New National Championship Model Coming for Canadian Bowls in 2024

Ottawa, ON

After completing an extensive review of past data, stakeholder input, and other bowls nations national championship models, Bowls Canada Boulingrin (BCB) is excited to announce a new structure for Canadian Championships starting in 2024.

With the existing model of 7 championships spread out across Canada becoming too expensive for individuals, Provincial Associations, and BCB alike, substantial change was necessary in order to ensure a national competition could exist moving forward. To still allow for Canadians to compete on a national stage in multiple disciplines, the new model brings all events together to one location.

Starting in 2024, the new championship model will consist of eight teams: each Provincial Association will be allotted one team, with New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island sending a combined team (Team Maritime).  

Teams will consist of a “5-a-side” concept of five men and five women, as well as one male and one female youth participant, and bowlers with physical and visual impairments that align with the B1-B8 classifications.

The five men / five women will compete in singles/fours and pairs/triples, while the youth participants will compete in an Under 21 event, and the bowlers with physical and visual impairments will compete in a Para-Championship. The youth age category moves to a U21 event with a minimum eligible age of 14 years. The Para championships will require a unique approach, as the number of bowlers with physical or visual impairments is still being determined across the country.

A possible schedule for the event, with either a 4-green complex or two 2-green facilities co-hosting, would look like this:

 

NOTE: If 4 greens are not available, a 2-green facility can host this event with the Para and Youth event occurring either before or after the other disciplines, resulting in a 10-day event.

The formats for these events will also be changing, as games will now consist of 2 sets of 5 ends for team events, and 2 sets of 7 ends for singles, with a one-end tiebreaker (if necessary) for both. All games will have a 1.25-hour time limit (except for Para events), which will create a much more exciting, action-packed event for spectators and participants alike. A full round robin can still exist with participants getting 7 games per discipline, and spectators getting plenty of exciting action in this new fast-paced format.

With Day 5 and Day 6 scheduled to be a Finals Bonanza, there will be plenty of medals to award, games to be streamed, and trophies to be lifted. The traditional Cy English (top men’s team) and Lady Alexander (top women’s team) trophies will still be highly coveted, as the awards will take into consideration multiple disciplines from this Event.

While this new model is a drastic change from previous championship models, the change was necessary as the previous model was financially unsustainable beyond another three years. By bringing all events to a single location, resources can be pooled to invest in facilities which will result in a greater experience for all who attend. Not only will this format be fun to play, it will also offer an exciting platform for the sport that can be easily streamed and promoted.

Said Kathryn MacGregor, BCB Chair “this is an exciting time for the future of our sport in Canada! The new 2024 National Championship format supports a rational competition system that is financially and organizationally sustainable for Bowls Canada Boulingrin members and individual bowlers.”

“The new format is definitely a big change for lawn bowls in Canada,” said Bowls Canada CEO Anna Mees. “This is the future direction of the sport at all levels and it is exciting to see Canada taking such a bold innovative approach.  These changes address so many of the issues that bowlers and members have shared with us over the years. There were difficult decisions to be made and I commend the working group members as well as the Board of Directors for their dedication and foresight to the future of the game.”   

Working group members included:

  • David Anderson   
  • Anna Mees
  • Don Caswell
  • Ernie Meid
  • Derek Dillon
  • Anne Morissette
  • Darryl Fitzgerald
  • Jake Schuknecht
  • Jordan Kos
  • Ryan Stadnyk
  • Rob Law
  • Pat Vos
  • Cam Lefresne
  • Nick Watkins
  • Kathryn MacGregor
  • Mary Wright
  • Anne Mathewson
  • Wayne Wright

Bidding specifications for this new event will be available by late May 2023 with Conditions of Play to follow shortly thereafter.

For more information, please contact Jake Schuknecht at jschuknecht@bowlscanada.com

About Bowls Canada Boulingrin
Bowls Canada Boulingrin (BCB) is the governing body responsible for lawn bowls in Canada.  The BCB mission is to advance the sport of bowls in Canada.  For more details on Bowls Canada Boulingrin and the sport of lawn bowls, visit www.bowlscanada.com.