patsy Jorgensen, Jan Khan, Sharon Sims (NZL)
2004	Leamington Spa, England	Margaret Johnston (IRE)	Amy Monkhouse, Jean Baker, Ellen Falkner, Jayne Christie (ENG)
2008	Christchurch, New Zealand	Val Smith (NZL)	Karen Murphy, Claire Duke, Julie Keegan, Lynsey Armitage (AUS)

Year	Pairs Champions *	Triples Champions *	Taylor Trophy
1969	May Gridlan, E. McDonald (RSA)	C Bidwell, Y Emanuel, S Sundelowitz (RSA)	South Africa
1973	Dot Jenkinson, Lorna Lucas (AUS)	Cis Winstanley, Irene Foote, Noeline Scott (NZL)	New Zealand
1977	Helen Wong, Elvie Chok (HKG)	Enid Morgan, Margaret Pomeroy, Joan Osborne (WAL)	Australia
1981	Nan Allely, Eileen Bell (IRE)	Lena Sadick, Rae O'Donnell, Linda King (HKG)	England
1985	Merle Richardson, Fay Craig (AUS)	Mavis Meadowcroft, Norma Massey, Dorothy Roche (AUS)	Australia
1988	Margaret Johnston, Phillis Nolan (IRE)	Dorothy Roche, Marion Stevens, Greeta Fahey (AUS)	England
1992	Margaret Johnston, Phillis Nolan (IRE)	Frances Whyte, Janet Maxwell, Joyce Lindores (SCO)	Scotland
1996	Margaret Johnston, Phillis Nolan (IRE)	Hester Bekker, Barbara Redshaw, Jannie de Beer (RSA)	South Africa
2000	Joyce Lindores, Margaret Letham (SCO)	Anne Lomas, Sharon Sims, Patsy Jorgensen (NZL)	England
2004	Jo Edwards, Sharon Sims (NZL)	Loraine Victor, Jill Hackland, Trish Steyn (RSA)	England
2008	Jo Edwards, Val Smith (NZL)	Lorna Smith, Loraine Victor, Sylvia Burns (RSA)	Australia

* Team order is Skip to Lead.

**  Irene Molyneux (ENG) may have played as a replacement in the 1981 Fours final.

Summary

Country	Men	Women	Total
New Zealand	7	9	16
Australia	4	9	13
England	9	3	12
Ireland	5	7	12
Scotland	6	4	10
South Africa	4	6	10
Hong Kong China	2	2	4
Wales	2	2	4
United States	2	0	2
Canada	1	0	1
Israel	1	0	1
Malaysia	1	0	1
Norfolk Island	0	1	1
Papua New Guinea	0	1	1

World Champion of Champions Singles

• Contested annually between bowlers who have won their respective national singles title.
• The next competition will be held at Athena Beach Hotel, Cyprus in October 2012.

Year	Venue	Women	Men
2003	Moama, Australia	Liz James (SWZ)	Douw Calitz (NAM)
2004	Warilla, Australia	Margaret Johnston (IRE)	Ali Forsyth (NZL)
2005	Christchurch, New Zealand	Nor Iryani Azmi (MAS)	Mark Walton (ENG)
2006	Christchurch, New Zealand	Julie Saunders (ENG)	Darren Burnett (SCO)
2007	Warilla, Australia	Alison Merrien (GGY)	Tony Grantham (NZL)
2008	Aberdeen, Scotland	Kathy Pearce (WAL)	Leif Selby (AUS)
2009	Ayr, Scotland	Kelsey Cottrell (AUS)	Brett Wilkie (AUS)
2010	Norfolk Island	Jan Khan (NZL)	Aron Sherriff (AUS)
2011	Hong Kong, China	Jo Edwards (NZL)	Thomas Geechan (JER)

World Cup Singles

Contested annually between bowlers from national bowls organisations. The senior event is played indoors, while in recent years the junior event (for under–25 players) has been played outdoors.

Year	Venue	World Cup		World Junior Cup
		Women	Men	Women	Men
2005	Hong Kong	Grace Chu (HKG)	Mark Casey (AUS)	Lynsey Armitage (AUS)	Safuan Said (MAS)
2006	Warilla, Australia	Shirley Choy (CAN)	Neil Speirs (SCO)	Lynsey Armitage (AUS)	Wayne Hogg (SCO)
2007	Warilla, Australia	Judy Nardella (AUS)	Kelvin Kerkow (AUS)	Melanie Macaulay (AUS)	Barry Kane (NIR)
2008	Warilla, Australia	Alison Merrien (GGY)	Safuan Said (MAS)	Melanie Macaulay (AUS)	Aron Sherriff (AUS)
2009	Warilla, Australia	Jo Edwards (NZL)	Leif Selby (AUS)	Genevieve Baildon (NZL)	Craig England (SCO)
2010	Warilla, Australia	Jo Edwards (NZL)	Leif Selby (AUS)	Samantha Shannahan (AUS)	Andrew Kelly (NZL)
2011	Warilla, Australia	Jo Edwards (NZL)	James Talbot (IRE)	Clare McCaul (NZL)	Ben Twist (AUS)