Jackaroo helping to inspire next generation of bowlers

Champion lawn bowler shares her thoughts during City Bowls Club visit.

Commonwealth Games gold medallist bowler Karen Murphy in Toowoomba last weekend with City Bowls Club chairman Jim Cosgrove.

ENCOURAGING the new wave of social and barefoot players to aim for the next level of lawn bowls is the key to the sport’s continuing growth in Australia.

Those are the thoughts shared by former world champion and Commonwealth gold medallist Karen Murphy during her latest Toowoomba visit.

New South Wales-based Murphy was a guest of Toowoomba City Bowls Club on the eve of its successful Open Fours Carnival last weekend.

The BCiB Australian Jackaroo squad member is devoted to bowls as a competitor, coach, mentor with her decorated international career adding to her role as a lawn bowls’ ambassador.

“I’m up here on behalf of BCIB doing some coaching with the members,” Murphy said.

“It’s not uncommon to do something like this for BCIB in conjunction with my full-time bowls’ schedule and training and still playing in the Australian squad, the state team and things like that.

“It’s busy, busy. I’m also on the Commonwealth Games athlete advisory group.

“Being a Jackaroo in the Australian squad, training is a big commitment and the camps.

“We’ve got multi nations coming up at Broadbeach against seven other nations in November.

“Australia is playing the rest of the world and we’re all geared up for a practise prior to that.

“I’m not a professional as such, more full-time I suppose you would call it.

“Years ago it wasn’t quite as busy.

“A lot of the Australian players are contracted to clubs now.

“They’ve got commitments within their own club to play for the district and then go onto state.

“We’ve got our Australian team commitments and things like that.

“You’ve got to be quite organised and manage it well.

“The Australian under 18 championships are on at the moment down in Victoria.

“We’ve got some great young kids coming through.”

Murphy said the changing image of bowls is having a positive influence on participation numbers but there is room for further improvement.

“Bowls is a lot cooler than it used to be. It’s not as stereotyped now, which is good,” Murphy said.

“It’s a game for all of us.

“Barefoot has been a great innovation in our sport off the back of Crackerjack (movie), buck’s parties and the like.

“Statistics show that club membership is increasing through social bowls and barefoot.

“But the membership is decreasing so we probably need to turn those barefoot bowlers into members.

“It’s certainly helped the clubs and helped change the stereotypes. It’s much better than it was.

“I hope I’ve helped change and have been a bit of a trailblazer for young girls.

“I hope I’ve helped in some small way pave the way to show it is a great sport you can make a career out of and go on to world championships and Commonwealth Games.”