Grange lawn bowler Wayne Ruediger to play for Australia at Eight Nations in Scotland

GRANGE Bowling Club's world champion Wayne Ruediger hopes this month's trip to Glasgow will be the first of two in the next 12 months.

GRANGE Bowling Club's world champion Wayne Ruediger hopes this month's trip to Glasgow for the Eight Nations Invitational will be the first of two trips he makes to Scotland over the next 12 months.

Ruediger, of Andrews Farm, will represent Australia at the championships and hopes a good performance will book him a spot in the team for the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games.

"This tournament is a fair bit about the Commonwealth Games,'' Ruediger said of the Eight Nations.

"It's a bit of a dress rehearsal.

"It's about getting to know the environment and hopefully putting your best foot forward."

Ruediger, both a star ­bowler and the curator at Grange, leaves for Scotland next week.

He will represent Australia in a Test Match against Wales and New Zealand in Wales before heading to Glasgow, where eight of the world's best lawn bowling nations will gather.

The 37-year-old is yet to learn whether he will bowl in the pairs, triples or fours in Scotland, but says he is happy to play any role.

Ruediger burst on to the international scene last December when he bowled lead for the Jackeroos as they won gold in the World Championship fours.

He rates the performance as a career highlight but said he will take nothing for granted as he pushes for Commonwealth Games selection.

"There are a lot of good young bowlers in Australia waiting to take your spot, so you have to make sure you don't get ahead of yourself,'' he said.

Ruediger won a spot on the Eight Nations tour after excelling in the trials in ­Melbourne in June.