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2025-26 ANNUAL REPORT

CONTENTS PRESIDENT’S & CEO’S REPORT

AUSTRALIAN SPORTS COMMISSION

COMMONWEALTH GAMES AUSTRALIA

OUR GOVERNANCE Board Listing Committee Listings Staff Listing

10 10 10 11

FINANCE REPORT & AUDITED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

PLAY WELL People, Culture & Capability Coaching Officiating Integrity

36 43 44 45 46

WIN WELL Para High Performance

48 50

TELL OUR STORY Establishing A National Brand & Perception Baseline Bowls For Brisbane 2032 Promoting The Australian Jackaroos Communications, Content & Digital Media & Public Profile Broadcast & Streaming One National Story, Many Local Stories A Foundation For Measurable Change Grow Financially

54 56 57 58 58 59 59 60 60 61

AMPLIFYING EVENTS Australian Open Nationals Australian Indoor Championships Bowls Premier Leagues

62 63 67 72 74

RECOGNITION Hall Of Fame Awards Night Honour Roll

78 78 80 81

BOWLS AUSTRALIA

TABLE TENNIS PRESIDENT & CEO AUSTRALIA REPORT

PRESIDENT & CEO REPORT

On behalf of Bowls Australia’s (BA) Board of Directors and staff, we are pleased to present this joint report on the organisation’s activities, milestones, and achievements over the 2025-26 financial year.

2025-26 ANNUAL REPORT

PRESIDENT & CEO REPORT

This period marks the first full year of implementation of our new national Strategic Plan, and a year in which the sport took real, tangible steps towards an ambitious agenda under four key pillars of Play Well, Win Well, Tell Our Story, and Grow Financially, all supported by Amplifying Events, and the detailed information and reporting of this Annual Report, for the 1 July 2025 – 30 June 2026 period concerned, is sectioned into those five headings. LAUNCHING A BOLD NEW DIRECTION The year began in earnest on 28 July 2025 with the official launch of the Bold Bowls | Fun Bowls Action Agenda 2025-2028, BA’s new national Strategic Plan developed collaboratively with the Boards and senior management of all eight State and Territory Associations. The launch coincided with celebrations at Sandy Bay Bowls Club and Government House in Tasmania marking 180 years of bowls in Australia, a milestone that saw the bowls community gather to reflect on the sport’s history while looking firmly toward its future.

Featuring appearances from Australian Jackaroos and thousands of community participants, The Long Roll captured the imagination of the bowls community and generated significant coverage of the campaign’s Olympic and Paralympic ambitions. Pleasingly, after a formal proactive application process, Bowls Australia was approved and welcomed as a non-program sport Recognised Organisation member of the Australian Olympic Committee at its Annual General Meeting in May 2026.

COMMONWEALTH GAMES AND HIGH PERFORMANCE

This Plan now underpins every facet of BA’s operations and will be the benchmark against which future Annual Reports measure our progress as a modern, ambitious National Sporting Organisation.

With the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games on the immediate horizon in July/August 2026, this was a year of intense preparation and outstanding results for our highperformance program.

Alongside the Action Agenda, the BA Board continued its extensive consultation with State and Territory Association leaders on seeking to modernise the BA Constitution, ensuring the organisation remains fit for purpose and compliant with Australian Sports Commission governance requirements for National Sporting Organisation recognition and funding.

The Australian Jackaroos’ Glasgow 2026 team was announced in May 2026, following a Scottish Four-Nations Test series and a hard-fought tour of Scotland in which the Right at Home Jackaroos secured a dominant series victory.

The Board welcomed three new Directors during the year – Rosie King OAM, Dhivya Mani and Andrew Brown - all with high-quality, diverse skills and backgrounds reflecting BA’s ongoing commitment to strong governance.

BOWLS FOR BRISBANE 2032 No initiative better captures BA’s high ambitions than this year’s public launch, also on 28 July 2025, of Bowls for Brisbane 2032 - a joint campaign with World Bowls to pitch for the sport’s inclusion in the Brisbane Olympic and/or Paralympic Games. The campaign was brought to life at Club Pine Rivers with a special broadcast showcase match between the Australian Jackaroos and a Rest of the World team, during the staging of the Bowls Premier League #22, which Australia prevailed in, in front of a strong crowd and media interest. Concurrent to WB and BA meetings with and submissions and presentations to relevant national and international bodies, momentum built through the year with The Long Roll, a 1,000-kilometre relay of bowls played from Sydney to Brisbane across 32 host clubs between late April and mid-May 2026.

Australian athletes also excelled across a crowded international calendar: an inaugural World Cup campaign in Malaysia in November 2025 yielding two gold medals - James Reynolds in the para men’s singles, and Reynolds and Serena Bonnell in the para mixed pairs, alongside Reynolds as the tournament’s MVP strong showings at the World Bowls Indoor Championships - with Kelsey Cottrell and Corey Wedlock combining for the mixed pairs gold - the World Champion of Champions, and the World Bowls Junior Indoor Championships; and tours of Malaysia, Singapore and Scotland that produced medals and valuable experience ahead of Glasgow. Jack McShane’s rise continued to be a highlight of the year, claiming further honours including a Tier 2 Sport Australia Hall of Fame Scholarship and recognition as a Commonwealth Games Australia Emerging Athlete of the Year - underlining the strength of the pathway BA is building for the next generation of Jackaroos. Nine Australian International Technical Officials were also selected for Glasgow 2026, a reminder that our sport’s success on the world stage depends as much on our outstanding volunteer officials as it does on our players.

BOWLS AUSTRALIA

PRESIDENT & CEO REPORT

2025 NATIONALS AND 2026 AUSTRALIAN OPEN The 2025 Nationals were staged for the first time on Tasmania’s North West Coast, based at Devonport Country Club, marking the largest bowls gathering ever held in the state. Across eighteen days of competition, the event delivered outstanding champions across the Australian Senior Sides, Para Nationals, Champion of Champions, and Australian Championships, and showcased the strength of community support secured through Events Tasmania and Devonport Country Club. The 2026 Australian Open once again confirmed its status as the jewel in Australia’s bowls calendar, delivering record entries across open, para, junior and senior disciplines on the Gold Coast, alongside a series of format changes, including the addition of three new disciplines, designed to strengthen the tournament’s long-term future. Total entries reached 4,605, across 3,745 individual participants, an increase of 55% from just four years ago. During the AO 2026, the BA Hall of Fame and Awards Night returned to an in-person event, welcoming new inductees and honouring the best of Australian bowls in front of a full house at The Star Casino Gold Coast. Lynsey Clarke and Mark Casey OAM were elevated to Legend status in recognition of decorated international playing careers featuring Commonwealth Games gold medals and multiple World Championship titles, while Betty Collins OAM was honoured for a lifetime of contribution to bowls administration and governance, capped by her tenure as President of World Bowls. BA Hall of Fame recognition was deservedly afforded to Lorna Lucas, Rebecca Van Asch, Carla Krizanic, Nathan Rice, and Sandy Wallace.

BOWLS PREMIER LEAGUE AND COMMERCIAL GROWTH The Bowls Premier League continued to grow in scale and reach across BPL22 and BPL23, complemented by an expanding BPL Cup - the world’s biggest club-based bowls competition - which for the first time in 2026 is piloting Women’s-only rounds. Under its current commercial assets assignment arrangement with Sports and Entertainment Network until October 2026, Bowls Australia continued to strengthen its commercial foundations throughout the year, welcoming Hostplus as a new national partner and Jodi Lee Bowel Cancer Foundation back as an Official Partner, while maintaining important relationships across tourism, travel and existing national partnerships.

developing a new commercial model designed to better harness the size, reach and passion of the Australian bowls community, alongside continued growth in the National Merchandise Program. These initiatives have positioned BA to pursue stronger and more diversified revenue opportunities, supporting the Grow Financially pillar of the Bold Bowls | Fun Bowls Action Agenda for increasing the organisation’s capacity to reinvest in the sport. The rollout of the newly improved BowlsLink app marked a significant step forward in BA’s digital strategy, modernising the way clubs, players and volunteers engage with the sport nationally.

CLUB SUPPORT, DIVERSITY, INCLUSION AND COMMUNITY 80% of all community clubs across the nation were meaningfully engaged and supported within the BA Club Support Program and its offerings and opportunities, alongside digital enhancements to our BowlsLink platform. And following and extensive national programs and formats review research project, the like and size of which the sport has never before undertaken, an further strategic work with Gemba together with the State/Territory Associations, we now have the final Research Report, a new Participation Action Plan, and an accompanying Play Bowls Community Guide for Bowls Clubs - focused on increasing participation and engagement of all kinds and not just formal competition. This year saw continued investment in making bowls a genuinely inclusive sport. The inaugural Women in Bowls Leadership Program selected 12 participants for its first cohort, while the new AIS Para Athlete Barrier Fund provided funding support to thirteen para bowlers. BA established its Reconciliation Action Plan Working Group during the year, while clubs across the country continued to demonstrate the depth and breadth of community bowls - from Queensland’s Deaf Bowls community to 57 NSW clubs sharing in $1.6 million through the NSW Government’s Community Building Partnership Grant, funding facility upgrades, new equipment and accessibility improvements. Community programs including Rookie Rollers and Rookie Rollers All Abilities, and the High Performance pathway event, the National Development Series, continued to thrive, connecting the next generation of players and volunteers to the sport, while our network of Club Support Managers and service relationships with CLUBMAP and Kinetica – under the national Club Support Program and hand-in-hand with States and Territories – continued to enhance and strengthen service delivery to ~1,750 clubs nationwide.

Upon a long-considered Board decision in June 2025, and following a thorough expert analyses of and recommendations for Bowls’ national past, current and future sponsorship landscape by Alacria Global, significant work was also undertaken to prepare for BA’s transition to direct management of all of its commercial partnership rights from November 2026.

It is with sadness that we record the passing of several significant figures in Australian bowls during the year, including Barry Ashby, Chris Young, and Rob Parrella OAM.

All seeking for Bowls to take its rightful place in this respect within the Australian sports industry. This has included

Rob Parrella OAM, Australia’s first Commonwealth Games men’s singles gold medallist and a BA Hall of Fame Legend,

2025-26 ANNUAL REPORT

HONOURING OUR COMMUNITY

PRESIDENT & CEO REPORT

was farewelled by a sport he transformed across 127 international appearances and three Commonwealth Games. Their contributions to the sport, and to their communities, will not be forgotten. We were so proud to see ten Australians recognised among the inaugural World Bowls Hall of Fame inductees - Mark Casey OAM, Lynsey Clarke, Kelsy Cottrell, Rex Johnston OAM, Karen Murphy AM, Aron Sherrif, Dorothy Roch OAM, Rebecca Van Asch, Natasha Van Eldik, and Brett Wilkie - and to celebrate former BA and World Bowls President Darryl Clout AM, honoured in the King’s Birthday Honours list. These accolades reflect the enduring contribution of so many to the growth and standing of our sport, both in Australia and internationally.

LOOKING AHEAD As we look to the year ahead, our focus remains on delivering the next phase of the Bold Bowls | Fun Bowls Action Agenda, supporting our athletes and officials at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games, establishing our new commercial and business model, further digital and technology advancement, achieving community outcomes of our national participation plan, and preparing for the July 2027 World Bowls Championships in England. Plus also on continuing to strengthen our place within the Australian sports industry and in particular the quality and impact of our partnership with our most major funder and supporter, the Australia Sprots Commission / Australian Institute of Sport. Pleasingly as a reflection of our performance and reputation, and following winning the AIS Win Well Award in 2024, against new specific assessment criteria for all National Sporting Organisations for Play Well funding this year, we were rated as one of the ASC’s equal highest ranked sports. We remain committed to our Action Agenda Purpose of "being bold in growing participation and connecting Australians to Bowls", and Vision of Bowls "being a sport for every Australian, providing great, fun experiences on and off the green" to ensure the sport remains vibrant, inclusive and sustainable for generations to come.

IAIN EVANS President

Bowls Australia

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Our sincere thanks are extended to: • BA’s Board of Directors for their professionalism and leadership throughout a year of significant change, challenge and opportunity. • All members of BA Board sub-committees. • The BA team of staff who continuously go over and above, always putting the greater good of bowls at the forefront of everything that we do. • The Boards and staff of all State and Territory Associations, particularly Presidents and CEOs, for their ongoing collaboration and support. • World Bowls and fellow Member Nation Authorities with whom we have collaborated. • Volunteers, administrators, and staff, across the community of bowls right throughout the nation, whose tireless efforts ensure the ongoing growth and success of the sport. • The Federal Government, through the Australian Sports Commission and Australian Institute of Sport, for their investment in high-performance and participation initiatives. • Commonwealth Games Australia for their continued support of our national squads ahead of Glasgow 2026. • Sport Integrity Australia for guidance and funding support through the National Integrity Framework. • Our corporate partners for their support of the sport’s growth. • Our broadcast production partner, in Sports Entertainment Network/RainMaker, and our broadcast platform partners, in 7Plus, Fox Sports, Kayo and Sky Sport NZ for bringing Australian bowls to audiences nationwide and beyond. As evidenced by the finer detail of the following pages, the commitment, expertise, and passion of all those involved with BA has underpinned a year of significant achievement and set a strong foundation for continued success in the future.

MATTHEW KENNEDY Chief Executive Officer Bowls Australia

BOWLS AUSTRALIA

AUSTRALIAN SPORTS COMMISSION

AUSTRALIAN SPORTS COMMISSION The Australian Sports Commission (ASC) continues to drive Australian sport forward, helping it grow and deliver lasting benefits for communities across the nation. From grassroots participation and community sport to high performance, we work alongside the sector to create positive environments where everyone can succeed. We are committed to ensuring sport is safe, fair, inclusive and accessible, with every athlete supported to realise their full potential. As we look ahead, we remain focused on ensuring Australians can access quality sporting experiences and that our sporting system empowers people to develop, achieve and perform at their best, both on and off the field. This includes investing in athletes, coaches, officials and organisations through our grant programs, and helping young Australians experience sport for the first time through initiatives like our Sporting Schools program. Through the Play Well and Win Well national sport strategies, we continue to build a stronger, more connected sporting system that expands opportunities for participation while supporting athletes to deliver elite performances in exceptional environments. Our performances at the Milano Cortina Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games reflected the dedication of athletes, coaches, support staff and sporting organisations across the country, and demonstrated our collective commitment to win well. Looking to the future, those same values will guide Australian sport through the Glasgow Commonwealth Games, Los Angeles 2028, the French Alps 2030, and then the Amdavad Commonwealth Games 2030 and Brisbane 2032.

Supported by the Australian Government’s recent $513 million investment in sport, we are helping athletes pursue success at the highest level while strengthening the systems, people and infrastructure that will support Australian sport for years to come. This includes continued investment in the Para Uplift, creating greater opportunities and support for Para athletes across the country. The AIS Podium Project is now underway, transforming the AIS campus through its most significant redevelopment since opening more than four decades ago. Backed by a $249.7 million Australian Government investment, the project will deliver contemporary facilities and support services that strengthen the AIS as Australia’s home of high performance sport. This includes a new worldclass Testing and Training Centre, a 24/7 Indoor Sports Dome and Australia’s most accessible athlete accommodation. I am confident that our collective commitment to Australian sport will continue to strengthen communities, inspire achievement and create positive outcomes for generations to come.

KATE JENKINS AO Chair

Australian Sports Commission

"We are committed to ensuring sport is safe, fair, inclusive and accessible, with every athlete supported to realise their full potential."

2025-26 ANNUAL REPORT

COMMONWEALTH GAMES AUSTRALIA

Bowls Australia acknowledges the Commonwealth Games Australia Green2Gold2Great program, that has provided crucial high-performance funding to help support Bowls Australia athletes with training camps, domestic competition support, and performance initiatives leading up to the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games.

BOWLS AUSTRALIA

OUR GOVERNANCE

OUR GOVERNANCE BOARD LISTING

Iain Evans Chair Lydia Dowse (to 7 October 2025) Graham Hay Gerard Robinson Bronwyn Heys (to 22 February 2026) Roxy Chen Craig Meagher Rosie King (from 22 July 2025) Dhivya Mani (from 1 July 2025) Andrew Brown (from 13 May 2026)

COMMITTEE LISTINGS FINANCE & AUDIT COMMITTEE Roxy Chen Chair Craig Meagher Jenny Zhang (Independent Member) GOVERNANCE, RISK, INTEGRITY & POLICY COMMITTEE Lydia Dowse (Chair, to 7 October 2025) Gerard Robinson Graham Hay Dhivya Mani (Chair, from 30 October 2025) NOMINATIONS COMMITEEE Sec Majanek (Independent Chair) Rosie King (Board representative, from 20 October 2025) Craig Meagher (Board representative, from 20 October 2025) Tim Dodds (STA representative) Bernard Knight (STA representative, from 3 February 2026) STATE CONSULTATIVE BODY Iain Evans (Bowls Australia Chair) Matthew Kennedy (Bowls Australia CEO) Lydia Dowse (Bowls Australia Director to 7 October 2025) Graham Hay (Bowls Australia Director) Gerard Robinson (Bowls Australia Director) Bronwyn Heys (Bowls Australia Director to 22 February 2026) Roxy Chen (Bowls Australia Director) Craig Meagher (Bowls Australia Director) Rosie King (Bowls Australia Director from 22 July 2025)

2025-26 ANNUAL REPORT

Dhivya Mani (Bowls Australia Director from 1 July 2025) Andrew Brown (Bowls Australia Director from 13 May 2026) Di Marquet (Bowls ACT President to June 2026) David Pruss (Bowls ACT President from June 2026) Paul Gilbert (Bowls ACT EO) Mal Trattles (Bowls NT President) Barry Beaumont (Bowls NT EO) Dilys Kindleysides (Bowls NSW President) Tim Rowe (Bowls NSW CEO) Brian Marshall (Bowls Queensland President) Brett Wilkie (Bowls Queensland CEO to December 2025) Fletcher Dyson (Bowls Queensland CEO from January 2026) Tim Dodds (Bowls SA President) Louise McDermott (Bowls SA CEO) Lynne McDougall (Bowls Tasmania President) Rob McGuire (Bowls Tasmania EO) Pat Schram (Bowls Victoria President) Tony Sherwill (Bowls Victoria CEO) Doug Kelly (Bowls WA President) Ken Pride (Bowls WA CEO) NATIONAL OFFICIATING ADVISORY GROUP John Roberts Chair Andrew Lynn (to March 2026) Sue Hogg Tony Sherwill (to March 2026) Bob Carlson Barry Ashby* Sarah Hope (to March 2026) Alan Clarke Chris Evans (Secretariat to October 2025) Andrew Howie (Secretariat from October 2025) *Barry Ashby passed away in June 2026. Bowls Australia acknowledges his contribution to officiating and the Advisory Group, and extends its condolences to his family and friends.

NATIONAL SELECTION PANEL Steve Glasson OAM Chair Gary Willis Karen Murphy AM Dave Stockham Therese Hastings

OUR GOVERNANCE

OUR STAFF 1 JULY 2025 – 30 JUNE 2026 Matthew Kennedy Chief Executive Officer

Rachael Rodger Events & Competition Administrator

OPERATIONS

Paul Holtschke Events And Competitions Coordinator

Tim McGrath General Manager Business Operations Bobbi Dunn Operations Coordinator (From February 2026) Rachael Rodger Operations Coordinator (Until October 2025) Max Vollebergh Operations Coordinator (Casual) (From October 2025 to February 2026)

Christopher Clarke People & Technology Coordinator (Casual) Lucas Protopapas Administration Assistant (Casual) Keryn-Louise Reynolds Integrity Case Manager (Part Time) (From January 2026)

Elke Bellgrove National Integrity Manager Bowls Australia (Until October 2025)

Carlene Tolley Integrity Case Officer (Casual) (From March 2026 to May 2026)

Ellen Falkner General Manager Workforce Development Lucas Dickson Education & Training Manager

PROMOTION, EVENTS AND COMMERCIAL OPERATIONS Aidan Davis General Manager Promotion & Partnerships Val Febbo Communications & Partnerships Coordinator Connor Munnings Communications & Promotion Coordinator Andrew Howie General Manager Bowls Operations Troy Corba Events & Competition Manager

(Part Time)

(Until August 2025)

Korey Allchin Chief Commercial Officer (From January 2026)

Emma Hedges Licensing And Commercial Manager (Until April 2026)

BOWLS OPERATIONS Chris Evans General Manager Participation & Programs Tarryn Elvish Participation & Programs Coordinator (From March 2026)

Patrick Newson Participation & Programs Coordinator (Until January 2026)

Aaron Delaporte BowlsLink Manager Alex Renzella BowlsLink Coordinator David Van Der Waal Inclusion & Integrity Education Manager Brett Hughes Head of Club Support Paul Gilbert Club Support Manager ACT (Part Time) Carolyn Docking Club Support Manager TAS (Part Time) Barry Beaumont Club Support Manager NT (Part Time) Tammy Ballard Club Support Manager VIC Peter Williams Club Support Manager VIC Tony Carter Club Support Manager QLD Millicent De Michele Club Support Manager QLD (From April 2026) Troy Corba Club Support Manager QLD (Until October 2025)

Troy Kinnane Club Support Manager WA Brett Herbert Club Support Manager SA Samantha Curtis Club Support Manager NSW (From July 2025)

HIGH PERFORMANCE Gary Willis Performance Director & National Coach Karen Murphy National Assistant & Para Head Coach Rebecca Van Asch High Performance Manager Leah Lazzaro Para High Performance & Operations Manager Daniel Riddiford Wellbeing & Engagement Manager (Until November 2025)

Gabrielle Mahon Para Athlete Wellbeing & Engagement Manager (Until December 2025) Claire Turley High Performance Coordinator (Part Time) Lynsey Clarke High Performance Pathways Manager Ian Ewing Pathways Coach VIC James Reynolds Pathways Coach NSW/ACT Kelli Wray Performance Pathways Coach WA/SA/NT (Part Time) (From May 2026)

Jessica McMullen HP Personal Carer (Casual) Linda Rose HP Personal Carer (Casual)

BOWLS AUSTRALIA

FINANCIAL REPORT

FINANCIAL REPORT Bowls Australia Ltd ABN 65 427 736 644 Financial Report - 30 June 2026

2025-26 ANNUAL REPORT

FINANCIAL REPORT

OVERVIEW FY26 was the year Bowls Australia’s financials turned from repair to reinvestment. Following the loss of $1.127m in FY23 and two years of consolidation with surpluses of $91K (FY24) and $400K (FY25), the Board approved a deficit budget of $379,000 for 2026 to fund the first year of delivery under the Bold Bowls | Fun Bowls Action Agenda 2025-2028. The result for the year of a deficit of $207,4691 was $171,531 better than plan, achieved on record revenue of $10.370m (2025: $9.643m).2 This was an investment year by design with expenditure directed at new initiatives and at building the capability needed to deliver the Action Agenda, including preparatory work for BA’s new commercial model taking effect in FY27.

REVENUE Total revenue grew 7.5% to $10.370m.3 Grants and sponsorship increased 12.5% to $4.641m, led by Australian Sports Commission funding of $3.172m, other government grants of $1.115m, and a lift in Commonwealth Games Australia funding to $354,748 as Glasgow 2026 preparations accelerated.4 Events income rose 8.3% to $1.756m and website income 11.9% to $289,944, reflecting both sustained growth in the Bowls Premier League and the Australian Open, and in BowlsLink being fully adopted by all STAs. Capitation fees were effectively flat at $2.211m (2025: $2.185m), while E-Store income eased 11.5% to $274,368, representing a deprioritisation of the initiative over the past few years.

BA REVENUE & AFFILIATION REVENUE $12,000,000 $10,000,000 $8,000,000 $6,000,000 $4,000,000 $2,000,000 $0 FY17

FY18

FY19

FY20

FY21

Affiliation Revenue

FY22

FY23

FY24

FY25

FY26

Total Revenue

The ten-year view shows how far the income base has shifted. Affiliation revenue in FY26 sits around $5,000 lower than its FY17 level, yet total revenue has grown by $3.150m, or 43.6%, over the same period. Affiliation fees now fund 21.3% of the organisation, down from 30.7% in FY17. Since the FY23 material financial challenge and turnaround of the organsiation, revenue has compounded at 8.7% a year against expense growth of 4.7%.

BOWLS AUSTRALIA

FINANCIAL REPORT

REVENUE: TOP FIVE CATEGORIES 1. GRANTS & SPONSORSHIP 2. CAPITATION FEES 3. EVENTS INCOME 4. OPERATING INCOME 5. OTHER (INCL. E-STORE)

FY26

Compound Annual Growth Rate from FY23

Grants & sponsorship

$4.641m

10.2%

Capitation fees

$2.211m

1.9%

Events income

$1.756m

23.1%

Operating income

$1.219m

11.1%

Other (incl. E-Store)

$0.541m

-7.6%

Total

$10.370m

8.7%

EXPENSES Expenses increased 14.4% to $10.577m, consistent with a deliberate investment year.5 Program and event expenses rose 18.5% to $4.371m, driven principally by travel of $2.054m (up $582,820) across a fuller national and international calendar and Commonwealth Games preparation.6 Employee benefits expense increased 11.1% to $4.347m, reflecting CPI movement across the salary pool, reclassification of some prior contractor roles as casual employees, expansion of the events team and the recruitment of specialist commercial capability to lead the new model.7 Administrative expenses rose 16.8% to $1.584m, including Bowlslink website and digital platform costs of $350,725 and increased marketing activity.8

Footnotes 1 Statement of Profit or Loss and Other Comprehensive Income, pg20 2 Statement of Profit or Loss and Other Comprehensive Income, pg 20 3 Statement of Profit or Loss and Other Comprehensive Income, pg 30 4 Notes to the Financial Statements, Note 4, pg 29 5 Statement of Profit or Loss and Other Comprehensive Income, pg 20 6 Notes to the Financial Statements, Note 5, pg 29 7 Statement of Profit or Loss and Other Comprehensive Income, pg 20 and Notes to the Financial Statements, Note 16, pg 31 8 Statement of Profit or Loss and Other Comprehensive Income, pg 20

2025-26 ANNUAL REPORT

FINANCIAL REPORT

CONTENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 JUNE 2026 Directors' Report Auditor's Independence Declaration under Section 307C of the Corporations Act 2001 Statement of Profit or Loss and Other Comprehensive Income Statement of Financial Position Statement of Changes in Equity Statement of Cash Flows Notes to the Financial Statements Directors' Declaration Independent Audit Report

16 20 21 22 23 24 25 33 34

“From repair to reinvestment.”

$10.37M RECORD REVENUE

7.5% GROWTH

BOWLS AUSTRALIA

FINANCIAL REPORT

DIRECTORS’ REPORT The directors present their report on Bowls Australia Ltd for the financial year ended 30 June 2026. 1. General information Information on directors The names of the directors in office at any time during, or since the end of, the year are: NAME

Position

Appointed/Resigned

lain Evans

Chair/President

Lydia Dowse

Director

Graham Hay

Director

Gerard Robinson

Director

Bronwyn Heys

Director

Roxy Chen

Director

Craig Meagher

Director

Rosie King

Director

Appointed 22 July 2025

Dharishinie Mani

Director

Appointed 1 July 2025

Andrew Brown

Director

Appointed 13 May 2026

Chloe Stewart

Director

Appointed 11 July 2026

Resigned 7 October 2025

Resigned 22 February 2026

Directors have been in office since the start of the financial year to the date of this report unless otherwise stated. Review of operations The loss of the Company after providing for income tax amounted to $ (207,469) (2025 profit: $399,979). Principal activities The principal activity of Bowls Australia Ltd during the financial year was to provide leadership and facilitate the growth, development and the success of the sport of bowls in Australia. No significant changes in the nature of the Company's activity occurred during the financial year. Short term objectives The Company's short term objectives (2025-2028) are to: • Connect more participants to clubs by building a digitally connected Bowls community and enhancing club experiences. • Deliver sustained on green success through world class athlete pathways, coaching and support services. • Launch national marketing and storytelling campaigns to elevate Bowls, clubs and communities across Australia. • Grow financial sustainability by maximising commercial opportunities, refining the affiliation model and diversifying revenue streams. • Introduce a new national participation event, expand the Bowls Premier League and grow entries in the BPL Cup.

2025-26 ANNUAL REPORT

FINANCIAL REPORT

1. General information Long term objectives The Company's long term objectives (towards 2032+) are to: • Position Bowls as a prominent sport of choice, with clubs recognised as vibrant community hubs. • Achieve a thriving community of 5 million participants, with over half digitally connected to Bowls. • Ensure participation reflects Australia's diversity and inclusivity. • Establish an extensive professional league that attracts mainstream audiences and secures Olympic and Paralympic inclusion. Members' guarantee Bowls Australia Ltd is a company limited by guarantee. In the event of, and for the purpose of winding up of the company, the amount capable of being called up from each member and any person or association who ceased to be a member in the year prior to the winding up, is limited to $ 20 for all members, subject to the provisions of the company's constitution. At 30 June 2026 the collective liability of members was$ 160 (2025: $ 160). 2. Other items Significant changes in state of affairs There have been no significant changes in the state of affairs of the Company during the year. Events after the reporting date No matters or circumstances have arisen since the end of the financial year which significantly affected or may significantly affect the operations of the Company, the results of those operations or the state of affairs of the Company in future financial years. Future developments and results Likely developments in the operations of the Company and the expected results of those operations in future financial years have not been included in this report as the inclusion of such information is likely to result in unreasonable prejudice to the Company.

BOWLS AUSTRALIA

FINANCIAL REPORT

Meetings of directors During the financial year, 7 meetings of directors (including committees of directors) were held. Attendances by each director during the year were as follows: Directors' Meetings Directors

Number eligible to attend

Number attended

lain Evans

Lydia Dowse

Graham Hay

Gerard Robinson

Bronwyn Heys

Roxy Chen

Craig Meagher

Rosie King

Dharishinie Mani*

Andrew Brown

Chloe Stewart

Directors

Number eligible to attend

Number attended

Roxy Chen

Craig Meagher

lain Evans

Jenny Zhang (Independent Committee Member)

*Absence approved by the Board

Finance & Audit Committee Meetings

Governance, Risk, lntearitv & Policv Committee Meetings Number eligible to attend

Number attended

Lydia Dowse 1 1

Gerard Robinson 4 3

Graham Hay 4 4

Dhivva Mani

Sam Chadwick (Independent Committee Member)

Directors

Auditor's independence declaration The auditor's independence declaration in accordance with section 307C of the Corporations Act 2001 for the year ended 30 June 2026 has been received and can be found on page 4 of the financial report. Signed in accordance with a resolution of the Board of Directors:

Director

Date:

2025-26 ANNUAL REPORT

FINANCIAL REPORT

BOWLS AUSTRALIA

FINANCIAL REPORT

STATEMENT OF

PROFIT OR LOSS AND OTHER COMPREHENSIVE INCOME For the year ended 30 June 2026

Note

$ 2026

$ 2025

2,211,309

2,184,647

E-Store Sales Income

274,368

309,949

Events income

1,756,409

1,621,688

4,641,381

4,125,341

Interest received

72,492

70,445

Investment income

9,288

2,981

1,219,338

1,185,076

Other income

154,147

119,645

Fair value movements of other financial assets

30,564

29,132

Profit on disposal of plant and equipment (net)

382

(5,579)

10,369,678

9,643,325

Cost of sales

(131,146)

(141,223)

Depreciation expense

(64,371)

(70,567)

Employee benefits expense

(4,346,846)

(3,913,176)

Motor vehicle expenses

(55,829)

(66,032)

Bad debts

(2,526)

Revenue and other income Capitation fees

Grants and sponsorships

Operating income

Program and event expenses

Loss on foreign currency Administrative expenses Other expense

(Loss)/Profit before income tax

(4,370,797)

(3,689,686)

(3,582)

(1,845)

(1,584,209)

(1,356,867)

(17,841)

(3,950)

(10,577,147)

(9,243,346)

(207,469)

399,979

(207,469)

399,979

(207,469)

399,979

Income tax expense (Loss)/Profit for the year Other comprehensive income, net of income tax Total comprehensive (loss)/ income for the year The accompanying notes form part of these financial statements.

2025-26 ANNUAL REPORT

FINANCIAL REPORT

STATEMENT OF

FINANCIAL POSITION For the year ended 30 June 2026

Note

$ 2026

$ 2025

Cash and cash equivalents

2,392,554

2,661,703

Trade and other receivables

474,053

332,592

Inventories

210,504

184,409

Other assets

349,783

369,338

3,426,894

3,548,042

Assets Current assets

Total current assets Non-current assets Other financial assets

557,504

517,648

Property, plant and equipment

161,763

190,983

Total non-current assets

719,267

708,631

Total assets

4,146,161

4,256,673

Liabilities Current liabilities Trade and other payables

1,046,097

1,080,022

Other financial liabilities

1,309,501

1,236,020

Employee benefits

Total current liabilities

396,954

362,747

2,752,552

2,678,789

58,421

35,227

Non-current liabilities Employee benefits

Total non-current liabilities

58,421

35,227

Total liabilities

2,810,973

2,714,016

Net assets

1,335,188

1,542,657

Equity Retained earnings

1,335,188

1,542,657

Total equity

1,335,188

1,542,657

The accompanying notes form part of these financial statements.

BOWLS AUSTRALIA

FINANCIAL REPORT

STATEMENT OF

CHANGES IN EQUITY For the year ended 30 June 2026 2026

Retained Earnings $

Balance at 1 July 2025

1,542,657

Loss for the year

(207,469)

Balance at 30 June 2026

1,335,188

2025

Retained Earnings $

Financial Asset Reserve $

Total $

Balance at 1 July 2024

1,109,338

33,340

1,142,678

Profit for the year

399,979

Transfer from asset revaluation reserve to retained earnings

33,340

Balance at 30 June 2026

1,542,657

The accompanying notes form part of these financial statements.

2025-26 ANNUAL REPORT

Financial Asset Reserve $

Total $

399,979 (33,340) 1,542,657

FINANCIAL REPORT

STATEMENT OF

CASH FLOWS

For the year ended 30 June 2026 Note

$ 2026

$ 2025

3,345,953

3,981,847

Receipts from members - capitation fees

2,211,309

2,184,647

Receipts from grants and sponsorship

4,641,381

4,125,341

Payments to suppliers and employees

Cash flows from operating activities Receipts from customers

(10,495,842)

(9,138,533)

Interest received

72,492

70,445

Net cash (used in)/provided by operating activities

(224,707)

1,223,747

Purchase of property, plant and equipment

(35,151)

(53,940)

Purchase of financial assets

(9,291)

(252,982)

Net cash (used in) investing activities

(44,442)

(291,740)

Cash flows from investing activities Proceeds from sale of plant and equipment

15,182

Net increase/(decrease) in cash and cash equivalents held

(269,149)

932,007

Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year

2,661,703

1,729,696

2,392,554

2,661,703

Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the financial year

The accompanying notes form part of these financial statements.

BOWLS AUSTRALIA

FINANCIAL REPORT

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 JUNE 2026

The financial report covers Bowls Australia Ltd as an individual entity. Bowls Australia Ltd is a not-for-profit Company limited by guarantee, incorporated and domiciled in Australia. The principal activities of the Company for the year ended 30 June 2026 were the provision of leadership and facilitate the growth, development and the success of the sport of bowls in Australia. The functional and presentation currency of Bowls Australia Ltd is Australian dollars. Comparatives are consistent with prior years, unless otherwise stated. 1. Basis of Preparation The financial statements are general purpose financial statements that have been prepared in accordance with the Australian Accounting Standards - Simplified Disclosures and the Corporations Act 2001. The financial statements have been prepared on an accruals basis and are based on historical costs modified, where applicable, by the measurement at fair value of selected non-current assets, financial assets and financial liabilities. Material accounting policy information relating to the preparation of these financial statements are presented below, and are consistent with prior reporting periods unless otherwise stated. 2. Material Accounting Policy Information {a) Revenue and other income Revenue from contracts with customers Revenue is recognised on a basis that reflects the transfer of control of promised goods or services to customers at an amount that reflects the consideration the Company expects to receive in exchange for those goods or services. Generally the timing of the payment for sale of goods and rendering of services corresponds closely to the timing of satisfaction of the performance obligations, however where there is a difference, it will result in the recognition of a receivable, contract asset or contract liability. None of the revenue streams of the Company have any significant financing terms as there is less than 12 months between receipt of funds and satisfaction of performance obligations. Specific revenue streams Grant revenue Where grant income arises from an agreement which is enforceable and contains sufficiently specific performance obligations then the revenue is recognised when control of each performance obligations is satisfied. Grant income arising from non-enforceable contracts or those without sufficiently specific performance obligations is recognised on receipt unless it relates to capital grants which meet certain criteria. Enforceable capital grants received to enable the Company to acquire or construct an item of property, plant and equipment to identified specifications which will be controlled by the entity are recognised as revenue as and when the obligation to construct or purchase is completed.

2025-26 ANNUAL REPORT

FINANCIAL REPORT

2. Material Accounting Policy Information (a) Revenue and other income Grant revenue • For construction projects, this is generally as the construction progresses in accordance with costs incurred since this is deemed to be the most appropriate measure of the completeness of the construction project as there is no profit margin. • For acquisitions of assets, the revenue is recognised when the asset is acquired and controlled by the entity. Donations received Donations received are recognised when the right to receive them is established. Interest received Interest received is recognised as interest accrues using the effective interest method. Other income Other income is recognised on an accrual basis when the Company is entitled to it. (b) Income tax The Company is exempt from income tax under Division 50 of the Income Tax Assessment Act 1997. (c) Goods and services tax {GST) Revenue, expenses and assets are recognised net of the amount of goods and services tax (GST), except where the amount of GST incurred is not recoverable from the Australian Taxation Office (ATO). Receivables and payable are stated inclusive of GST. (d) Inventories Inventories are measured at the lower of cost and net realisable value. Inventories acquired at no cost, or for nominal consideration are valued at the current replacement cost as at the date of acquisition, which is the deemed cost. (e) Property, plant and equipment Each class of property, plant and equipment is carried at cost less, where applicable, any accumulated depreciation and impairment. Costs include purchase price, other directly attributable costs and the initial estimate of the costs of dismantling and restoring the asset, where applicable. Depreciation Property, plant and equipment, excluding freehold land, is depreciated on a straight-line basis over the asset's useful life to the Company, commencing when the asset is ready for use. The depreciation rates used for each class of depreciable asset are shown below: Fixed asset class

Depreciation rate

Motor Vehicles

12.5%

Office Furniture & Equipment

15 – 33.3%

At the end of each annual reporting period, the depreciation method, useful life and residual value of each asset is reviewed. Any revisions are accounted for prospectively as a change in estimate. (f) Financial instruments Financial assets All recognised financial assets are subsequently measured in their entirety at either amortised cost or fair value, depending on the classification of the financial assets.

BOWLS AUSTRALIA

FINANCIAL REPORT

Classification On initial recognition, the Company classifies its financial assets into the following categories, those measured at: • amortised cost • fair value through profit or loss - FVTPL Financial assets are not reclassified subsequent to their initial recognition unless the Company changes its business model for managing financial assets. Amortised cost The Company's financial assets measured at amortised cost comprise trade and other receivables and cash and cash equivalents in the statement of financial position. Subsequent to initial recognition, these assets are carried at amortised cost using the effective interest rate method less provision for impairment. Interest income, foreign exchange gains or losses and impairment are recognised in profit or loss. Gain or loss on derecognition is recognised in profit or loss. Equity instruments Financial assets through profit or loss Equity instruments includes investments in listed and unlisted entities over which they do not have significant influence nor control. All financial assets are classified as measured at amortised cost. Net gains or losses, including any interest or dividend income are recognised in profit or loss. Impairment of financial assets Trade receivables Impairment of trade receivables have been determined using the simplified approach in MSB 9 which uses an estimation of lifetime expected credit losses. The amount of the impairment is recorded in a separate allowance account with the loss being recognised in finance expense. Once the receivable is determined to be uncollectable then the gross carrying amount is written off against the associated allowance. Where the Company renegotiates the terms of trade receivables due from certain customers, the new expected cash flows are discounted at the original effective interest rate and any resulting difference to the carrying value is recognised in profit or loss. Other financial assets measured at amortised cost Impairment of other financial assets measured at amortised cost are determined using the expected credit loss model in MSB 9. On initial recognition of the asset, an estimate of the expected credit losses for the next 12 months is recognised. Where the asset has experienced significant increase in credit risk then the lifetime losses are estimated and recognised. Financial liabilities The Company measures all financial liabilities initially at fair value less transaction costs, subsequently financial liabilities are measured at amortised cost using the effective interest rate method. The financial liabilities of the Company comprise trade payables. {g) Impairment of non-financial assets At the end of each reporting period the Company determines whether there is evidence of an impairment indicator for nonfinancial assets. Where the recoverable amount is less than the carrying amount, an impairment loss is recognised in profit or loss. Reversal indicators are considered in subsequent periods for all assets which have suffered an impairment loss.

2025-26 ANNUAL REPORT

FINANCIAL REPORT

2. Material Accounting Policy Information (continued) (h) Cash and cash equivalents Cash and cash equivalents comprises cash on hand, demand deposits and short-term investments which are readily convertible to known amounts of cash and subject to an insignificant risk of change in value. (i) Leases At inception of contract, the Company assess whether a lease exists. At the lease commencement, the Company recognises a right-of-use asset and associated lease liability for the lease term. The lease term includes extension periods where the Company believes it is reasonably certain that the option will be exercised. The right-of-use asset is measured using the cost model, depreciated over the lease term on a straight-line basis and assessed for impairment in accordance with the impairment of assets accounting policy. Exceptions to lease accounting The Company has elected to apply the exceptions to lease accounting for both short-term leases (i.e. leases with a term of less than or equal to 12 months) and leases of low-value assets. The Company recognises the payments associated with these leases as an expense on a straight-line basis over the lease term. Lease liability The lease liability is initially measured at the present value of the remaining lease payments at the commencement of the lease. The discount rate is the rate implicit in the lease, however where this cannot be readily determined then the Company's incremental borrowing rate is used. Subsequent to initial recognition, the lease liability is measured at amortised cost using the effective interest rate method. The lease liability is remeasured whether there is a lease modification, change in estimate of the lease term or index upon which the lease payments are based (e.g. CPI) or a change in the Company's assessment of lease term. Where the lease liability is remeasured, the right-of-use asset is adjusted to reflect the remeasurement or is recorded in profit or loss if the carrying amount of the right-of-use asset has been reduced to zero. (j) Employee benefits Provision is made for the Company's liability for employee benefits, those benefits that are expected to be wholly settled within one year have been measured at the amounts expected to be paid when the liability is settled. Employee benefits expected to be settled more than one year after the end of the reporting period have been measured at the present value of the estimated future cash outflows to be made for those benefits. In determining the liability, consideration is given to employee wage increases and the probability that the employee may satisfy vesting requirements. Changes in the measurement of the liability are recognised in profit or loss. (k) Provisions Provisions are recognised when the Company has a legal or constructive obligation, as a result of past events, for which it is probable that an outflow of economic benefits will result and that outflow can be reliably measured. (I) Economic dependence Bowls Australia Ltd is economically dependent on continued funding from the Australian Sports Commission, which represents a significant source of revenue used to fund its operations, particularly the delivery of its highperformance programs and services provided to clubs. Bowls Australia Ltd has been recognised as a National Sporting Organisation for the period from 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2036. This recognition supports the Company's continued eligibility to receive funding from the Australian Sports Commission. At the date of this report, the Directors have no reason to believe that the Australian Sports Commission will not continue to provide funding to Bowls Australia Ltd.

BOWLS AUSTRALIA

FINANCIAL REPORT

3. Critical Accounting Estimates and Judgments The directors make estimates and judgements during the preparation of these financial statements regarding assumptions about current and future events affecting transactions and balances. These estimates and judgements are based on the best information available at the time of preparing the financial statements, however as additional information is known then the actual results may differ from the estimates. The significant estimates and judgements made have been described below. Key estimates - impairment of property, plant and equipment The Company assesses impairment at the end of each reporting period by evaluating conditions specific to the Company that may be indicative of impairment triggers. Recoverable amounts of relevant assets are reassessed using value-in-use calculations which incorporate various key assumptions. Key estimates - fair value of financial instruments The Company has certain financial assets and liabilities which are measured at fair value. Where fair value has not able to be determined based on quoted price, a valuation model has been used. The inputs to these models are observable, where possible, however these techniques involve significant estimates and therefore fair value of the instruments could be affected by changes in these assumptions and inputs. Key estimates - grant income For many of the grant agreements received, the determination of whether the contract includes sufficiently specific performance obligations was a significant judgement involving discussions with a number of parties at the Company, review of the proposal documents prepared during the grant application phase and consideration of the terms and conditions. Grants received by the Company have been accounted for under both AASB 15 and AASB 1058 depending on the terms and conditions and decisions made. The entity reviews grant and sponsorship monies received during the year and determines the amount utilised from this at the end of each reporting period. At 30 June 2026 $1,273,864 of the grant sponsorship monies had not been utilised and was deferred. (2025: $1,236,020). Key estimates - receivables The receivables at reporting date have been reviewed to determine whether there is any objective evidence that any of the receivables are impaired. An impairment provision is included for any receivable where the entire balance is not considered collectible. The impairment provision is based on the best information at the reporting date. Key estimates - provisions As described in the accounting policies, provisions are measured at management's best estimate of the expenditure required to settle the obligation at the end of the reporting period. These estimates are made taking into account a range of possible outcomes and will vary as further information is obtained.

2025-26 ANNUAL REPORT

FINANCIAL REPORT

4. Revenue and Other Income $ 2026

$ 2025

2,211,309

2,184,647

2,211,309

2,184,647

929,394

925,888

Capitation Income - Capitation fees Operating Income - Merchandise income - Website income

289,944

259,188

1,219,338

1,185,076

- Australian Sports Commission

3,171,633

3,106,227

- Commonwealth Games Australia

354,748

99,114

Grants and Sponsorship Income

- Other Government grants

1,115,000

920,000

4,641,381

4,125,341

$ 2026

$ 2025

5. Result for the Year The result for the year includes the following specific expenses: Administration Expenses: Advertising and marketing expense

146,493

53,004

Freight and cartage expense

36,549

41,569

Subscription and affiliation fees

266,894

235,960

Website costs

350,725

314,888

General administration and overhead expenses *

783,548

711,446

Total Administration Expenses

1,584,209

1,356,867

Program and Event Expenses - Consultancy and media expense

747,097

751,519

- Prize money

660,000

627,340

- Travel expense

2,054,355

1,471,535

- Event and Program Delivery Costs

909,345

839,292

Total Program and Event Expenses

4,370,797

3,689,686

* General administration and overhead expenses includes (top 5): Accounting and Audit fees ($145,825), Legal expenses ($124,368), IT Expenses ($101,180), Printing & Stationery ($83,780) and Insurance ($75,471).

6. Cash and Cash Equivalents Cash at bank and in hand

$ 2026

$ 2025

2,392,554

2,661,703

2,392,554

2,661,703

$ 2026

$ 2025

474,053

268,630

474,053

332,592

7. Trade and Other Receivables Current Trade receivables Other receivables Total current trade and other receivables

63,962

BOWLS AUSTRALIA

FINANCIAL REPORT

8. Inventories $ 2026

$ 2025

Finished goods (at cost)

116,124

184,409

Goods in transit (at cost)

94,380

Current

210,504

184,409

$ 2026

$ 2025

9. Other Assets Current Prepayments

349,783

369,338

349,783

369,338

$ 2026

$ 2025

10. Other Financial Assets (a) Financial assets at fair value through profit or loss Non-Current Investment in Management Funds

557,504

517,648

557,504

517,648

$ 2026

$ 2025

At cost

173,290

Accumulated depreciation

(59,054)

(36,526)

Total motor vehicles

114,236

136,764

11. Plant and Equipment Plant and Equipment Motor vehicles

Office equipment At cost

404,563

369,412

Accumulated depreciation

(357,036)

(315,193)

Total office equipment

47,527

54,219

Total plant and equipment

161,763

190,983

Movements in carrying amounts Movement in the carrying amounts for each class of property, plant and equipment between the beginning and the end of the current financial year: Motor Vehicles $

Office Equipment $

Total $

136,764

54,219

190,983

35,151

Depreciation expense

(22,528)

(41,843)

(64,371)

Balance at the end of the year

114,236

47,527

161,763

Year ended 30 June 2026 Balance at the beginning of year Disposals - written down value

2025-26 ANNUAL REPORT

FINANCIAL REPORT

12. Trade and Other Payables $ 2026

$ 2025

Current Trade payables

334,114

441,837

Other payables

711,983

638,185

1,046,097

1,080,022

Trade and other payables are unsecured, non-interest bearing and are normally settled within 30 days. The carrying value of trade and other payables is considered a reasonable approximation of fair value due to the short-term nature of the balances. 13. Other Financial Liabilities $ 2026

$ 2025

Deferred income

1,309,501

1,236,020

Total

1,309,501

1,236,020

$ 2026

$ 2025

Current

14. Employee Benefits Current liabilities Long service leave

107,440

112,189

Provision for employee benefits

289,514

250,558

396,954

362,747

Non-current liabilities Long service leave

58,421

35,227

Total

58,421

35,227

15. Members' Guarantee The Company is incorporated under the Corporations Act 2001 and is a Company limited by guarantee. If the Company is wound up, the constitution states that each member is required to contribute a maximum of$ 20 each towards meeting any outstanding obligations of the Company. At 30 June 2026 the number of members was 8 (2025: 8). 16. Key Management Personnel Disclosures Key management personnel are those persons having authority and responsibility for planning, directing and controlling activities of the company, directly or indirectly. The remuneration paid to key management personnel of the Company is$ 1,275,604 (2025: $ 1,035,888). The total remuneration paid to Directors of the Company is $Nil (2025:$Nil).The key management personnel of the Company have been classified as the Chief Executive Officer and their direct reports: Chief Commercial Officer General Manager - Business Operations General Manager General Manager - Participation & Programs General Manager - Promotion & Communications General Manager General Manager - Bowls Operations General Manager - Workforce Development Performance Director & National Coach

BOWLS AUSTRALIA

FINANCIAL REPORT

17. Auditors' Remuneration $ 2026

$ 2025

- auditing the financial statements

17,650

16,800

- reviewing the financial report

2,150

2,100

Remuneration of the auditor for:

- auditing the grant acquittal

760

730

Total

20,560

19,630

$ 2026

$ 2025

325,962

294,000

No later than one year

325,962

294,000

Between one and five years

261,962

Total

587,924

18. Contracted Commitments Commitments for: Minimum development payments under Software contract: No later than one year Total Contract Commitments

294,000

19. Contingencies In the opinion of the Directors, the Company did not have any contingencies at 30 June 2026 (30 June 2025: None). 20. Related Parties (a) The Company's main related parties are as follows: Key management personnel - refer to Note 16. Other related parties include close family members of key management personnel and entities that are controlled or significantly influenced by those key management personnel or their close family members. (b) Transactions with related parties There has been no transactions between related parties during the financial year. 21. Events After the End of the Reporting Period No matters or circumstances have arisen since the end of the financial year which significantly affected or may significantly affect the operations of the Company, the results of those operations or the state of affairs of the Company in future financial years. 22. Statutory Information The registered office and principal place of business of the company is: Bowls Australia Ltd Darebin International Sports Centre 281 Darebin Road THORNBURY VIC 3071

2025-26 ANNUAL REPORT

FINANCIAL REPORT

DIRECTORS’ DECLARATION The directors of the Company declare that:

1. The financial statements and notes, as set out on pages 5 to 21, are in accordance with the Corporations Act 2001 and: a. comply with Australian Accounting Standards - Simplified Disclosure Standard; and b. give a true and fair view of the financial position as at 30 June 2026 and of the performance for the year ended on that date of the Company. 2. I n the directors' opinion, there are reasonable grounds to believe that the Company will be able to pay its debts as and when they become due and payable. This declaration is made in accordance with a resolution of the Board of Directors.

Director

Date:

BOWLS AUSTRALIA

FINANCIAL REPORT

2025-26 ANNUAL REPORT

FINANCIAL REPORT

BOWLS AUSTRALIA

PLAY WELL The Participation and Programs team continued to work with enthusiasm and commitment throughout 2025-26, with a clear focus on connecting more participants to clubs and supporting the longterm growth and sustainability of bowls. Under the new BA Action Agenda 2025-28, the team’s work was guided by three key priorities: 1. Build a digitally connected Bowls community 2. Support great club experiences for participants and visitors 3. Encourage shorter-format participation while preserving traditional formats

2025-26 ANNUAL REPORT

PLAY WELL

BUILD A DIGITALLY CONNECTED BOWLS COMMUNITY

During 2025-26, BowlsLink continued to strengthen its role as the national digital platform connecting participants, clubs, competitions and administrators across Australian bowls. The second year of the BowlsLink Strategic Plan guided delivery, with a focus on improving user experience, increasing operational efficiency and consistency, leveraging data for growth and value, and strengthening privacy and security. BOWLSLINK STRATEGIC PLAN Of the 21 strategic actions identified in Year Two of the BowlsLink Strategic Plan, 16 were completed, providing a strong foundation for continued development and national adoption. The plan has helped move BowlsLink beyond a competition and membership database towards a broader digital platform supporting participation, communication, data quality and club administration.

IMPROVING CONNECTIONS A major focus during the year was improving the sport’s ability to capture participation beyond traditional membership. The BowlsLink Sign-Up function allows clubs to create participation opportunities and share direct registration links or QR codes for activities including new member registrations, Come and Try programs and casual bowls. This creates a digital pathway for clubs to identify, communicate with and potentially convert participants into longer-term members. A notable example was Perth Bowling & Recreation Club, which signed up more than 450 new members within a few months using the BowlsLink Sign-Up function.

• Competition Links and QR Codes, making it easier for clubs and administrators to promote competitions through websites, email, social media and printed material. • User Experience Improvements, including refreshed navigation and administrator functionality to make common tasks simpler and more intuitive.

STRENGTHENING DATA QUALITY Improving national membership and participant data remained a key priority. Work continued on stronger minimum data standards, particularly for core contact information, with clubs encouraged to improve the completeness of their records through BowlsLink reporting tools. With new mandatory competition data requirements to be implemented in 2026–27, significant preparation, consultation and communication were undertaken during the reporting year. Improved data will support more accurate participation insights, stronger communication and better decision-making at club, State and national levels.

BOWLSLINK USER APP

Improved participation data supports club communication, participant conversion and program planning, while contributing to a clearer national picture of participation in bowls.

A major milestone was the launch of the BowlsLink User App on 1 October 2025, replacing the former BowlsNow application with a more comprehensive, member-focused digital experience.

PLATFORM DEVELOPMENT

Members can now log in using their BowlsLink account, update personal information, access a digital membership card, view accreditation cards, find and enter competitions, and access personalised news, competition and club information.

Three BowlsLink releases were delivered during the year, containing more than 50 enhancements and fixes focused on accessibility, administration and data quality. Key developments included: • Linked Accounts, allowing parents or primary users to manage another BowlsLink account, improving accessibility for families, juniors and participants requiring assistance.

The App represents an important shift from BowlsLink being primarily an administration platform to becoming a direct digital connection between participants and the sport. It supports the Bold Bowls | Fun Bowls Action Agenda 2025–2028 by increasing digital connection with existing and future participants.

BOWLS AUSTRALIA

PLAY WELL

PAYMENT PROVIDER TRANSITION

GROWING DIGITAL ADOPTION

BowlsLink transitioned from a centralised BA payment model to Pin Payments, providing clubs with greater ownership and faster access to funds.

Since the App launched on 1 October 2025: • 66,000 App downloads have been recorded. • Connected accounts increased from 75% to more than 80%, representing • 123,363 connected accounts.

Under the previous model, payments were collected centrally and reimbursed to clubs, sometimes taking up to 30 days. Under the new model, clubs manage their own payment accounts, with funds generally deposited within two business days. The transition provides clubs with faster access to revenue, improved cash flow, greater financial ownership and simpler reconciliation, while reducing administrative handling.

EDUCATION, TRAINING AND SUPPORT Strong adoption depends on effective support. During 202526, the BowlsLink support environment was significantly expanded, including: • 50 support articles • 54 step-by-step guides • 16 video tutorials More than 4,200 direct email queries were also resolved by the BowlsLink team, Club Support Managers and State and Territory staff. These resources provide volunteer administrators with accessible, self-service support to help them use BowlsLink effectively.

NATIONAL COLLABORATION Progress was supported through collaboration between the BA BowlsLink team, State and Territory Associations through the National Working Party and BCAG2, Club Support Managers, technology partner Savage Bull, and club, competition and participant representatives. The BowlsLink National Working Party continued to provide an important forum for identifying priorities and ensuring development reflected the needs of different jurisdictions and users.

2025-26 ANNUAL REPORT

Digital adoption also continued to grow across the broader BowlsLink ecosystem: • Nearly 500 clubs are now using BowlsLink for competition management, increasing adoption from 15% to more than 28% of clubs. • Competitor live scoring was introduced for the BA Nationals, with several State Associations also expanding live scoring across championships and pennant competitions. • 51 new club websites were established, bringing the total number of active BowlsLink club websites to almost 400. • More than 60 clubs are regularly using Email Campaigns to communicate with members and participants. • More than 50 clubs are using integrated BowlsLink Payments. Together, these developments demonstrate the continued step-by-step evolution of BowlsLink from a competition administration system into a broader whole-of-sport digital ecosystem connecting participation, competition, communication and club administration.

66,000 50+ APP DOWNLOADS

PLATFORM ENHANCEMENTS

123,363 16/21 CONNECTED ACCOUNTS

BOWLSLINK STRATEGIC ACTIONS COMPLETED

PLAY WELL

SUPPORT GREAT CLUB EXPERIENCES

QUALITY OF EXPERIENCE BA implemented a Quality of Experience Survey using the Net Promoter Score (NPS) methodology during 2025-26. More than 8,600 participants responded, with results demonstrating a strong participant experience: • Likelihood to recommend Bowls: 8.86/10, compared with the all-sport average of 8.38/10. • Overall experience: 8.06/10, compared with the all-sport average of 7.73/10. These results demonstrate that bowls is delivering an experience that compares favourably with other sports, forms a year one baseline for a key measure of our Action Agenda to 2028.

PLAY WELL QUALITY OF EXPERIENCE SURVEY – AUSTRALIAN SPORTS COMMISSION How would you rate your experience as a Bowls participant in the past 12 months? Scale: 0 (very poor) – 10 (excellent) PARTICIPANT EXPERIENCE

How likely are you to recommend Bowls? Scale: 0 (not likely) – 10 (extremely likely) LIKELIHOOD TO RECOMMEND

Score

National Avg. – All Sports

7.73

National Avg – All Sports

8.83

BOWLS – NATIONAL

8.06

BOWLS – NATIONAL

8.86

ACT

8.32

ACT

9.07

8.25

9.03

QLD

8.18

NSW

8.97

TAS

8.16

QLD

8.97

8.13

TAS

8.93

NSW

8.07

8.84

8.04

8.78

VIC

8.00

VIC

8.73

BOWLS AUSTRALIA

PLAY WELL

CLUB SUPPORT PROGRAM The Club Support Program continued to support clubs to strengthen their capability, grow participation and improve their overall sustainability. Throughout the year, clubs were supported through accessible and contemporary education, resources and practical support. Participation programs, BA–CLUBMAP webinars, the Resource Hub, Club Health Checks and BowlsLink initiatives all contributed to helping clubs strengthen their connection with members and local communities. The program continued to focus on three key areas: • On Green – promoting shorter-format participation opportunities. • Off Green – connecting clubs with education and resources through BA–CLUBMAP webinars, the Resource Hub and Club Health Checks. • Digital – supporting clubs to strengthen their online presence through websites, social media and BowlsLink.

PARTNERSHIPS BA’s Club Support Program partnerships with CLUBMAP and Kinetica continued to provide clubs with additional expertise, education and data to support participation and long-term sustainability.

CLUBMAP PARTNERSHIP The BA–CLUBMAP partnership remained a key component of club education, connection and administration.

During 2025-26: • 80% of clubs (1,392) engaged with the program through a webinar or the Resource Hub. • 329 clubs completed a Club Health Check. • More than 500 Local, State and Federal grants were identified, with more than 2,061 users accessing the Grants Alert section. • 3,265 Resource Hub users spent an average of 123 minutes accessing available resources. • 12 bowls-specific webinars were delivered. These outcomes demonstrate that the Resource Hub and webinar program are now established tools for education and club development across the sport.

KINETICA PARTNERSHIP The Kinetica partnership continued to provide Club Support Managers and clubs with data-driven insights to inform decision-making. By combining census data, participation trends and local catchment analysis, Kinetica helped clubs to strengthen grant and sponsorship applications, identify priority growth areas, identify opportunities for inclusion initiatives and better understand local participation and community demographics.

CLUB CATEGORISATION PROJECT BA implemented the Club Categorisation Project to use data and insights to identify clubs with strong growth potential. The model considered two key dimensions: • Demand and growth potential – including population and projected population growth, sport-specific demand and propensity for physical activity. • Ability to cater for growth – including club infrastructure and quality, club management capability, and regional supply and competition. Club Support Managers then applied their local knowledge to identify clubs considered growth-ready and prioritise them for more targeted and intensive support.

80%

329

1,392

3,265

OF CLUBS ENGAGED

CLUBS

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CLUB HEALTH CHECKS

RESOURCE HUB USERS

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DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION

“A sport for every Australian.” CHAMPIONING A SPORT WHERE EVERY AUSTRALIAN BELONGS Creating safe, welcoming and inclusive experiences remains central to BA’s vision of becoming a sport for every Australian. During 2025-26, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiatives supported the Play Well pillar of the Bold Bowls | Fun Bowls Action Agenda by strengthening participation opportunities, building more inclusive club environments and developing leaders who better reflect the diversity of modern Australia. Rather than treating inclusion as a standalone program, BA continued to embed diversity, equity and inclusion across governance, participation, events and leadership, working collaboratively with Member States and Territories, clubs, athletes and national partners.

STRENGTHENING RECONCILIATION A significant milestone was the endorsement of BA’s inaugural Reflect Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) by Reconciliation Australia. The RAP establishes a framework for strengthening relationships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and embedding cultural learning, respect and reconciliation throughout the organisation. A RAP Working Group was also established, bringing together staff from across BA, Board representatives and First Nations community representatives to guide implementation and ensure the RAP is informed by diverse voices and lived experience.

BUILDING INCLUSIVE LEADERSHIP The inaugural cohort of BA’s Women in Sport Leadership Program successfully completed the Australian Sports Commissionsupported initiative, strengthening leadership capability and building a national network of emerging female leaders. Following completion of the program, graduates established the Women in Bowls Working Group, which meets quarterly to identify practical initiatives to improve safety, inclusion and leadership pathways for women across the sport.

CREATING WELCOMING CLUBS AND COMPETITIONS BA continued to work with clubs and Member States to create environments where everyone feels welcome and included. Support for the LGBTQ+ community continued to grow, with more clubs hosting Pride Cup competitions. These events provide opportunities to celebrate diversity and reinforce that bowls is a sport where participants can compete authentically and safely. Two Australian Jackaroos - Serena Bonnell and Lee Schraner also continued their roles as Australian Institute of Sport Thrive with Pride Ambassadors, advocating for inclusive sporting environments and greater visibility for LGBTQ+ athletes. The Australian Open also marked an important milestone for disability inclusion, with four disability categories contested for the first time following the introduction of Deaf and Hard of Hearing and Intellectual Disability competitions alongside existing Para events.

CELEBRATING EXCELLENCE AND REPRESENTATION BA celebrated the outstanding achievements of staff member and Para Jackaroo Jimmy Reynolds, who won two gold medals at the 2025 World Cup and was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player across all 72 open and para players. Jimmy’s success highlights Australia’s continued excellence in Para Bowls and the importance of creating pathways for athletes of all abilities to perform on the world stage.

WORKING TOGETHER DEI progress during 2025-26 reflects the collective efforts of BA staff, the Board, Member States and Territories, clubs, athletes and strategic partners, including Reconciliation Australia, Pride in Sport, CM Sport, Disability Sports Australia, Sports Inclusion Australia, the Australian Sports Commission and the Australian Institute of Sport. As BA delivers the Bold Bowls | Fun Bowls Action Agenda, diversity, equity and inclusion will remain an important enabler of the sport’s ambition to better reflect the diversity of Australia and ensure every participant experiences a safe, welcoming and enjoyable environment.

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ENCOURAGING SHORTER FORMATS WHILE PRESERVING TRADITIONAL FORMATS

PROGRAMS AND FORMATS REVIEW

ROOKIE ROLLERS

BA and the State and Territory Associations engaged Gemba to undertake a national Programs and Formats Review to better understand the current and potential bowls participation landscape and inform future approaches to growing participation.

Rookie Rollers continued to deliver strong outcomes in 202526, providing an engaging and inclusive introduction to bowls for school-aged children.

The review had three key objectives: to better understand current and potential bowls participants and the broader participation landscape; assess how well the current suite of programs meets participant needs and identify potential gaps; and leverage market research insights to inform future strategies to increase national participation.

Building on this success, BA will continue to expand Rookie Rollers, with a focus on increasing national participation, strengthening school partnerships and providing greater opportunities for children in regional and remote communities.

As part of the review, BA undertook a sport-first market research program, engaging with five key participant segments: current Competition Bowlers, lapsed Competition Bowlers, current casual bowlers, lapsed casual bowlers and non-bowlers. This provided deeper insight into the motivations, needs, barriers and behaviours across the participation pathway.

20,000+ 152

A key challenge identified was converting casual participants into more regular participants. While approximately 1.8 million Australians participate in bowls each year, engagement remains relatively shallow, with declining playing membership and Pennant participation. Barefoot Bowls provides a strong entry point, but has limited conversion into regular participation, while time constraints and low awareness of shorter formats were identified as key barriers.

SCHOOL SPORT AUSTRALIA NATIONAL BOWLS CHAMPIONSHIPS

In response, BA and the STAs developed a National Participation Action Plan, establishing a Try > Play > Compete > Perform framework and 11 key actions across four priorities: an Integrated and Engaging Participant Pathway, promoting shorter formats and leveraging the BPL/BPL Cup pathway; a National Approach with Local Delivery, providing consistent guidelines while allowing local flexibility; Enhanced Club Support, through the new Community Guide and strengthened Club Support Program; and Optimised Data Capture, through stronger participant data via BowlsLink, digital re-engagement and gamification of Barefoot Bowls. A key initiative arising from the review was the Community Guide for Bowls Clubs, translating the research and Action Plan into practical guidance for clubs, particularly around creating shorter, more accessible experiences that can help move participants from Try to Play. Together, the Research Report, Participation Action Plan and Community Guide provide a clear evidence base and practical roadmap for delivering the Play Well pillar of the 2025–2028 Strategy and growing participation across the sport.

Through the Sporting Schools initiative, 152 programs were delivered nationally, reaching more than 20,000 primary school students and introducing them to the fundamentals of the sport.

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PRIMARY SCHOOL STUDENTS PROGRAMS NATIONALLY

Australia’s emerging young talent was on display at the School Sport Australia National Bowls Championships at Club Pine Rivers, with Victoria claiming overall honours for the second consecutive year. Victoria topped the teams competition ahead of New South Wales and Queensland. The individual disciplines produced a spread of success across the States, with Western Australia’s Callum Alberti winning the singles, New South Wales claiming gold in the pairs and triples, and Queensland taking the fours title. The championships also saw the selection of an All Australian Team, recognising the outstanding performers across the event: • Callum Alberti – WA • Jacob Cartwright – VIC • Cooper Gersbach – NSW • Sam Griffiths – NSW • Jacob Hoger – QLD • Darcy Jones – SA • Tahlia Kennedy – NSW • Tilah Mason – QLD • Levi Rice – QLD The event continues to provide an important pathway for young people to experience competitive bowls and develop their skills within a national competition environment.

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PEOPLE, CULTURE & CAPABILITY The launch of the Bold Bowls | Fun Bowls Action Agenda in July 2025 established a clear strategic direction for the sport and provided a key focus for the BA Annual All-Staff Conference, held in late August and early September. The conference brought together staff from across the organisation to strengthen collaboration, build capability and develop a shared understanding of the Action Agenda’s priorities. Through a program of expert presentations, workshops and professional development activities, staff gained practical knowledge and insights to support their roles and contribute to the successful delivery of organisational objectives. The conference also provided an important opportunity to align efforts across the organisation and reinforce a collective commitment to continuous improvement and the future growth of the sport. Throughout the year, BA continued to foster a positive and values-driven workplace culture. Staff who demonstrated the organisation’s values and behaviours were recognised through peer appreciation initiatives and formal recognition programs, helping to strengthen engagement and celebrate individual and team contributions. Professional development remained a key priority, with training delivered through both internal and external partners. A significant focus was placed on organisation-wide Respect and Inclusion training, supporting BA’s commitment to creating a safe, welcoming and inclusive environment for staff, volunteers and participants. Monthly Lunch and Learn sessions were also introduced, providing opportunities for staff to build knowledge across a range of topics, including Microsoft Office, Canva and the experiences of women and girls in sport. A major achievement during 2025-26 was the delivery of the Women in Bowls Leadership Program, an initiative designed to build the skills, confidence and networks of women across all levels of the sport. Supported by the Australian Sports Commission’s Women Leaders in Sport (WLIS) program and State and Territory Associations, the program reinforced BA’s commitment to increasing leadership opportunities and advancing gender equity within bowls.

Following a competitive Expression of Interest process, twelve participants were selected to participate in the program. The learning experience combined a series of online development sessions with a four-day residential leadership program in Melbourne. The curriculum was co-designed with participants and tailored to the opportunities and challenges experienced by women in the sport. A peer mentoring and buddy system further supported learning, accountability and the practical application of leadership skills. The impact of the program extended beyond the formal learning experience. Participants led several initiatives within their communities, including the delivery of a women’s social bowls event that attracted 42 new participants, the introduction of a shorter-format women-only competition, and the implementation of a structured approach to ensuring regular coverage of both men’s and women’s events. These initiatives demonstrated the practical application of leadership skills while creating new participation and visibility opportunities for women in bowls. To maintain the momentum generated by the program, many participants joined BA’s newly established Women in Bowls Working Group in 2026. Meeting quarterly, the group provides a forum to identify opportunities, contribute to existing projects and inform initiatives that support women across the sport. The Working Group will continue to play an important role in strengthening leadership pathways and promoting greater representation of women throughout the bowls community. We acknowledge and thank the following staff members who departed during 2025-26: Max Vollebergh, Elke Bellgrove, Paul Holtschke, Emma Hedges, Patrick Newson, and Daniel Riddiford.

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COACHING The past 12 months marked a major step forward in BA’s coach development strategy, with the national coaching pathway relaunched and modernised to better support clubs, coaches, volunteers, players and participants at all levels of the sport. The updated accreditation structure reflects contemporary participation trends, modern coaching practice and the evolving needs of bowls communities nationwide, strengthening club capability and supporting more positive experiences for people entering and progressing through the sport. A key milestone was the update of the former Introductory Coach course with the new Bowls Host accreditation. The Bowls Host accreditation provides an accessible entry point for volunteers and club staff who facilitate barefoot bowls and social bowling experiences. As barefoot bowls is often a person’s first interaction with the sport, the accreditation helps clubs deliver welcoming, enjoyable and safe experiences that create positive first impressions and encourage ongoing participation. Bowls Hosts are equipped with the knowledge, skills and confidence to introduce newcomers to the game, explain fundamental concepts, manage safety and deliver engaging social experiences. The accreditation is designed for people of all experience levels and does not require previous playing or coaching expertise. In doing so, it supports participant attraction and retention while giving clubs an opportunity to broaden and diversify their pool of volunteers and local club champions by engaging people from different backgrounds within their surrounding communities. The former Club Coach course has also been redeveloped and relaunched as the Community Coach accreditation. This program strengthens grassroots coaching capability by supporting coaches to deliver inclusive, player-centred sessions in club and community settings. It focuses on positive learning environments, practical coaching techniques, effective session planning and engagement strategies that help players build skill, confidence and decision-making on the green. A central principle of the accreditation is helping players become “more accurate, more often”, while ensuring enjoyment, learning and personal growth remain at the forefront of the coaching experience. At the higher end of the pathway, the Performance Coach accreditation is BA’s premier coaching accreditation and is designed for experienced coaches working in representative and elite performance environments. As the modernised successor to the Advanced Coach accreditation, the program aligns with the Australian Sports Commission’s modern

2025-26 ANNUAL REPORT

coaching approach and contemporary coaching principles, with a focus on achieving performance outcomes while fostering positive and sustainable high-performance cultures. Delivered annually, the accreditation combines comprehensive online learning with a four-day immersive residential program at the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra. Conducted alongside a BA High Performance camp, the program gives coaches practical exposure to elite athlete preparation, advanced coaching practice and highperformance environments. As coach development continues to evolve, the voice of coaches remains central to decision-making. This year’s annual national coaching survey received 605 responses, providing valuable insight into the needs and priorities of coaches across the country. Feedback highlighted strong demand for access to session plans, more ideas for practical training activities and greater support in the psychological and tactical aspects of coaching. These insights are helping guide the development of practical resources, learning opportunities and support for coaches at all levels. To further strengthen coach engagement, the National Coaches Consultation Group was established and has met four times during the past year. The group provides a national voice for coaches, offering direct input into the new Coach Development Framework and helping shape the future direction of coach education, resources and support initiatives. Alongside the updates to the accreditation pathway, coach education delivery continued across the country through BowlsLearn and face-to-face learning and assessment activities delivered by each State and Territory Association. During the transition to the new accreditation structure, 167 individuals attained accreditation through the Introductory and/or Club Coach pathway, while a further 334 coaches successfully completed their reaccreditation requirements. Heading into 2026-27, BA will continue to strengthen coach development by building a more inclusive, flexible and adaptable learning experience. This work will ensure bowls coaching in Australia remains contemporary, underpinned by high standards and best practice, and responsive to the changing needs of the sport, its clubs, coaches, players and participants.

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OFFICIATING During the reporting period, BA’s National Officiating Advisory Group (NOAG) met online on five occasions, including one meeting attended by State and Territory Association Umpires Committee Chairs.

Key achievements included:

ADVISORY AND SUPPORT ROLE

• Review, update and publication of the following BA policies: – Artificial Devices Policy – Weather Policy – Instantaneous Penalty Policy – Appeals Against an Umpire Decision Policy • Continued support for the rollout of online officiating learning modules through BowlsLearn. • Ongoing consultation with World Bowls and the World Bowls Laws Committee on matters relating to the Laws of the Sport, both domestically and internationally. • Development and submission of proposed law changes to the World Bowls Laws Committee. • Administration of International Technical Officials (ITOs) and provision of officiating support across BA events. • Continued oversight of footwear, umpire equipment and bowling arm approvals. • Establishment of a dedicated application process for bowling arm approvals. • Introduction of a more structured process for keeping State and Territory Associations informed of key matters being considered by NOAG.

NOAG continued to play an important supporting and consultative role with State and Territory Associations in the delivery of the National Officiating Scheme, while also responding to a broad range of questions relating to the Laws of the Sport from across the bowls community.

2025-26 ANNUAL REPORT

During the year, NOAG worked closely with State and Territory Associations to develop a formal submission to the World Bowls Laws Committee proposing changes to the Laws of the Sport.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Long-serving NOAG members Tony Sherwill and Andrew Lynn concluded their time with the group during the reporting period, and BA acknowledges and thanks them for their significant contribution and service. BA also acknowledges the passing of NOAG member Barry Ashby following a long illness. Barry made a substantial contribution to bowls at club, district, state and national level, particularly within Queensland and the Sunshine Coast bowls community. BA extends its condolences to Barry’s family, friends and all those who knew and worked alongside him.

PLAY WELL

INTEGRITY The 2025/26 year marked an important evolution in Bowls’ integrity arrangements. BA moved from a single integrity role, which combined investigation and education, to an integrity unit model in which separate specialists lead each function. The change follows BA's 2022 adoption of the National Integrity Framework (NIF) set by Sport Integrity Australia (SIA). It also follows SIA's 2024 policy rewrite, which shifted the majority of complaint management responsibility from SIA to National Sporting Organisations like BA, and a review of resourcing practices in other leading sports. A further policy review is scheduled for 2026/27. BA’s integrity unit now comprises: • an independent external reporting hotline • a dedicated case management system • an experienced investigator, engaged part-time as Integrity Case Manager • a new full-time Inclusion & Integrity Education Manager, bringing integrity education together with BA’s diversity, equity and inclusion work. The unit works closely with STA integrity leads. It also works with SIA on the safeguarding and member protection matters that fall within SIA’s jurisdiction.

BUILDING THE NATIONAL SYSTEM Several themes emerged during the year and now shape our forward plans: • Case management: Moving to RELY, an industry-leading integrity case management platform. We thank Bowls NSW and the NSW Office for Sport for their proactive leadership that provides for our participation in a pilot of this core technology requirement for secure, efficient and effective complaint management. • Policy clarity: Confirming and supporting implementation that the NIF prevails over inconsistent STA or club policies, and that clubs and STAs must not investigate or sanction NIF matters unless BA has expressly delegated that authority. • Supporting infrastructure: Designing a national sanctions register, a national membership acceptance clause, a ClubMap Integrity Hub and a Club Integrity Toolkit to be launched in 2026/27. • Networks: Supporting STA Integrity Leads and delegated investigators, and taking first steps towards a club-level Member Protection Information Officer network.

CASEWORK BA received 118 integrity matters and closed 101 during the year. Most were resolved without formal investigation, consistent with BA’s view that the least intrusive effective pathway is generally the right one. The most common issues were harassment, bullying, Code of Conduct breaches, discrimination and victimisation. This confirms that the sport’s greatest integrity risk is behavioural, rather than doping or match-fixing. Five matters of the 118 matters were handled by SIA. BA also reviewed a number of disproportionate club-imposed suspensions, particularly where natural justice had not been afforded, and delegated state-level matters to STAs where appropriate.

EDUCATION AND ENGAGEMENT BA’s Integrity Compliance Plan was updated to align with SIA guidance. It supported the preparation of BA’s Commonwealth Games team and informs a new two-layer national education model, focused on participants in The Nationals. During the Australian Open, BA partnered with SIA’s Integrity Education Officers to deliver community outreach at Broadbeach Bowls Club. The unit also facilitated a workshop at the State and Territory Consultative Body meeting on the experiences of women and girls in bowls, building on the Bowls Victoria-led Deakin Women’s Participation Report and work undertaken by the Bowls Australia Women & Girls Working Group.

LOOKING AHEAD Four years ago, integrity complaint management sat within other substantive roles and no integrity education was delivered nationally to the Bowls community. BA now has a small dedicated integrity unit. Even so, the integrity of the sport remains everyone's responsibility, from players and volunteers to clubs, STAs and BA. In 2026/27, coinciding with the update to the National Integrity Framework, BA will relaunch its integrity resourcing support to clubs. It will also progress a national sanctions register, model membership acceptance clause, and further the rollout of the national integrity education program. The goal remains a sport where every participant is safe, respected and treated fairly, at every club and in every state, all of the time.

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WIN WELL Firstly, BA’s High Performance (HP) team would like to acknowledge the continued and invaluable support of the Australian Sports Commission (ASC), Australian Institute of Sport (AIS), Commonwealth Games Australia (CGA), our State and Territory Associations (STAs), clubs, families, friends and all stakeholders who continue to play an important role in supporting our athletes and the High Performance program.

2025-26 ANNUAL REPORT

WIN WELL

Preparation for the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games has been the major focus of the HP program throughout the past 12 months. With bowls and para bowls to be contested indoors, our preparation was deliberately designed to provide athletes with greater exposure to the conditions, surfaces and style of play they would encounter at the Games. Indoor bowls presents a unique challenge for Australia. Many of the UK nations have significantly greater exposure to indoor competition and familiarity with the nuances of the surface, including bowl selection, lines of play and the way bowls react in these conditions. Creating opportunities for our athletes to experience these environments first-hand was therefore an important part of our preparation. The Jackaroos travelled to Glasgow on two occasions during the year, providing valuable opportunities to familiarise athletes and staff with both the local environment and indoor playing conditions. The first visit came in October 2025, with Australia taking on Scotland in a Test Series and recording an overall series victory. In February 2026, the Commonwealth Games squad was reduced to six Open men, six Open women and three Para pairs combinations before travelling to Malaysia. The series provided another important opportunity to compete on portable rinks designed to replicate those being prepared for Glasgow, with Australia again securing the overall series victory. The preparation and selection process continued in April and May, when the squad was further reduced to four Open men, four Open women and three Para pairs combinations. The athletes returned to Glasgow to compete in a Four Nations event against Scotland, Malaysia and Northern Ireland. This represented the final international competition opportunity and selection tool before the National Selection Panel finalised the Australian team for the Commonwealth Games. Kelsey Cottrell and Dawn Hayman highlighted Australia’s performances at the event by claiming gold in the Women’s Pairs. The following Commonwealths Games 2026 team for Glasgow was announced on 19 May 2026: Open Men’s Singles: Aaron Wilson (Cabramatta, NSW) Men’s Pairs: Corey Wedlock (Merrylands, NSW) & Aaron Teys (Warilla, NSW) Women’s Singles: Ellen Fife (Cabramatta, NSW) Women’s Pairs: Dawn Hayman (St Johns Park, NSW) & Kelsey Cottrell (Club Helensvale, QLD) Para Para men’s pairs: Damien Delgado (Club Tweed, QLD) & James Reynolds (Cabramatta, NSW) Para women’s pairs: Louise Hoskins (South Johnstone, QLD) & Serena Bonnell (Club Tweed, QLD) Vision-Impaired mixed pairs: Jacky Hudson (Soldiers Point, NSW) & Jake Fehlberg (Bargara, QLD)

Alongside the targeted Glasgow campaign, Australian athletes continued to achieve outstanding results internationally. Corey Wedlock and Lee Schraner claimed Pairs gold at the Lion City Cup, while Joseph Clarke won the Singles title at the World Bowls Junior Indoor Championships. Para Jackaroo James Reynolds enjoyed an outstanding World Cup campaign, winning gold in the Men’s Para Singles before combining with Serena Bonnell to claim the Mixed Para Pairs title. Further success came through Dawn Hayman in the World Bowls Series, while Kelsey Cottrell and Corey Wedlock combined to become World Bowls Indoor Mixed Pairs champions. Wedlock added a silver medal in the Singles at the same championships, further demonstrating the depth and versatility of Australian athletes across different formats and international environments. Off the green, the Jackaroos continued their work with the Australian Institute of Sport to strengthen the physical preparation of our athletes. Strength and Conditioning remained an important component of the broader High Performance approach, with individualised programs supporting athletes to better meet the physical demands of international competition. Athlete wellbeing also remained an integral focus of the program and an important reflection of our “Person First, Player Second” philosophy. During the year, the program participated in an independent wellbeing survey conducted by the AIS, achieving an overall wellbeing score of 76.3 and a rating of “Thriving”, above the national average of 73.8. This result provides valuable validation of the environment being created around our athletes and reinforces our commitment to pursuing performance outcomes while supporting the person behind the player. It also forms a year one baseline for a key measure of our Action Agenda to 2028. The year represented an important period of purposeful preparation for one of the most unique challenges our program has faced. Through targeted international competition, increased exposure to indoor and portable-rink conditions, continued investment in physical preparation and athlete wellbeing, and a considered selection process, the program sought to leave no stone unturned in preparing for Glasgow 2026. The preparation undertaken throughout 2025-26 has provided our athletes with valuable experience and a greater understanding of the conditions and challenges they will face on the international stage on an ongoing basis. More importantly, it has reflected the standards and commitment expected of the Jackaroos, our “Person First, Player Second” philosophy, and our determination to pursue international success in a way that makes Australian bowls proud.

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PARA REPORT This year has been an extremely successful year for our Para Jackaroos program; highlighted by James Reynolds claiming the overall player of the tournament at the Inaugural World Cup held in Malaysia. Where he won the Para Men’s Singles and Para Mixed Pairs with Serena Bonnell. The Para Jackaroos travelled to Singapore and competed in the Merlion Cup – the first Para only International event that they have competed in, seeing the depth of Para Bowls being grown upon the world stage. A fantastic experience for the selected athletes under testing and challenging conditions - outdoor synthetic surfaces coupled with extremely hot and humid weather. The athletes performed well and gained valuable experience against quality opposition – coming home with two silver and a bronze medal. Collaboration with performance support services has ensured our Para Jackaroos continue to strongly develop optimal and effective preparation, performance, team culture dynamic and interaction strategies. Continued financial support from the Australian Sports Commission Para Athlete Barriers Funding has reduced out-of-pocket costs for our categorised athletes related to training, coaching and travel further reducing barriers to their performance and progression.

VISUALLY IMPAIRED DIRECTORS As part of our commitment to achieving the highest performance and cultural standards across the High Performance program, BA introduced a HP-appointed Director model for our Visually Impaired (VI) athletes.

2025-26 ANNUAL REPORT

With the move to shorter-format competition at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games, the Director role has become increasingly important in supporting athlete performance through strong technical and tactical understanding of the game. The approach aligns with other Paralympic sports, including Triathlon, Cycling and Boccia, while also removing a potential barrier for athletes who may not have access to a suitable Director or whose existing Director cannot meet the ongoing requirements of the HP program.

WORLD BOWLS PARA COMMITTEE The appointment of BA HP staff member, Leah Lazzaro, to the newly formed World Bowls Para Committee as the Oceania representative marks an important milestone for Australian Para Bowls. The committee will play a key role in supporting the growth and development of Para Bowls globally, with a focus on creating greater opportunities, removing barriers to participation and ensuring athletes of all abilities feel valued and supported. Importantly, this work will help strengthen the pathway from grassroots participation and talent identification through to opportunities at the elite international level.

WIN WELL

ATHLETE WELLBEING Athlete wellbeing continued to be an integral part of the High Performance program, underpinned by our “Person First, Player Second” philosophy and alignment with the Win Well principles, which saw the program move to a fully integrated support model. Our approach recognises that supporting athletes as people is fundamental to creating an environment in which they can thrive, perform and develop both within and beyond the sport. We continue to work collaboratively with the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS), accessing valuable resources, engaging in webinars and participating in athlete-focused programs. This includes the Start Strong Program and Para Athlete Wellbeing Support (PAWS) Program, which provide holistic development and wellbeing support for athletes as they transition into, through and beyond high performance sport.

mindset, self-awareness, team connection and positive mental health practices that underpin both performance and wellbeing. A key focus throughout the year has been developing greater self-awareness and understanding of athletes as individuals and teammates.

All Emerging athletes completed the Start Strong Program, further strengthening their understanding of wellbeing and the support available throughout their sporting journey.

Through education around personal strengths and values, athletes have explored how these influence their behaviours, communication and impact within a team, supporting stronger relationships and continuing to build a positive and connected team culture.

The annual AIS Camp in March 2026 brought together our Open and Para Jackaroos, alongside our Emerging athletes, providing an important opportunity for the broader squad to connect in one environment.

Serena Bonnell and Lee Schraner continue to represent the program as Thrive with Pride Ambassadors, while Cooper Whitestyles and Olivia Cartwright continue to support the AIS Mental Fitness Program in 2026.

Athletes engaged in workshops designed to support their development as both people and athletes, strengthening

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PERFORMANCE PATHWAYS REPORT Performance Pathways continues to play a vital role in developing Australia’s future Jackaroos by providing talented athletes with nationally aligned coaching, education and competition opportunities that prepare them for international success.

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PATHWAY ATHLETES NATIONALLY

EMERGING & PARA EMERGING JACKAROOS

STATE ACADEMY ATHLETES

Key initiatives included the National Development Series in July 2025, annual Performance Development Days and the Emerging Jackaroos Squad Camp at the Australian Institute of Sport, providing athletes with high-quality coaching, performance education and opportunities to benchmark their development against national standards.

Recognising that success at the highest level extends beyond technical ability, all pathway athletes completed the Mental Performance in Competition Program, complemented by a series of High Performance MasterClass sessions designed to strengthen performance habits, resilience and competition readiness.

NATIONAL RADAR SQUAD ATHLETES

During 2025-26, the pathway system continued to evolve, supporting 128 athletes nationally across three key tiers: 25 Emerging and Para Emerging Jackaroos, 78 State Academy athletes and the newly established 25 athlete National Radar Squad. The Radar Squad was introduced to recognise athletes identified by National and State Selection Panels as future high performance program prospects. A network of five Performance Pathways Coaches, working in collaboration with State and Territory Associations, continued to deliver a nationally aligned athlete development program.

International competition remained a key component of athlete development, with Emerging Jackaroos representing Australia at the World Under 25 Singles and Mixed Pairs Championships, as well as competing at the Burnside Pairs and Burnside Under 26 Singles in New Zealand. These experiences continue to accelerate athlete growth by exposing emerging players to elite international competition. The strength of the pathway was reflected in both athlete performances and progression throughout the year. Notably, Joseph Clarke claiming the World Under 25 Singles title in Belfast, while Jack McShane, Olivia Cartwright, Jessie Cottell, and Kaytlyn Smith progressed from the Emerging Jackaroos into the Open and Para Jackaroos squads. A further five State Based Academy athletes – Brendan Wilson, Amity Bickley, Sheridon Bodnar, Joanne Frost and Aaron Kelly – earned selection into the Emerging Jackaroos program, demonstrating the effectiveness of the national pathway in developing athletes ready for the next level. Looking ahead, BA remains committed to identifying, developing and supporting Australia’s next generation of Jackaroos through continued collaboration with State and Territory Associations, investment in coach capability and the delivery of world-class athlete development opportunities.

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BOWLS AUSTRALIA

TELL OUR STORY The launch of the Bold Bowls | Fun Bowls Action Agenda 2025-2028 established Tell Our Story as one of BA’s four strategic pillars, with a clear ambition to elevate bowls, clubs and communities, strengthen the profile and relevance of the sport, and connect more Australians to bowls.

2025-26 ANNUAL REPORT

TELL OUR STORY

During 2025-26, BA invested significantly in the foundations required to deliver that ambition. Greater emphasis was placed on national marketing, audience research, digital storytelling, media, athlete profiling and broadcast, supported by a more coordinated approach to telling stories that demonstrate the breadth of experiences available across bowls. The year provided some of the sport’s strongest storytelling opportunities, from the launch of Bowls for Brisbane 2032 and The Long Roll, to the Australian Jackaroos’ international performances, the build-up to the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games and another record-breaking Australian Open. Together, these initiatives helped present bowls not simply as a competitive sport, but as an important part of Australian communities, with clubs that bring people together through sport, social connection, entertainment and shared experiences. BUILDING A NATIONAL MARKETING PLATFORM A major priority during the year was the development of BA’s first national marketing and storytelling platform under the new Action Agenda. Working with PLAY Sport Marketing, and supported by consultation across BA’s Senior Leadership Team, Board and State and Territory Associations, the organisation developed “Bowls. It’s How We Roll.” as a long-term creative platform capable of representing the many varied reasons Australians engage with bowls and bowls clubs.

Content planning incorporated hero video, short-form social content, photography and supporting creative assets, with a particular focus on reaching non-participants and light users aged 25-54. Importantly, the strategy was also developed to enable clubs to participate in the campaign rather than simply receive national content.

The strategy was deliberately designed to extend beyond traditional perceptions of bowls as simply an on-green activity.

Planning commenced for a Club Toolkit providing editable campaign templates, social assets, branding and digital resources that clubs could adapt for their own local audiences and offers.

It recognises clubs as places where people connect with friends and family, attend events, enjoy food and entertainment, participate socially and competitively, volunteer and contribute to their local community.

Creative development, research and initial production preparation were substantially progressed by the end of the financial year, positioning the campaign for national rollout in 2026-27.

The campaign framework was developed around six audience personas, enabling different aspects of the bowls experience to be showcased to different audiences while remaining connected through one consistent national platform.

It’s how we roll

BOWLS AUSTRALIA

TELL OUR STORY

ESTABLISHING A NATIONAL BRAND & PERCEPTION BASELINE A key objective of the Bold Bowls | Fun Bowls Action Agenda is to establish, and then increase, a measure of brand recognition and awareness of bowls. To provide a genuine benchmark, BA commissioned a National Awareness & Perception Survey in May 2026, capturing approximately 1,037 respondents and focusing particularly on non-participants and lapsed audiences. The research provided an important strategic insight: awareness of bowls is already exceptionally high at 94 per cent. The greater opportunity lies in improving the modern relevance of the sport and its clubs. The 2026 baseline established: • 94% awareness of bowls • 91% association of bowls as a social activity • 88% association of bowls as a competitive sport • 84% likelihood to visit a bowls club • 83% positive social perception • 79% lifestyle relevance • 68% perception of inclusivity • 42% modern relevance.

2025-26 ANNUAL REPORT

These findings directly informed the national marketing strategy. Rather than investing heavily in simply trying to introduce Australians to bowls, the opportunity is to change and broaden what people think about the sport and its clubs, particularly among those who are aware of bowls but do not yet consider it relevant to their own lifestyle. The research provides BA with a national baseline that can be replicated annually, enabling the organisation to assess whether its marketing and storytelling activity is improving awareness, relevance, consideration and perceptions over time.

94% AWARENESS

42%

MODERN RELEVANCE

TELL OUR STORY

BOWLS FOR BRISBANE 2032 One of the year’s most significant storytelling initiatives was the launch of Bowls for Brisbane 2032, BA’s campaign to pursue inclusion of bowls and para bowls on the Olympic and Paralympic Games programs. The campaign was launched on 28 July 2025 alongside the Bold Bowls | Fun Bowls Action Agenda and celebrations marking 180 years of bowls in Australia. Rather than positioning the campaign solely around elite sport, Bowls for Brisbane provided an opportunity to demonstrate the breadth, accessibility and community footprint of bowls across Australia. The ambition was brought to life through a number of major activations, including an Australia versus Rest of the World showcase match at Bowls Premier League #22 and, later in the year, The Long Roll. Held between late April and mid-May 2026, The Long Roll was a 1,000-kilometre relay of bowls from Sydney to Brisbane, travelling through 32 host clubs and involving Australian Jackaroos, club members and thousands of community participants.

The initiative connected a national ambition with grassroots bowls communities, creating content and media opportunities across the journey while enabling individual clubs to become part of the Brisbane 2032 story. It demonstrated the power of combining national advocacy with authentic local storytelling and reinforced the role clubs can play in amplifying the sport’s broader ambitions.

1,000 KM 32 CLUBS SYD > BRIS

BOWLS AUSTRALIA

TELL OUR STORY

PROMOTING THE AUSTRALIAN JACKAROOS Building greater public recognition of the Australian Jackaroos continued to be an important component of BA’s storytelling strategy. A busy international calendar provided regular opportunities to showcase the performances and personalities of Australia’s leading players across digital, media and owned channels.

The announcement of Australia’s 12-athlete bowls and para bowls team for Glasgow in May 2026 became one of the most significant athlete profiling opportunities of the year.

Australian athletes delivered outstanding performances during the year, including two gold medals at the inaugural World Cup and mixed pairs gold through Kelsey Cottrell and Corey Wedlock at the World Bowls Indoor Championships.

The communications approach placed greater emphasis on individual athlete stories, photography, video and personalityled content, helping audiences understand not only what Australia’s best players achieve on the green, but who they are away from competition.

International tours and benchmark events across Scotland, Malaysia and Singapore provided further opportunities to profile the squad and build momentum towards the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games.

This represented an important step towards the longer-term objective of making Australia’s elite bowlers more recognisable, relatable and valuable ambassadors for the sport.

COMMUNICATIONS, CONTENT AND DIGITAL BA’s digital and communications channels remained central to connecting the bowls community with national events, athletes, programs, clubs and major announcements. Throughout 2025-26, content was delivered across bowls.com. au, social media, video platforms, email and direct stakeholder communications, supported by proactive media relations and national event coverage. The content strategy continued to evolve beyond competition results and traditional news reporting, with increased emphasis on short-form video, athlete personality, behind-the-scenes access, community storytelling and content tailored specifically for social audiences. Major events provided significant content opportunities throughout the year. The Australian Open again delivered record participation in June 2026, bringing together open, para, senior and junior competitors across the Gold Coast.

2025-26 ANNUAL REPORT

Major event coverage was complemented by storytelling around participants, clubs, the Hall of Fame and Awards Night and the broader festival experience surrounding the event. This continued the strong digital trajectory established in the previous reporting period, when the Australian Open recorded record digital engagement, media coverage and livestream viewership. The Bowls for Brisbane 2032 campaign, The Long Roll and the Commonwealth Games team announcement provided further opportunities to take bowls stories beyond the sport’s traditional audience and generate greater visibility through television, radio, print, digital and social channels.

TELL OUR STORY

MEDIA & PUBLIC PROFILE Proactive media engagement remained an important tool in raising the profile of bowls nationally. BA worked with national, metropolitan, regional and specialist media across the year to generate coverage around Australian teams and athletes, major events, club initiatives, awards, honours and strategic announcements. Particular emphasis continued to be placed on stories that demonstrate the high performance nature of bowls, and the diversity of bowls and the people involved in it. This included increased profiling of para athletes and emerging athletes, community stories, club initiatives and individuals whose experiences demonstrate the accessibility and inclusivity of bowls.

That recognition reflected the organisation’s sustained commitment to inclusive and authentic sports storytelling, particularly the profile afforded to para athletes. During 2025-26, that philosophy continued to underpin the organisation’s media approach: using strong sporting performances to generate attention while ensuring the personalities, communities and experiences behind those performances were also part of the story.

BA entered the reporting period having been recognised as a finalist in the Australian Sports Commission Media Awards for a fourth consecutive year.

BROADCAST & STREAMING Broadcast remained one of BA’s most important mechanisms for presenting the sport to audiences beyond its existing participation base. Major BA events, including the two Bowls Premier League staged annually and the Australian Open finals, continued to receive distribution through established broadcast partners including 7plus, Fox Sports, Kayo Sports and Sky Sport New Zealand, alongside digital streaming across BAowned channels. These platforms have created a significant multi-platform footprint for bowls domestically and internationally.

A significant focus during 2025-26 was preparation for the next phase of BA’s broadcast strategy. With BA preparing to change its business model to having full responsibility and control over its commercial and broadcast rights from November 2026, the organisation undertook an extensive competitive Request for Tender process for future broadcast production of our major events.

The Bowls Premier League remained an important broadcast product, combining elite bowls with entertainment and a fastpaced format designed for television and digital audiences.

The process examined production standards, innovation, distribution opportunities, digital integration and the role broadcast can play in strengthening the profiles of athletes, events and clubs.

The Australian Open also continued to provide an important national broadcast showcase for the sport, complemented by extensive live-streaming throughout the 15-day event.

This provided BA with an opportunity to reconsider how its broadcast product is packaged, distributed and integrated with its broader storytelling strategy.

BOWLS AUSTRALIA

TELL OUR STORY

ONE NATIONAL STORY, MANY LOCAL STORIES A central principle of the Tell Our Story strategy is that national perception will not be changed by BA alone. Circa 1,750 clubs across Australia represent one of the sport’s greatest promotional assets. Each has its own people, history, personality, audiences and role within its community. The national marketing approach developed during 2025-26 was therefore deliberately designed as a platform that State and Territory Associations and clubs can leverage, rather than one that replaces existing state or local activity. This philosophy enables BA to create national scale and consistency while allowing clubs to tell stories that are authentic to their own communities. It also recognises an important opportunity within the bowls ecosystem: many larger clubs already maintain substantial databases and relationships with social members and patrons who regularly use their venues but do not currently participate in bowls.

By connecting national campaign activity with club-owned digital channels, databases and local experiences, BA can help bridge the gap between awareness, visitation, digital connection and ultimately participation. That approach supports the long-term Bold Bowls | Fun Bowls ambition to position bowls as a prominent sport of choice, with clubs recognised as vibrant community hubs and a growing digitally connected community around the sport.

~1,750 CLUBS NATIONALLY

A FOUNDATION FOR MEASURABLE CHANGE

“Australians already know bowls.” The first year of Tell Our Story was ultimately about building the foundations for sustained change. BA established its first national awareness and perception benchmark, developed a long-term national marketing platform, increased focus on athlete and community storytelling, strengthened digital and media activity, delivered major national advocacy initiatives and prepared for a new era of broadcast ownership and distribution. Most importantly, the work undertaken during 2025-26 clarified the challenge ahead: Australians already know bowls.

2025-26 ANNUAL REPORT

The opportunity is to ensure more Australians see bowls, and bowls clubs, as modern, relevant, welcoming and for people like them. That provides a clear benchmark for the remaining years of the Bold Bowls | Fun Bowls Action Agenda, and a measurable foundation against which the success of BA’s future storytelling can be assessed.

TELL OUR STORY

GROW FINANCIALLY The 2025-26 year saw BA continue to grow its national commercial program across partnerships, the National Merchandise Program (NMP) and government relationships. Alongside this, the organisation invested significant time and effort preparing for an important transition in how the sport's commercial partnership rights are to be managed and delivered. Preparation for this transition included developing a commercial model designed to harness the genuine size and passion of the Australian Bowls community. This is central to BA’s Grow Financially pillar within the Bold Bowls I Fun Bowls Action Agenda, ensuring the sport is well positioned to capitalise on its commercial opportunities.

PARTNERSHIPS BA maintained a strong portfolio of national partners across the year, and was pleased to welcome new partner Hostplus, who activated with a strong brand presence across BA’s events and platforms, and to welcome back the charity organisation Jodi Lee Bowel Cancer Foundation as an Official Partner. BA also valued the continued support of its tourism partnerships with Tourism and Events Queensland (TEQ) and Experience Gold Coast (EGC), whose support was instrumental in the delivery of the Australian Open 2026, and Events Tasmania, whose support underpinned the delivery of The 2025 Nationals in Devonport. TripADeal continued as BA's travel partner, activating at the Australian Open and the Bowls Premier League (BPL), providing international travel package offers for our bowls community.

NATIONAL MERCHANDISE PROGRAM Following the implementation of recommendations from the prior year's independent expert review, 2025-26 was a year of consolidating those changes with continued focus on compliance, reporting and marketing of the program. This growth in professionalism and standards led to revenue growth across the program, with the NMP now comprising 29 licensees across a range of categories.

OUTLOOK The year ahead marks the implementation phase of BA's Grow Financially priority, as the organisation transitions to direct commercial partnerships ownership from 1 November 1 2026. Building on the preparation undertaken through 2025-26, BA enters 2026-27 ready to grow its national Commercial Partnerships program and its other revenue streams, including the NMP, in turn growing the investment back into the sport. BA thanks all commercial, tourism, government and charity partners for their support over the reporting period.

BCiB, MakMax and Aero Bowls maintained their long-term partnerships and support of our bowls clubs and community. Audika continued to provide access to quality hearing healthcare across the bowls community, and OMF continued to support national events and programs through sponsorship and promotional activity. BA also acknowledges the support of Right at Home, Titanium Caravans, Palm Lake Resorts and DrinkWise, thanking them for their contribution during their time as partners.

BOWLS AUSTRALIA

AMPLIFYING EVENTS 62

2025-26 ANNUAL REPORT

AMPLIFYING EVENTS

2026 AUSTRALIAN OPEN The 2026 Australian Open reinforced its standing as the world’s largest and most inclusive bowls event, attracting 4,605 discipline entries across an expanded competition program. On a comparable basis, formal Australian Open entries grew by 12.9 per cent, increasing from 4,080 in 2025 to 4,605 in 2026. The result reflected the Australian Open’s capacity to welcome bowlers of different ages, abilities, backgrounds and levels of experience while providing a high-quality national competition environment. The expanded program created more opportunities to participate, strengthened established competition pathways and showcased the breadth of the Australian bowls community.

Established team disciplines continued to perform strongly. Entries across the existing Pairs events increased by 40, while the Men’s and Women’s Fours recorded a combined increase of 12. Growth was achieved across Men’s Pairs, Women’s Pairs, Men’s Fours, Women’s Fours and Over-60s Men’s Pairs, reflecting the continued popularity of team-based competition and the social connections that sit at the heart of bowls.

A major feature of the 2026 program was the introduction of Mixed Pairs as an official Australian Open discipline. The new event attracted 512 entries in its inaugural year, demonstrating the appeal of mixed-gender competition and adding a major new participation opportunity to the Australian Open schedule.

The expanded Para program was another important feature of the event. A total of 169 Para entries were received, representing an increase of 11.2 per cent on 2025. The introduction of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Open Singles and Intellectual Open Singles provided more appropriate competitive pathways and enabled a wider range of bowlers to participate within classifications suited to their needs.

The successful introduction of Mixed Pairs also provided a contemporary and engaging addition to the event program, allowing men and women to compete alongside one another on the national stage.

These additions strengthened the inclusive character of the Australian Open and ensured more participants had the opportunity to compete for a national title.

AUSTRALIAN OPEN – HISTORICAL ENTRIES 5000

4000

4164 3573 2025

4605 3745

3966 3585

2977 2664

2024

1961

2018

2199

2324

2017

2554

2481

2016

1754

1000

2370

2000

3695 3255

3000

0 2015

2019

2020

2021

2022

2023

2026

Unique Participants

BOWLS AUSTRALIA

AMPLIFYING EVENTS

4,605 8K+ ENTRIES

MATCHES

+12.9% $350K YEAR-ON-YEAR

PRIZE PURSE

512

NATIONAL TITLES

HOST CLUBS

2025-26 ANNUAL REPORT

MIXED PAIRS ENTRIES

AMPLIFYING EVENTS

The Over-60s program also continued to attract substantial interest, recording 636 entries across the Men’s and Women’s Pairs disciplines. Together with the Under-18, Open and Para events, the program demonstrated the Australian Open’s capacity to provide meaningful competition opportunities across different ages and stages of the participant pathway. The 2026 Australian Open brought together leading bowlers, emerging athletes and participants from across Australia and

overseas. Eighteen national titles were decided across Open, Mixed, Under-18, Over-60s and Para disciplines, celebrating excellence across the full breadth of the sport. The AO results reflected the depth of talent within the event. Established performers added further titles to their records, emerging players made their mark on the national stage, and the expanded program created new opportunities for achievement and recognition.

2026 AUSTRALIAN OPEN RESULTS DISCIPLINE

WINNER/S

RUNNER-UP/S

FINAL SCORE

Men’s Singles

Aaron Teys

Tyson Wilson

21–17

Women’s Singles

Jamie-Lee Worsnop

Cassandra Millerick

21–18

Men’s Pairs

Corey Wedlock and Gary Kelly

Glen Clinckett and Jay Bye-Norris

17–14

Women’s Pairs

Selina Goddard and Chloe Stewart

Lisa Brannan and Leanne Gale

13–12

Men’s Fours

Hayden Oster, Harvey McAlister, Jacob Aitken and Tyler Pettigrew

Aaron Teys, Jay Bye-Norris, Nathan Black and Corey Wedlock

16–13

Women’s Fours

Aleena Ahmad Nawawi, Nurul Alyani Jamil, Emma Firyana Saroji and Syafiqa Haidar Afif Abdul Rahman

Gracie Retallick, Taiia Devlin, Olivia Slade and Emma Simmonds

18–13

Mixed Pairs

Jamie-Lee Worsnop and Corey Wedlock

Tahlia Lait and Adam Liddell

17–7

Under-18 Boys’ Singles

Harry Coleman

Charlie Boswood

21–14

Under-18 Girls’ Singles

Annabelle Teague

Mackenzie Parsons

21–20

Over-60s Men’s Pairs

Tony Hinton and Warren Shipley

Gary Rom and Michael Herbert

17–9

Over-60s Women’s Pairs

Dianne Reed and Faye Clarke

Vikki Grenot and Liz Walton

21–18

Physical Disability Men’s Singles

Mark Noble

Josh Barry

21–13

Physical Disability Women’s Singles

Serena Bonnell

Annette Ruffle

21–14

Multi-Disability Open Pairs

Brett Sellars and David Minns

Cooper Whitestyles and Damien Delgado

14–13

Vision Impaired Open Singles

Calvin Rodgers

Scott Kinnear

21–10

Vision Impaired Open Pairs

Dallas Harding and Jake Fehlberg

Helen Boardman and Calvin Rodgers

17–9

Intellectual Open Singles

Darren Jackson

Damon Bartholomeusz

21–4

Deaf and Hard of Hearing Open Singles

Michael Barca

Andrew Turner

21–14

BOWLS AUSTRALIA

AMPLIFYING EVENTS

The Australian Open continued to provide a valuable commercial platform for BA, its partners, host clubs and the Gold Coast visitor economy. The 2026 event offered a $350,000 prize purse, reinforcing its standing as the world’s richest bowls festival. More than 8,000 matches were staged across 15 Gold Coast host clubs, creating sustained activity throughout the region and connecting partners with thousands of players, volunteers, officials, supporters and club members. The valuable and much appreciated support of Tourism and Events Queensland and Experience Gold Coast remained integral to the event’s delivery and its position within the Queensland and Gold Coast major-events calendar. These partnerships supported destination promotion and helped connect participants and visitors with the region’s accommodation, hospitality, tourism and leisure offerings.

2025-26 ANNUAL REPORT

The distributed host-club model also extended the event’s benefits across the local bowls network, generating visitation, commercial activity and national exposure for participating clubs. BA’s commercial and industry partners received further exposure through digital coverage, event branding and on-site activation. The trade display at Broadbeach Bowls Club contributed to the wider event experience, while the BA Hall of Fame and Awards Night, which returned to an in-person event during the Australian Open, brought athletes, clubs, volunteers, dignitaries and partners together during the tournament. These elements broadened the Australian Open’s value beyond competition and supported continued investment in events, participation pathways and the wider bowls community.

AMPLIFYING EVENTS

2025 NATIONALS EVENT OVERVIEW The 2025 Nationals in November marked an important milestone for Australian bowls, with the event staged in Tasmania for the first time, with the support of the Tasmanian Government through Events Tasmania.. More than 650 competitors from around Australia took part in a program encompassing six national competitions and more than 30 national titles. Devonport Country Club hosted five of the six competitions, while Burnie Bowls Club staged the Australian Para Nationals. Live streaming allowed audiences around Australia to follow the event and extended the exposure delivered to the host clubs and region. Audiences around Australia to follow the event and extending the exposure delivered to the host clubs and region. The Nationals brought six of BA’s major national competitions together within one festival: • Australian Champion of Champions • Australian Under-18 Championships • Australian Para Nationals • Australian Senior Sides Championships • Australian Sides Championships • Australian Championships

The program presented competition at every stage of the national pathway, from emerging junior athletes through to established state representatives, senior bowlers, Para athletes and leading open competitors.

EVENT HIGHLIGHTS The breadth of competition was reflected in national titles being secured by athletes and teams representing the Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria and Western Australia. New South Wales enjoyed an outstanding Under-18 Championships, winning five of the eight disciplines and securing the boys’, girls’ and overall championship honours. Tasmania also celebrated a home-state national title through Fletcher Felmingham, Oliver Morrison and Lachlan Thurley in the Boys’ Triples. The 2025 Para Nationals introduced an open-format program comprising Men’s and Women’s Singles, Pairs and Triples. Queensland collected four of the six discipline titles and secured the Overall State Champion trophy for a fourth consecutive year. James Reynolds and Serena Bonnell received the inaugural gender-specific Most Valuable Player awards, while Susan Kruger was presented with the Clover Lester Encouragement Award. The Senior Sides Championships produced victories for New South Wales in the John Dobbie AM Men’s Trophy and Queensland in the Betty Collins OAM Women’s Trophy. Queensland’s combined performance also secured the Glyn Bosisto MBE Overall Trophy. At the Australian Sides Championships, Queensland won the Men’s Alley Shield and New South Wales claimed the Women’s Marj Morris Trophy. New South Wales was also awarded the Overall Champions Trophy, continuing its exceptional record in the combined competition. The Australian Championships concluded the program with titles shared across five jurisdictions. Victoria’s Kelly McKerihen was one of the standout performers, winning the Women’s Triples and Women’s Singles and collecting silver in the Women’s Fours. The Australian Capital Territory completed The Nationals by winning the Mixed Pairs for the second consecutive year.

BOWLS AUSTRALIA

AMPLIFYING EVENTS

COMMUNITY AND REGIONAL BENEFIT

PARTNERSHIPS AND EVENT DELIVERY

Bringing The Nationals to Tasmania provided North West Tasmania with sustained national sporting activity across almost three weeks. The presence of more than 650 competitors, together with officials, support personnel and spectators, supported visitor activity across accommodation, hospitality, transport and tourism services in Devonport, Burnie and surrounding communities.

The Nationals was delivered through a collaborative partnership between BA, the Tasmanian Government, Events Tasmania, Devonport City Council, Devonport Country Club and Burnie Bowls Club. We sincerely thanks all concerned.

The event placed Devonport Country Club, particularly, and also Burnie Bowls Club, at the centre of the national bowls calendar and provided an opportunity to showcase the clubs’ facilities, volunteers and event-delivery capability. BA’s national digital coverage also promoted the region to audiences beyond Tasmania. Local members and volunteers played an important role in delivering the event. Their involvement provided opportunities to contribute to a major national competition, build event-management experience and welcome bowlers from every state and territory. Tasmanian competitors added to the success of the event through several notable performances: • Fletcher Felmingham, Oliver Morrison and Lachlan Thurley won the Australian Under-18 Boys’ Triples. • Rae Simpson secured bronze in the Women’s Champion of Champions. • Tasmania finished third in the Women’s Senior Sides. • Marijke Raine and Shannon Hyland secured a medal in the Para Women’s Pairs. • Crystal Brooks, Tracey Little, Joy Voss and Rae Simpson won bronze in the Australian Championships Women’s Fours. The event showcased the region’s hospitality and strengthen the profile of bowls throughout Tasmania.

2025-26 ANNUAL REPORT

The Tasmanian Government supported the event through Events Tasmania, helping secure the first staging of the combined Nationals program in the state. The partnership brought together government investment, local-government support, national-event expertise, quality club facilities and a committed local volunteer workforce. It provided a strong platform for promoting Tasmania, supporting local activity and presenting a high-quality national bowls competition.

AMPLIFYING EVENTS

2025 RESULTS AUSTRALIAN CHAMPION OF CHAMPIONS DISCIPLINE

CHAMPION

RUNNER-UP

Men’s Champion of Champions

Max Kleinig — South Australia

Brett Wilkie — Queensland

Women’s Champion of Champions

Natalie Lewis — New South Wales

Adele Pershouse — Queensland

AUSTRALIAN UNDER-18 CHAMPIONSHIPS DISCIPLINE

CHAMPION

RUNNER-UP

Boys’ Singles

Timothy Thorning — NSW

Jordan Sturgiss — ACT

Boys’ Pairs

Jacob Martin and Timothy Thorning — NSW

Charlie Boswood and Max Heaton-Harris — VIC

Boys’ Triples

Fletcher Felmingham, Oliver Morrison and Lachlan Thurley — TAS

Noah Jedrzejczyk, Sam Griffiths and Cooper Dart — NSW

Boys’ Fours

Harry Coleman, Jacob Cartwright, Charlie Boswood and Max Heaton-Harris — VIC

Noah Jedrzejczyk, Jacob Martin, Sam Griffiths and Cooper Dart — NSW

Girls’ Singles

Anda Panchawat — SA

Chanel Chakouch — NSW

Girls’ Pairs

Zoe Davies and Chanel Chakouch — NSW

Lilly Vardy and Tilah Mason — QLD

Girls’ Triples

Charlotte Hayman, Tahlia Kennedy and Ella Cameron — NSW

Skye Wilson, Tahlia Stringer and Mia Baldey — SA

Girls’ Fours

Zoe Davies, Charlotte Hayman, Tahlia Kennedy and Ella Cameron — NSW

Phoebie Russell, Lilly Vardy, Mia Haylock and Lacey Gerick — QLD

AWARD

WINNER

RUNNER-UP

Overall Championship

New South Wales

Victoria

Boys’ Championship

New South Wales

Girls’ Championship

New South Wales

OVERALL HONOURS

AUSTRALIAN PARA NATIONALS DISCIPLINE

CHAMPION

RUNNER-UP

Men’s Singles

James Reynolds — NSW

Damien Delgado — QLD

Men’s Pairs

Brett Sellars and Clive Williams — QLD

Aaron Kelly and Michael Vassallo — NSW

Men’s Triples

Lucas Protopapas, Josh Barry and Josh Thornton — VIC

Michael Vassallo, Aaron Kelly and James Reynolds — NSW

Women’s Singles

Serena Bonnell — QLD

Carolyn Nelson — NSW

Women’s Pairs

Louise Hoskins and Cheryl Lindfield — QLD

Marijke Raine and Shannon Hyland — TAS

Women’s Triples

Louise Hoskins, Cheryl Lindfield and Serena Bonnell — QLD

Christine Constable, Simone Smith and Carolyn Nelson — NSW

BOWLS AUSTRALIA

AMPLIFYING EVENTS

ADDITIONAL HONOURS AWARD

RECIPIENT

Overall State Champion

Queensland

Men’s Most Valuable Player

James Reynolds — NSW

Women’s Most Valuable Player

Serena Bonnell — QLD

Clover Lester Encouragement Award

Susan Kruger — SA

AUSTRALIAN SENIOR SIDES CHAMPIONSHIPS DISCIPLINE

CHAMPION

RUNNER-UP

John Dobbie AM Men’s Trophy

New South Wales

Queensland

Betty Collins OAM Women’s Trophy

Queensland

Victoria

Glyn Bosisto MBE Overall Trophy

Queensland

ADDITIONAL HONOURS AWARD

WINNER

Best Men’s Rink

Will Ahoy, Michael Clarke, Brian Suckley and Robert Warren — NSW

Best Women’s Rink

Brenda Thompson, Debbie Logan, Wendy Clarke and Noelene Dutton — QLD

AUSTRALIAN SIDES CHAMPIONSHIPS

DISCIPLINE

CHAMPION

RUNNER-UP

Alley Shield — Men

Queensland

New South Wales

Marj Morris Trophy — Women

New South Wales

Victoria

Overall Champions Trophy

New South Wales

2025-26 ANNUAL REPORT

AMPLIFYING EVENTS

AUSTRALIAN CHAMPIONSHIPS DISCIPLINE

CHAMPION

RUNNER-UP

Men’s Singles

Tyson Cromie — VIC

Ben Leggett — WA

Women’s Singles

Kelly McKerihen — VIC

Chloe Morrison — ACT

Men’s Pairs

Ray Pearse and David Axon — NSW

Geoff Harrison and Kurt Brown — QLD

Women’s Pairs

Karin Balmforth and Kay Moran — NSW

Emma Spicer and Wendy Wilson — QLD

Men’s Triples

Daniel Trewhella, Warren Holt and Blake Nairn — WA

Jack Smith, Benjamin Morthorpe and Aaron Wilson — NSW

Women’s Triples

Mel Allen, Kelly McKerihen and Lisa Phillips — VIC

Karen Gatto, Laini McGorman and Jackie Field — SA

Men’s Fours

Chris Rosanes, Brendan Wilson, Ryan Burnett and Aaron Hewson — QLD

Andrew McFarlane, Sean Robertson, Mac McLean and Rob Craven — ACT

Women’s Fours

Selina Goddard, Jessie Cottell, Jamie-Lee Worsnop and Karen Murphy — NSW

Nicole McKenzie, Courtney Bennington, Lisa Phillips and Kelly McKerihen — VIC

Mixed Pairs

Chloe Morrison and Mac McLean — ACT

Fiona Panting and Blake Nairn — WA

BOWLS AUSTRALIA

AMPLIFYING EVENTS

2025 AUSTRALIAN INDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS The 2025 Australian Indoor Championships reinforced the event’s position as one of the most prestigious singles competitions on the national bowls calendar. Held at Club Tweed in Tweed Heads from 11–14 August, the championships brought together 64 qualifiers from across Australia to contest the Men’s and Women’s Singles titles. Each 32-player knockout draw required the eventual champion to win five matches, providing four days of highquality sets-play competition. Live coverage through BA’s YouTube channel enabled supporters across the country to follow the championships, extending the reach of the event beyond the venue and providing valuable national exposure for the players, Club Tweed and the wider Tweed region. The national qualification pathway continued to build momentum in 2025, with 1,188 entry allocations recorded across the eight State and Territory Associations. This represented an increase of 159 allocations, or 15.5 per cent,

on the 2024 total of 1,029 and is the highest ever annual figure recorded. Entrant numbers have almost doubled since 2022. Particularly strong participation was recorded through New South Wales and Victoria, while Tasmania and Queensland also achieved encouraging year-on-year growth. The breadth of participation provided bowlers from metropolitan, regional and remote communities with a clear opportunity to progress from local and state qualification into national competition. The continued growth of the qualification pathway highlights the value players place on the opportunity to compete for an Australian title. It also demonstrates the strength of collaboration between BA, State and Territory Associations and host clubs in delivering an accessible pathway from community bowls to the national stage.

CHAMPIONS AND RUNNERS-UP AUSTRALIAN CHAMPION OF CHAMPIONS DISCIPLINE

CHAMPION

RUNNER-UP

FINAL RESULT

Men’s Singles

Corey Wedlock — New South Wales

Jack McShane — New South Wales

6–5, 9–11, 3–1

Women’s Singles

Kelsey Cottrell — Queensland

Dawn Hayman — New South Wales

11–5, 8–6

Corey Wedlock completed an unbeaten campaign to secure his first Australian Indoor Championship and first major national singles title. His final against defending champion Jack McShane was decided through a tiebreak, providing a compelling conclusion to the Men’s competition and adding Wedlock’s name to the event’s distinguished honour roll. Kelsey Cottrell successfully defended the Women’s title, becoming only the seventh player in the history of the championships to win consecutive titles. Her third Australian Indoor crown placed her alongside Steve Glasson OAM, Karen Murphy AM and Jeremy Henry as one of only four players to have won the championship on at least three occasions.

2025-26 ANNUAL REPORT

The championships brought together an accomplished field featuring Australian Jackaroos, Emerging Jackaroos, Australian Open champions, former Indoor champions and leading state-level competitors. The strength of the draws demonstrated the depth of talent within Australian bowls and the capacity of the qualification process to identify players capable of performing in a demanding national environment. The sets-play format provided a distinctive challenge for competitors, rewarding precision, tactical awareness and the ability to perform under pressure. Closely contested matches and tiebreak finishes also created an engaging product for spectators and digital audiences.

AMPLIFYING EVENTS

BA’s livestream and event reporting helped connect the championships with audiences throughout the country. Supporters were able to follow the progress of both draws, while clubs and State and Territory Associations could celebrate the performances of their representatives on the national stage. Coverage of the event provided opportunities to showcase player stories, championship history and the journey from qualification to national competition. The combination of live action, daily reporting and social content strengthened the visibility of the championships and presented bowls as a skilful, competitive and engaging sport. The national broadcast also delivered exposure for the host venue and commercial partners, extending the value of the event beyond those attending in person. Club Tweed again provided an outstanding setting for the championships. Its specialist indoor green, experienced event workforce and established spectator facilities created a professional and welcoming environment for competitors, officials and supporters.

helped establish Club Tweed as a nationally recognised indoor bowls venue and has contributed to the distinctive identity and prestige of the championships. The intimate indoor setting allowed spectators to experience national-level bowls at close range, while the venue’s hospitality and entertainment facilities supported a complete event experience for participants and visitors. The enduring partnership between BA and Club Tweed remained central to the successful delivery of the championships. We sincerely thank Club Tweed for providing the specialist venue, local event services and spectator experience, while BA coordinated the national qualification framework, competition management, communications and digital coverage. The growing qualification pathway, national livestream and strong engagement with leading players created a valuable platform for partner exposure. These elements demonstrated how national events can connect commercial organisations with athletes, clubs, participants and bowls audiences across Australia.

The venue has played a central role in the history of the event, having hosted the inaugural Men’s Australian Indoor Singles Championship in 1988. This long association has

BOWLS AUSTRALIA

AMPLIFYING EVENTS

BOWLS PREMIER LEAGUE As part of the BA Action Agenda, bolstering the Bowls Premier League (BPL) is a key item under the Amplifying Events component.

1,042 3,401 129 TEAMS

PARTICIPANTS

HOST CLUBS

BA needs to continue review the BPL, together with its licensees/teams and stakeholders, to ensure it remains current and exciting to appeal to our bowls and non-bowls communities along with commercial partners. BA recently finalised expressions of interest for hosting the BPL for the next 3 events with the new venues being announced as Ocean Grove Bowling Club, Club Helensvale and Moama Bowling Club. BA would like to acknowledge the great contribution Club Pine Rivers has made in being the inaugural and then a long term host of the BPL. Their support has been invaluable, and we thank them for their foresight and partnership in getting the BPL to where it is today. In 2025-26 there was two stagings of the BPL at both Club Pine Rivers and Moama Bowling Club and the years results were as follow:

BPL 22 – CLUB PINE RIVERS TOP 5 PLACING AFTER ROUND ROBIN PLAY • Moama Steamers • Perth Suns • Geelong Jets • Sydney Lions • Melbourne Pulse Grand final was played between Moama Steamers and Sydney Lions BPL Champions- Moama Steamers Cass Millerick, Matthew Baus, Aron Sherriff, Kevin Andrerson 6-9, 5-1, 1-0 over the Sydney Lions Karen Murphy, Kane Nelson, Nathan Black, Steve Glasson.

BPL 23 – MOAMA BOWLING CLUB TOP 5 PLACING AFTER ROUND ROBIN PLAY • Melbourn Pulse • Moreton Bay Pirates • Tweed Ospreys • Geelong Jets • Moama Steamers Grand final was played between Geelong Jets and Moreton Bay Pirates BPL Champions- Geelong Jets Jamie Lee Worsnop, Paul Foster, Aaron Wilson, Matt Flapper 4-3, 8-3 over the Moreton Bay Pirates’ Jessie Cottell, Ryan Burnett, Alex Marshall, Ali Forsyth

BPL 22 Once again Club Pine Rivers played host to the twenty second Bowls Premier League (BPL) of which was staged in October due to a change in the 2025 Nationals dates. The field established for BPL 23 was second to none, with a mixed of international and national returning stars and some of the best up and coming talent in Australia. After the conclusion of the home and away matches it was the new look Moama Steamers outfit of Aron Sherriff, Cass Millerick, Matt Baus and coach Kevin Anderson who claimed minor premiers winning 14 out of a possible 22 matches, one game clear of the Perth Suns in second. The top remaining finals spots were clinched by Geelong Jets, Sydney Lions and Melbourne Pulse After the conclusion of the first 4 rounds of finals, it was the minor premiers, Moama Steamers and Sydney Lions winning their way to the final. 74

2025-26 ANNUAL REPORT

AMPLIFYING EVENTS

The final was sure to be a thriller, with Moama Steamers being so dominant throughout round robin play and the Sydney Lions making back to back finals at Club Pine Rivers. In the opening set it was the Sydney lions claiming the first set after picking up a count of 5 on the last end of the set to steal it 9-6. In the second set, Moama showed why they were arguable the favourites for the title, dropping one end to claim a 5-1 set victory. The stage was set for a one end shoot out and it didn’t disappoint coming down to the last bowl of the match. Moama holding game, Sydney Lion’s Nathan Black with last bowl, having to disturb the head with one of his trademark runners fell agonisingly short.

BPL 23 The second instalment of the BPL for 2025-26 saw the event head back to Moama Bowling Club for the staging of BPL 23. Moama Steamers fancied their chances heading back to their home venue in front of their supports to achieve a feat that doesn’t happen often in BPL year, claiming back to back titles. After the 22 rounds, Melbourne Pulse were the team on top pressing their claims for another BPL Title. The Pulse recorded a dominant 15 wins out of 22 games, closely followed by the Moreton Bay Pirates on 14 wins. The remainder of the top 5 were the Tweed Ospreys, Geelong Jets and home town favourites Moama Steamers. Unfortunately, It was to be form the Steamers, going down to the Jets in the first elimination final. The Moreton Bay Pirates were the first team through to the final, dismantling the Pulse 11-7, 7-2.

Melbourne Pulse started the evening as favourites, now had to face an inform Jets for the last grand final spot. The Jets continued their form and proved too good defeating the Pulse 4-9, 2-5, 1-0. The stage was set, Moreton Bay Pirates chasing yet another BPL title and the Geelong Jets chasing their first. The final didn’t disappoint with Marshall, Wlson and Foster trading blows for their teams but it was the Jets who would come out on top and claim their maiden BPL title 4-3, 8-3.

BPL CUP The 2025 BPL Cup Preliminary Rounds recorded: • 1,042 teams registered, an increase of 40 teams compared with 2024. This figure excludes 16 registered teams that were unable to participate due to event cancellations. • 134 Preliminary Rounds were scheduled across Australia, with a further 20 rounds cancelled. • 129 bowling clubs hosted one or more BPL Cup rounds in 2025. Eight clubs hosted an additional event, with South Perth Bowling Club once again leading the way by hosting four events. • 32 Regional, State and National Finals were conducted in 2025, an increase of one from the previous year. • 236 teams qualified for the BPL Cup Regional and State Finals. • 3,401 individual participants took part in the BPL Cup, an increase of 122 participants compared with 2024. • 2,925 male participants, an increase of 142 from 2024. • 476 female participants, a decrease of 20 from 2024.

BOWLS AUSTRALIA

AMPLIFYING EVENTS

2026 GROWTH AND PARTICIPATION TRACKING The 2026 BPL Cup has continued to build strong momentum, with participation increasing steadily through the early stages of the competition. HOST EOIS

CONFIRMED ROUNDS

CANCELLED ROUNDS

COMPLETED ROUNDS

4 February 2026

5 March 2026

101

2 April 2026

118

107

193

8 May 2026

144

128

438

26 May 2026

147

129

606

2 June 2026

151

138

653

DATE

ENTRIES

These markers demonstrate continued growth in club engagement and participation throughout the 2026 competition.

BPL CUP – HISTORICAL ENTRIES 1200

1000

800

1002

1042

2023

2024

2025

839

954

600

479

480

2018

2019

2020

381

200

506

615

400

0 2017

2025-26 ANNUAL REPORT

2021

2022

AMPLIFYING EVENTS

GROWING FEMALE PARTICIPATION A key priority for the continued development of the BPL Cup is increasing female participation.

important pathway to broaden participation and improve female representation within the BPL Cup.

While female participation in 2025 totalled 476 participants, compared with 2,925 male participants, the introduction of a BPL Cup Women’s Round in each State and Territory in 2026 provides a dedicated opportunity to encourage more women to enter and participate in the competition.

The introduction of the Women’s Round is particularly significant given that Jo Watts became the first female player to win the BPL Cup National Final in 2025 as part of the Paradise Point team.

As a result of this initiative, we are tracking towards increased female participation, with the Women’s Round providing an

This provides a strong example of the opportunities available to women within the competition and supports the broader objective of increasing female participation.

BOWLS AUSTRALIA

RECOGNITION

WORLD BOWLS HALL OF FAME Australia was strongly represented in the inaugural World Bowls Hall of Fame, with 10 Australians among the first 31 inductees from nine nations. The recognition reflected the country’s long-standing success and influence on the international game. The Australian inductees were Mark Casey OAM, Lynsey Clarke, Kelsey Cottrell, Rex Johnston OAM, Karen Murphy AM, Aron Sherriff, Dorothy Roche OAM, Rebecca Van Asch, Natasha Van Eldik and Brett Wilkie. Australia had the largest representation of any nation in the inaugural class. The group represented multiple generations of Australian excellence, spanning World Championships, Commonwealth Games, World Bowls Champion of Champions and other major international events. Several continue to make significant contributions to the sport through coaching, administration, high performance and club leadership.

2025-26 ANNUAL REPORT

The inaugural class was formally recognised during the World Cup in Kuala Lumpur in November 2025, establishing the World Bowls Hall of Fame as a new platform to celebrate the players who have shaped the sport internationally. Three other inductees with strong contemporary connections to Australian bowls were also recognised: Ellen Falkner MBE of England, Ryan Bester of Canada and Jeremy Henry of Northern Ireland, all of whom now reside in Australia and continue to contribute to the sport domestically.

AUSTRALIANS

INAUGURAL INDUCTEES

NATIONS

RECOGNITION

HALL OF FAME Five outstanding contributors to Australian bowls were inducted into the BA Hall of Fame, while three existing members have been elevated to the sport's highest honour, Legend status. Presented during the 2026 Hall of Fame and Awards Night on the Gold Coast, the honours recognise individuals whose achievements and contributions have left a lasting mark on Australian bowls. The class of 2026 reflected excellence across multiple generations and disciplines of the sport and represented some of the very best Australian bowls has produced, from World Champions and Commonwealth Games gold medallists through to individuals whose contributions behind the scenes have helped shape and strengthen the sport. Hall of Fame and Legend recognition is reserved for people whose contribution genuinely leaves a lasting mark on the sport, and the Committee strongly assessed that all in this group met that standard.

HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES LORNA LUCAS One of Australia's leading female representatives of the 1970s, Lucas achieved World Championship gold in the Women's Pairs at Wellington in 1973 and the Women's Fours at Worthing in 1977. Her achievements helped establish Australia as a force in international women's bowls and make her one of the standout players of her era.

REBECCA VAN ASCH A Commonwealth Games double gold medallist and threetime World Champion, Van Asch has been one of Australia's most successful modern-era representatives. Her achievements include Commonwealth Games gold in the Women's Triples and Women's Fours at the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games.

CARLA KRIZANIC Krizanic's international career has been highlighted by multiple World Championship titles and Commonwealth Games success. A double Commonwealth Games gold medallist in 2018, she remains one of the most decorated Australian female bowlers of the modern era.

NATHAN RICE Across a lengthy international career, Rice represented Australia with distinction at multiple Commonwealth Games and World Championships. A four-time Commonwealth Games medallist, he was a key member of the Jackaroos program across more than a decade.

SANDY WALLACE Wallace is recognised for his significant contribution to bowls through technical officiating, education and mentoring. His work as an International Technical Official Mentor and Assessor has helped develop officiating standards both within Australia and internationally.

ELEVATED TO LEGEND STATUS LYNSEY CLARKE One of Australia's most accomplished female bowlers, Clarke's career includes Commonwealth Games gold at Melbourne 2006 and multiple World Championship titles across a period spanning almost two decades. Her sustained excellence has cemented her place among the sport's all-time greats.

MARK CASEY OAM Casey's international record includes Commonwealth Games gold and World Championship success, alongside numerous other international medals. Renowned for his consistency and longevity, he remains one of the most successful Australian male bowlers of the modern era.

BETTY COLLINS OAM An inaugural Hall of Fame inductee in 2011, Collins is recognised for a lifetime of service to bowls administration. Her contribution includes leadership roles at state, national and international level, highlighted by her tenure as President of World Bowls.

BA congratulates all inductees and Legends and thanks them for their outstanding contribution to Australian bowls.

BOWLS AUSTRALIA

RECOGNITION

AWARDS NIGHT Australian bowls' best honoured at 2026 awards night. Australian bowls' leading athletes, clubs, volunteers, coaches and officials were recognised at the 2026 BA Hall of Fame and Awards Night on the Gold Coast on 13 June 2026. It was a very special and celebratory evening that epitomised the inclusive and community nature of our great sport from club level to the international stage:

2026 AWARD WINNERS

AWARD

WINNER

Volunteer of the Year

Jenni McLaughlin (WA)

Official of the Year

Karen Harrington (VIC)

Coach of the Year

Rebekah Lord (NSW)

Community Service Award

Paradise Point Bowls Club (QLD)

Small Club of the Year

Anglesea Bowling Club (VIC)

Large Club of the Year

Club Tweed (QLD)

Tourism and Events Queensland Male Bowler with a Disability of the Year

James Reynolds (NSW)

Experience Gold Coast Female Bowler with a Disability of the Year

Serena Bonnell (QLD)

BCiB Under-18 Female Bowler of the Year

Anda Panchawat (SA)

BCiB Under-18 Male Bowler of the Year

Travis Moran (NSW)

Australian Institute of Sport International Female Para Bowler of the Year

Louise Hoskins (QLD)

Australian Institute of Sport International Male Para Bowler of the Year

James Reynolds (NSW)

Australian Sports Commission International Male Bowler of the Year

Aaron Teys (NSW)

Commonwealth Games Australia International Female Bowler of the Year

Kelsey Cottrell (QLD)

2025-26 ANNUAL REPORT

RECOGNITION

HONOUR ROLL ANNUAL NATIONAL EVENTS 2025 AUSTRALIAN INDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS (AUGUST 2025) Club Tweed (QLD) Winners – Corey Wedlock (NSW) and Kelsey Cottrell (QLD)

2025 NATIONALS (NOVEMBER 2025) Devonport Country Club & Burnie Bowls Club (TAS) 2025 Australian Champion of Champions Men’s singles – Max Kleinig (SA) Women’s singles – Natalie Lewis (NSW)

2025 AUSTRALIAN CHAMPIONSHIPS Men’s singles – Tyson Cromie (VIC) Women’s singles – Kelly McKerihen (VIC) Men’s pairs – Ray Pearse & David Axon (NSW) Women’s pairs – Karen Balmforth & Kay Moran (NSW) Mixed pairs – Chloe Morrison & Mac McLean (ACT) Men’s triples – Danie Trewhella, Warren Hold & Blake Nairn (WA) Women’s triples – Melanie Allen, Kelly McKerihen & Lisa Phillips (VIC) Men’s fours – Chris Rosanes, Brendan Wilson, Ryan Burnett & Aaron Hewson (QLD) Women’s fours – Selina Goddard, Jessie Cottell, Jamie-Lee Worsnop & Karen Murphy (WA)

2025 AUSTRALIAN SIDES CHAMPIONSHIPS Men’s team (Alley Shield) – Queensland Women’s team (Marg Morris Trophy) – New South Wales Overall team – New South Wales Men’s overall rink – Bryce Young, Dane McKinnon, Tyson Cromie & Nathan lynch (VIC) Women’s overall rink – Anne Johns, Erin Swatridge, Jessie Cottell & Natasha van Eldik (NSW)

2025 AUSTRALIAN UNDER-18 CHAMPIONSHIPS Overall boys’ team – New South Wales Overall girls’ team – New South Wales Boys’ singles – Timothy Thorning (NSW) Girls’ singles – Anda Panchawat (SA) Boys’ pairs – Jacob Martin & Timothy Thorning (NSW) Girls’ pairs – Zoe Davies & Chanel Chakouch (NSW) Boys’ triples – Fletcher Felmingham, Oliver Morrison & Lachlan Thurley (TAS) Girls’ triples – Charlotte Hayman, Tahlia Kennedy & Ella Cameron (NSW) Boys’ fours – Harry Coleman, Jacob Cartwright, Charlie Boswood & Max Heaton-Harris (VIC) Girls’ fours – Zoe Davies, Charlotte Hayman, Tahlia Kennedy & Ella Cameron (NSW)

2025 PARA NATIONALS Men’s singles – James Reynolds (NSW) Men’s pairs – Brett Sellars & Clive Williams (QLD) Men’s triples – Lucas Protpapas, Josh Barry & Josh Thornton (VIC) Women’s singles – Serena Bonnell (QLD) Women’s pairs – Louise Hoskins & Cheryl Lindfield (QLD) Women’s triples – Louise Hoskins, Cheryl Lindfield & Serena Bonnell (QLD) Clover/Lester Encouragement Award – Susan Kruger (SA) Best overall state – Queensland Best overall male player – James Reynolds (NSW) Best overall female player – Serena Bonnell (QLD)

2025 BPL22 (NOVEMBER 2025) Club Pine Rivers (QLD) Winner – Moama Steamers

2025 AUSTRALIAN SENIOR SIDES CHAMPIONSHIPS

2025 BPL21 (FEBRUARY 2026)

Men’s team (John Dobbie AM Trophy) – New South Wales Women’s team (Betty Collins OAM Trophy) – Queensland Overall team (Glyn Bosisto MBE Trophy) – Queensland

Moama Bowling Club (VIC) Winner – Geelong Jets

BOWLS AUSTRALIA

RECOGNITION

2025 BPL CUP Club Pine Rivers (QLD) Winner – Paradise Point (QLD) 2026 Junior BPL Challenge Moama Bowling Club (VIC) Winner – Tasmania Tridents (TAS)

2026 AUSTRALIAN OPEN (JUNE 2026) 15 Gold Coast Clubs (QLD) Men’s singles – Aaron Teys Women’s singles – Jamie-Lee Worsnop Men’s pairs – Corey Wedlock & Gary Kelly Women’s pairs – Selina Goddard & Chloe Stewart Mixed pairs – Jamie-Lee Worsnop & Corey Wedlock Men’s fours – Tyler Pettigrew, Harvey McAllister, Jacob Aitken & Hayden Oster

Women’s fours – Aleena Ahmad Nawawi, Nurul Alyani Jamil, Emma Firyana Sariji & Syafiqar Haidar Afif Abdul Rahman Under-18 boys’ singles – Harry Coleman Under-18 girls’ singles – Annabelle Teague Over-60’s men’s pairs – Tony Hinton & Warren Shipley Over-60’s women’s pairs – Dianne Reed & Faye Clarke Physical Disability men’s singles – Mark Noble Physical Disability women’s singles – Serena Bonnell Multi-Disability open pairs – Brett Sellars & David Minns Vision impaired singles – Calvin Rodgers Vision impaired pairs – Dallas Harding & Jake Fehlberg Intellectual disability singles – Darren Jackson Deaf and Hard of hearing singles – Michael Barca

INTERNATIONAL EVENTS WORLD BOWLS JUNIOR INDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS (DECEMBER 2025) BELFAST

WORLD BOWLS INDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS (MAY 2026) OCEAN GROVE

Gold – men’s singles – Joseph Clarke

Gold – mixed pairs – Kelsey Cottrell & Corey Wedlock Silver – men’s singles – Corey Wedlock Bronze – men’s singles – Jack McShane

MALE AND FEMALE BOWLERS OF THE YEAR Male Bowler of the Year – Corey Wedlock (NSW) Female Bowler of the Year – Olivia Cartwright (VIC)

2025-26 ANNUAL REPORT

BOWLS AUSTRALIA

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2025-26 ANNUAL REPORT