The New Zealand Blackjacks, with the Taylor Trophy as best overall women’s team, at the Bowls World Championships on the Gold Coast Photo: Julie Blake
The New Zealand women's bowls team capped off their campaign at the World Championships with the silverware to recognise them as the best in the world.
The Blackjacks picked up the prestigious Taylor Trophy, awarded to the best overall women's team.
New Zealand last won the trophy 50 years ago.
The Blackjacks women won three medals with Tayla Bruce winning a gold medal in the singles and joining Leeane Poulson and Val Smith with a silver in the Triples. Poulson and Smith added their second medal with a bronze in the Fours with Selina Goddard and Katelyn Inch.
Bruce said she was thrilled with the honour.
"That is a special award, especially given how hard we have worked as a group of five women. It is cool to be awarded something for our consistency, our perseverance and our form," she said.
Head coach, Mike Kernaghan was delighted with the women's performance.
"Given the number of great women players that we have had over those last 50 years, this is a very special effort from our women over the last couple of weeks, and to do so on Aussie soil, makes it even better."
The five women, who combined over the four disciplines, dropped only one section game. They lost the women's pairs quarterfinal but the other three all won medals.
Results - overall
Women:
Singles (Tayla Bruce) - Gold Medal.
Pairs (Katelyn Inch, Selina Goddard) - Quarterfinals
Triples (Val Smith, Bruce, Leeane Poulson) - Silver Medal
Fours (Inch, Smith, Goddard, Poulson) - Bronze Medal
Men:
Singles (Andrew Kelly) - Quarterfinals
Pairs (Kelly, Tony Grantham) - Quarterfinals
Triples (Sheldon Bagrie-Howley, Lance Pascoe, Chris Le Lievre) - Section Play
Fours (Bagrie-Howley, Pascoe, Le Lievre, Grantham) - Bronze medal
