The 14th edition of the World Bowls Championships will be held on the Gold Coast in Queensland from the 29th August to 10th September 2023.

In the run up to the event, we take a look back at the 2016 champions and look ahead to those players competing in 2023.

The 2016 World Bowls Championships were held at Christchurch, New Zealand.

The trio of Walker, Knapper and Paxton took the Triples Gold medal in 2016, the first time England had won this discipline since 1980 by David Bryant, Tony Allcock and Jimmy Hobday. The English 2016 win stopped a Scottish run of Men’s Triples Gold medals, with Scotland winning the event in 2004, 2008 and 2012 David Peacock being in all three of those winning triples.

Men’s Triples Gold Medal 2016: Jamie Walker, Andy Knapper & Robert Paxton (England)

Men’s Triples Silver Medal 2016: Barrie Lester, Mark Casey & Aron Sherriff (Australia)

Men’s Triples Bronze Medals 2016: Hank Sato, Ken Emura, Kenta Hasebe (Japan) & Mike Nagy, Blake Signal, Ali Forsyth (New Zealand)

Watch the Men’s Triples Final 2016 here

England’s Jamie Walker will return to the Southern Hemisphere to try and retain his Gold medal triples win while Australia’s Aron Sherriff will look to go one further than his 2016 silver medal along with Corey Wedlock and Carl Heaney. Birmingham 2022 Bronze medalists in the triples Owain Dando and Ross Owen look to win their first World Bowls medal. Israel’s Tzvika Hadar, Selwyn Hare & Allan Saitowitz recently took Bronze at the European Championships 2022 and will be ones to watch.

Men’s Triples Competitors 2023:

Australia: Corey Wedlock, Aron Sherriff & Carl Healey.

Argentina: Daniel Saint Genez, Javier Llauro & Jorge Barreto.

Botswana: Diane Nixon Senna, Andre Van De Walt & Binesh Desai.

Canada: Owen Kirby, Rob Law & Cameron Lefresne.

Cook Islands: Royden Aperau, Adoni Wichman Rairoa & Teora Turua.

England: Louis Ridout, Nick Brett & Jamie Walker.

Fiji: Kushal Pillay, Semesa Naiseruvati & Rajnesh Prasad.

France: Maxime Faure, Amaury Dumont & Thomas Royet.

Hong Kong China: Imen Tang, Stephen Sy & James Po.

Ireland: Stuart Bennett, Ian McClure & Martin McHugh.

Israel: Tzvika Hadar, Selwyn Hare & Allan Saitowitz.

Japan: Hisaharu Sato, Kenichi Emura & Kenta Hasebe Treacher.

Jersey: Taylor Greechan, Kevin Le Long & Greg Davis.

Kenya: Kjellan Awour, Anwar Mbarak Hamanda & Joseph Kitosi Muta.

Macao China: Chan Kim Meng, Lam Su Hong & Leong Sio Kei.

Malaysia: Haiqal Azami, Hizlee Abdul Rais & Soufi Rousli.

Malta: Peter Ellul, Jason Borg & Troy Lorimer.

Namibia: Andre Campbell, Colin Peake & Johan Jacobs.

New Zealand: Chris Le Lievre, Lance Pascoe & Sheldon Bagrie-Howley.

Niue: Tifaga Tuipuiliu Lologa, Tukala Tagelagi & Stanley Frederick Tafatu.

Norfolk Island: Tony Scicluna, Teddy Evans & Ryan Dixon.

Papua New Guinea: Kenneth Ikirima, Peter Juni & Fred Koisen.

Philippines: Hommer Mercado, Leoncio Carreon Jr & Ronald Lising.

Samoa: Edward Pio Bell, Lafaele Lotomau & Asuao Manu Faauma.

Scotland: Paul Foster MBE, Derek Oliver & Alex Marshall MBE.

Singapore: Harriman Yuen, Thomas Leong Khim Hoong & Matthew Ngui Ming Fook.

South Africa: Bradley Robinson, Victor Siphali & Jason Evans.

Switzerland: Christian Haldimann, Thomas Schneiter & Thomas Walti.

Thailand: Patawee Montien, Naret Aiangetuen & Thanakrit Thammasarn.

Türkiye: Serkan Akar, Vuslat Arac & Ozkan Akar.

United States of America: Bill Brault, Aaron Zangl & Loren Dion.

Wales: Owain Dando, Chris Klefenz & Ross Owen.

Zimbabwe: Grant Clift, Bryan Ray & Lionel Coventry.

Natasha Scott (Van Eldik) became back-to-back Women’s World Triples Champion in 2016 following her first Gold win in the triples in 2012 alongside Karen Murphy and Lynsey Clarke. Welsh skip Anwen Butten picked up her 5th World Bowls Medal in 2016.

Women’s Triples Gold Medal 2016: Carla Krizanic, Natasha Scott & Rebecca Van Asch (Australia)

Women’s Triples Silver Medal 2016: Emma Woodcock, Kathy Pearce & Anwen Butten (Wales)

Women’s Triples Bronze Medals 2016: Nor Hashimah Ismail, Nur Fidrah Noh & Azlina Arshad (Malaysia), Sylvia Burns, Susan Nel & Elma Davis (South Africa)

Fiji’s skip Litia Tikoisuva is a five time Asia Pacific medalist and won a bronze medal in the pairs at the 1996 World Bowls Championships held at Leamington Spa. Israel’s skip Ruti Gilor is a four time Atlantic Championships medalist, her most recent medal being the Gold in the Singles at Cardiff 2019. Both skips are ones to look out for in the triples. One of the most notable skips amongst the list is Val Smith (New Zealand), who is a five time World Bowls medalist and recently picked up Bronze in the women’s fours and triples at Birmingham 2022.

Women’s Triples Competitors 2023:

Australia: Dawn Hayman, Lynsey Clarke & Kelsey Cottrell.

Argentina: Virginia Bianco, Anabel Didlaukis & Gabriela Villamarin.

Botswana: Molatedi Douma, Gasegarona Pabalelo & Gaoromelwe Mpopi Pelemo.

Canada: Joanna Cooper, Baylee van Steijn & Emma Boyd.

Cook Islands: Philomina Akaruru, Rima Strickland & Teokorai Jim.

England: Jamie-Lea Marshall, Lorraine Kuhler & Katherine Rednall.

Fiji: Radhika Prasad, Sheryl Edward & Litia Tikoisuva.

Hong Kong China: Cheryl Chan, Phyllis Wong & Gloria Ha

Ireland: Sophie McIntyre, Shauna O'Neill & Chloe Wilson.

Israel: Karni Amit, Amaliya Levy & Ruti Gilor.

Japan: Masako Sato, Midori Matsuoka & Hiroko Emura.

Jersey: Sara Douglas, Megan Kivlin & Fiona Archibald.

Kenya: Crestine Mwikali Masila, Fridah Wangari Mwangi & Esther Wanjiru Ndungu.

Malaysia: Ain Nabilah Tarmizi, Syafiqa Haidar Rahman & Azlina Arshad.

Malta: Rita Hedges, Irene Attard & Rose Rixon.

New Zealand: Leeane Poulson, Tayla Bruce & Val Smith.

Niue: Lynsey Talagi, Christine Hipa & Joy Peyroux.

Norfolk Island: Ellie Dixon, Carla Miles & Petal Jones.

Papua New Guinea: Diane Siminali, Olive Roika & Espina Mc'Nai.

Philippines: Asuncion Bruce, Hazel Jagonoy & Vilma Greenlees.

Scotland: Carla Banks, Stacey McDougall & Caroline Brown.

Singapore: Leng Li Li, Cheo Ai Lin & May Lee Beng Hua.

South Africa: Thabelo Muvhango, Esme Kruger & Anneke Snyman.

Switzerland: Andrea Locher, Caroline Lehmann & Simone Kunz.

Thailand: Chamaipron Kotchawong, Tanida Kachanthornpak & Nannapat Tomak.

Türkiye: Sebiha Usta, Serap Usta & Bahar Cil.

United States of America: Mary Spease, Joan Robbins & Mary Ann Beath.

Wales: Melanie Thomas, Bethan Russ & Laura Daniels.

Zimbabwe: Caroline McDonnell, Melanie James & Heather Singleton.

Watch the Women’s Triples Final 2016 here

All photographs property of Sporting Highlights / Alis Butten