Bowls Australia statement on announcements on a Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games
Bowls Australia (BA) welcomes the news that the Commonwealth Games is set to be able to be staged in Glasgow in 2026 and congratulates all parties involved in making this happen.
As a non-Olympic/Paralympic sport, the Commonwealth Games is Bowls’ pinnacle and only multi-sport competition.
All of the sport’s stakeholders in this country, particularly the Right at Home Australian Jackaroos and Bowls Australia’s High Performance team, eagerly await further announcements on which sports will be included in the 2026 program.
BA’s primary considerations at this time are for the sport’s elite athletes who, on the back of some amazing results at last year’s World Bowls Championships, have prepared tirelessly for the next Commonwealth Games without any certainty around its location or timing.
In addition to this deep concern for, and support to, the Right at Home Jackaroos, BA is also acutely conscious of the importance of Bowls being on the Commonwealth Games stage to the nearly 1,800 local clubs, and their over 470,000 individual members and millions of annual visitors, around the nation.
As one of its member nations, Bowls Australia has long been in close and regular liaison with World Bowls in regard to its discussions with the Commonwealth Games Federation for 2026, and in championing all of the following:
- Bowls, as one of just six founding member sports of the Commonwealth Games, has played a pivotal role in shaping and showcasing the Commonwealth Games movement over the last 94 years.
- Bowls epitomises inclusivity and equality in sport, leading the way with combined open and para competitions, with gender equity, and Commonwealth Games medalists across a wide spectrum of ages.
- Bowls being a Commonwealth Games only sport with new, exciting format and delivery options, including outdoors or indoors and on temporary surfaces if required.
- Bowls being heavily participated in by bigger and smaller Commonwealth nations alike.
- Bowls being a storied part of Australia’s, and Scotland’s, rich Commonwealth Games histories.
As one of its member sports, BA has also made due representation to Commonwealth Games Australia in these respects.
For these reasons, BA is hopeful of a justified inclusion of Bowls in the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games and will continue to do whatever possible and necessary behind the scenes, in support to World Bowls, to see that become a reality.
Statement issued by Matt Burgess, BA President and Matthew Kennedy, BA CEO
