World Bowls is an international sport federation of

Bowls Bowls, also known as lawn bowls or lawn bowling, is a sport in which the objective is to roll biased balls so that they stop close to a smaller ball called a "jack" or "kitty". It is played on a bowling green, which may be flat (for "flat-gre ...

. World Bowls is one of several bowls organisations that administer bowls around the world and is responsible for the sports premier event, the

World Bowls Championship The World Bowls Championship is the premier world bowls competition between national bowls organisations. The premier indoor event is the World Indoor Bowls Championships listed separately and is organised by the World Bowls Tour. World Outdoor ...

which historically was held every four years but from 2023 will take place every two years. The organisation was founded in 2001 in an attempt to unite some of the multiple bowls bodies running the sport. The founding was a merger of previous organisations; the World Bowls Board and the International Women's Bowling Board. In 2019, World Bowls came to an agreement with the

International Indoor Bowls Council International is an adjective (also used as a noun) meaning "between nations". International may also refer to: Music Albums * ''International'' (Kevin Michael album), 2011 * ''International'' (New Order album), 2002 * ''International'' (The T ...

(IIBC), formerly the WIBC. The agreement was to merge their two international indoor championships, the

World Cup Singles World Cup Singles The World Cup Singles was an event inaugurated in 2005 by the organisation known as World Bowls and was held until 2019. It was contested annually between bowlers from national bowls organisations. The competition was seen as the ...

and the

IIBC Championships ''This page is about the IIBC Championships. For the World Bowls Tour, see World Indoor Bowls Championships.'' The IIBC Championships are an annual indoor bowls world championship event for the under–25 age group, run by the governing body of ...

. The new event would be called the

World Bowls Indoor Championships The World Bowls Indoor Championships is bowls event inaugurated in 2019 by the organisations known as World Bowls and the International Indoor Bowls Council (IIBC). It is contested annually between bowlers from national bowls organisations. Th ...

. In 2021, Australian Darryl Clout was elected World Bowls President following the resignation of John Bell.

Events held by World Bowls

(outdoors), every two years *

World Singles Champion of Champions The World Singles Champion of Champions is an event inaugurated in 2003 that is contested annually between bowlers who have won their respective national singles title. The event was first held in 2003 at the Moama Bowling Club in Moama, Australia. ...

(outdoors), annually *

(indoors), annually

Rival organisations

* Professional Bowls Association (PBA), (world governing body for Professional bowls players) * World Bowls Tour (subsidiary of the PBA, tasked with promoting indoor events including the

World Indoor Bowls Championships The World Indoor Bowls Championship is an international bowls competition held annual at Potters holiday park in Hopton on Sea. The last week of the competition is televised live on BBC where the open singles and open pairs', women's singles a ...

) *

(IIBC), (formerly the WIBC and controlling body for the sport of Indoor Bowls worldwide)

World Bowls members

List as of April 2022: * Africa: # (Botswana BA) # (Kenya BA) # (Namibia BA) # ( Bowls South Africa) # (Zambia BA) # (Bowls Zimbabwe) * Asia: # (Brunei Darussalam LBA) # (Chinese Multi Bowls Association) # (Hong Kong LBA) # (Bowling Federation of India) # (Bowls Japan) # (Macao Lawn Bowls General Association) # (Malaysia LBF) # (Pakistan Lawn Bowls Federation) # (Philippine LBA) # (Bowls Singapore) # (Lawn Bowls Federation of Sri Lanka) # (Lawn Bowls Association of Thailand) * Oceania: # (

Bowls Australia Bowls Australia is the governing body for the sport of bowls in Australia. Bowls Australia is responsible for the leadership, development and management of lawn bowls in Australia. It is a not-for-profit organisation governed by a voluntary boar ...

) # (Bowls Cook Island) # (Bowls Fiji) # (Bowls New Zealand) # (Niue Lawn Bowls Association) # (Norfolk Island Bowling Club & Bowls Council) # (Bowls - PNG) # (Samoan Bowling Association) # (Tonga Lawn Bowls Federation) * Americas: # (Federacion Argentina De Bowls) # (Bowls Brazil) # (Bowls Canada Boulingrin) # Flag of the Falkland Islands

Falkland Islands (Falkland Islands L.B.A) # (Jamaica Lawn Bowling Association) # (Bowls USA) * Europe: # (Bowls Cyprus) # (Czech Bowls Association) # (

Bowls England Bowls England governs the game of flat green outdoor bowls for men and women in England. It was formed on 1 January 2008 following a merger of the English Bowling Association and the English Women's Bowling Association. The English Bowling Asso ...

) # (Federation Francaise de Lawn Bowls) # (German Bowls Federation) # (Bowls Guernsey Association) # (Bowls Hungary) # Four Provinces Flag

Ireland, combined (Irish BA) # (Bowls Isle of Man) # (Israel LBA) # (Bowls Jersey) # (Malta Lawn Bowls Federation) # (Nederlandse Bowls Bond) # (Bowls Portugal) # (Bowls Scotland) # (Lawn Bowls Spain) # (Swedish Bowls Federation) # (Swiss Bowls) # (Turkish Bocce, Bowls, Bowling and Darts Federation) # ( Welsh Bowling Association) *Former Members: # (Swaziland Bowling Association)

Regions

53 Countries in 5 Zones (Updated at 12 April 2022).

References

{{International Sports Federations Bowling organizations International sports organizations

Events held by World Bowls

Rival organisations

World Bowls members

Regions

See also

References