Celebrating a former Australian representative on Australia Day
Ballarat bowler Ray Laycock represented Australia at the 1986 Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh This Australia Day, Bowls Australia would like to celebrate the wonderful achievements of Ray Laycock, a former Australian representative who was inducted as a Life Member of the Creswick Bowling Club in Victoria’s Ballarat in 1985.
Ray Laycock is the greatest achiever the Creswick Bowling Club has produced and after joining the club back in 1956, he went on to represent his club, region, state and country with distinction.
Ray has spent much of his career giving back to the sport in the capacity of Coaching, Selecting, as Club President and long standing Committee Member.
In celebration of a great career the Creswick Bowling Club have put together a comprehensive list of achievements of such a legend of our sport and indeed a proud Ballarat local.
Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh 1986:
Ray skipped Australia to ninth position, alongside Bryce Stewart, Michael Hill and Peter Sandelic; playing 12 matches against England, Scotland, Wales, New Zealand, Canada, Guernsey, Northern Ireland, Botswana, Hong Kong, Fiji, Jersey and Malawi.
National and State record:
Equal third Australian Pairs Championship, Melbourne 1988.
Royal Victorian Bowls Association (R.V.B.A.) record: Ray played for Victoria in 188 interstate representative games from 1969 -1987
He skipped for Victoria on 148 occasions.
In 1990 Ray won the Victorian Country Pairs and also the Victorian State Pairs Championships.
Ray has been a Victorian State Selector since 1994
Ray Coached the Victorian team since the year 2000
Ballarat record:
Ballarat Sportsman of the Year finalist – 1972, 1975, 1987.
Winner of Hollioke Medal in 1986
Champion of Champions – 1966/67
Pairs Champion – 1975/1976, 1977/1978 and 1989/1990
Singles Champion in 1985
Fours Champion in 1982 & 1996
Ray has represented BRBA in the Provincial Championships against the Bendigo, Geelong and Wimmera Bowls Associations every year since 1960.
Selector with the BRBA since 1969 and currently holds that position.
Represented the BRBA with the Group One Side in the Victorian Group Sides Championships, as a Skipper on 24 occasions since 1971.
Creswick Bowling Club:
Club Champion 9 times; 1966/67, 1975/76, 1980/81, 1983/84, 1984/85, 1987/88, 1988/89 and 1991/92.
Club President: 1967-1968
Committee Member every year since 1958.
Selector from 1960 -2002/2003
Coach since 1979.
In 1987-1988 the original grass green (now synthetic) was named “The Ray Laycock Green” in honour of Ray ‘s selection for the 1986 Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh.
Ray took over as the Green caretaker in 1987 and progressively assumed the role of Greenkeeper until 1996.
Other Achievements:
Creswick Sportsman of the Year -5 times; 1968,1971, 1975, 1979 & 1987.
HSV7 World of Sport: – Winner of “Drive to Jack” 3 times 1978, 1979 & 1981.
Represented Victoria at the Australian and New Zealand Railways Institute Lawn Bowls Championships in Brisbane 1966; Canberra 1968 and Hobart 1970.
Won the Pairs Championship in Brisbane in 1966.
Congratulations to Ray Laycock of the Creswick Bowling Club and Happy Australia Day to all.
