Golden memories as Glasgow 2026 Bowls and Para Bowls concludes

Scotland’s bowlers brought home a memorable gold medal as a historic programme of Bowls and Para Bowls reached its conclusion at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games.

History was made before the first bowl was delivered, with the sport taking place indoors for the first time at a Commonwealth Games. The indoor carpet at the SEC provided a unique setting, with music, entertainment and passionate home support creating a brilliant atmosphere throughout the competition.

Bowls also had the honour of providing the first sporting action of Glasgow 2026, setting the tone for an unforgettable home Games.

Jason Banks – Men’s Singles

Jason Banks became the first Team Scotland athlete to compete at Glasgow 2026 when he faced Jamaica in the Men’s Singles on 23 July. Despite the nerves of making his Commonwealth Games debut and being the first Scot into action, Jason opened his campaign with a straight-sets victory.

“It was my first Commonwealth Games, first match here, just new surroundings, new everything,” Jason said after the match. “It just helps that wee bit having [the crowd] on your side. I think they were cheering for maybe not even good bowls from me, so it was nice to have that wee help.”

Jason went on to record three victories from five matches, including a dramatic comeback against Wales. After losing the opening set, he changed the length, fought back to take the second and held his nerve in the tie-break. He finished second in his section, narrowly missing out on the only available semi-final place.

Reflecting on the wider Games experience, Jason said: “There’s a great buzz around the whole village. It’s great just seeing the other teams as well and encouraging them.”

Beth Riva and Caroline Brown – Women’s Pairs

Beth Riva made her Commonwealth Games debut alongside the vastly experienced Caroline Brown in the Women’s Pairs. Their campaign began with an agonising tie-break defeat to Jersey, but the pair responded positively by overcoming Norfolk Island in another closely fought tie-break.

A straight-sets victory over the Falkland Islands followed, before a defeat to eventual silver medallists Malaysia. Beth and Caroline finished their campaign with another victory, taking their final record to three wins from five and securing third place in the section.

Although they missed out on progression, the Games provided Beth with valuable experience on the Commonwealth stage alongside Caroline, who was making her fifth appearance for Team Scotland. Their partnership combined one of Scotland’s exciting emerging players with an established Commonwealth medallist.

Mary Stevenson, Jim Aitken, Robert Barr and Sarah-Jane Ewing – Para Mixed Pairs

The defining moment of Scotland’s bowls campaign came in the Para Mixed Pairs B2-B3, where Mary Stevenson, Jim Aitken, Robert Barr and Sarah-Jane Ewing were crowned Commonwealth champions.

Scotland began with an impressive victory over South Africa and responded to defeat against New Zealand by recording strong wins over Australia and England. They progressed from a competitive section before overcoming New Zealand in the semi-final to guarantee a place on the podium.

England awaited in the gold-medal match, and the two teams produced one of the most dramatic contests of the entire bowls programme. With the title decided by a tie-break, Scotland held their nerve under enormous pressure to secure gold in front of the home crowd.

“It was such a tough game right to the very end, and we just kept our nerve and managed to get through,” Robert said following the victory.

Mary added: “It’s been fantastic. The crowds have been great, the company has been great, and I’m just over the moon even to get here.”

The result secured back-to-back Commonwealth titles for Robert and Sarah-Jane following their success at Birmingham 2022, while Mary and Jim celebrated their first Games gold medals.

Sophie McGrouther – Women’s Singles

Sophie McGrouther was the final member of Scotland’s bowls squad to begin her campaign, with her opening Women’s Singles match taking place on 29 July. After watching and supporting her teammates throughout the opening half of the competition, Sophie made a winning start to her first Commonwealth Games.

“This morning when I woke up, it was a different feeling knowing it was finally my time,” she said. “I’m the last of the Scottish representatives in bowls to compete, so it’s been a long wait. But it’s been nice to be able to watch the others and get some expertise and advice from them as well.”

Sophie won her opening three matches and remained in contention for the semi-finals until her final section fixture. Defeats to Tonga on a tie-break and Norfolk Island brought her campaign to an end, but three victories from five represented an encouraging debut on the Commonwealth stage.

The 23-year-old also spoke passionately about challenging perceptions of bowls and inspiring more young people to take up the sport.

“Although bowls has the stereotype of being for an older generation, and that’s an important part of its history, we’re now seeing so many young representatives from the strongest countries competing,” Sophie said.

“Hopefully that’s inspiring for young people watching who think they can’t get into the sport, because you absolutely can and you can achieve anything. I’m only 23 and I’m here, so hopefully it’s an inspiring story for people.”

Paul Foster MBE and Alex Marshall MBE – Men’s Pairs

Paul Foster MBE and Alex Marshall MBE entered the Men’s Pairs as one of the most experienced and decorated combinations in international bowls. The pair made an excellent start, recording three consecutive victories over Kenya, the Isle of Man and Norfolk Island.

A narrow tie-break defeat to Canada in their penultimate section match left Scotland requiring other results to go their way. Paul and Alex responded by defeating South Africa in their final fixture to finish with four wins from five, but Canada completed the section unbeaten to claim the only semi-final place.

Despite missing out on the medal matches, it was another strong campaign from two legends of Scottish bowls. Glasgow 2026 marked Alex’s eighth Commonwealth Games, equalling the record for the most appearances by a bowler. He was also given the tremendous honour of leading Team Scotland into the Opening Ceremony as one of the country’s flagbearers.

Pauline Wilson and Mary Wilson – Para Women’s Pairs

Pauline Wilson and Mary Wilson represented Scotland in the Para Women’s Pairs B6-B8. The pair experienced a number of incredibly tight matches during the section, including tie-break contests against Malaysia, New Zealand and England.

Victories over Canada, England and Australia secured their place in the semi-finals. Their win over Australia in the final round of section matches was particularly impressive, but the two countries met again later that evening with a place in the gold-medal match at stake. On that occasion, Australia reversed the result to send Scotland into the bronze-medal contest.

Pauline and Mary faced Malaysia in their final match, where a high-quality performance from their opponents brought the Scottish pair’s campaign to an end. A fourth-place finish was still a significant achievement, particularly for Mary on her Commonwealth Games debut. Pauline, a gold medallist at Birmingham 2022, once again reached the closing stages of a major international competition.

Garry Brown and Stuart Sloan – Para Men’s Pairs

Garry Brown and Stuart Sloan produced an excellent campaign in the Para Men’s Pairs B6-B8, combining Garry’s extensive Commonwealth Games experience with Stuart’s impressive performances on his Games debut.

They began with straight-sets victories over South Africa and Singapore before suffering narrow tie-break defeats against New Zealand and England. The pair responded by defeating Australia to secure a place in the semi-finals, where they faced the same opponents later that evening.

Australia reversed the earlier result to progress to the final, leaving Scotland to face England for bronze. After narrowly losing the opening set, Garry and Stuart produced a brilliant response to dominate the second and force a deciding tie-break.

The final end went England’s way, leaving Scotland agonisingly short of a place on the podium. Despite the heartbreak, reaching the final four represented a tremendous achievement for the pair.

Stuart can look back proudly on an outstanding Commonwealth Games debut, while Garry, who won gold alongside Kevin Wallace at Birmingham 2022, once again demonstrated his quality and consistency on the international stage.

Scottish officials and volunteers play their part

As well as the athletes and coaches representing Team Scotland, many Scots contributed to the delivery of the Commonwealth Games as members of staff, volunteers and officials. Their hard work helped ensure the competition ran successfully and contributed greatly to the welcoming atmosphere around the SEC.

Six of the 31 International Technical Officials appointed by World Bowls were from Scotland. Congratulations to Martyn Jenkins, Malcolm Ramage, David Rice, Fiona Kerr, Pauline Kirkpatrick and Jacqueline Neill on being selected to officiate at Glasgow 2026.

Bowls Scotland would also like to recognise everyone from across the Scottish bowls community who volunteered their time and played a part in delivering a memorable home Games.

A memorable home Games

Beyond the results, Glasgow 2026 showcased Bowls and Para Bowls in a fresh and exciting way. The indoor format, enthusiastic crowds and fully integrated competition placed the sport on a major stage and introduced it to a new audience.

For the athletes, competing at home provided moments that will remain with them long after the final bowl. Sophie summed up the experience following her opening match: “It’s such an incredible atmosphere here. Like many people have said, it’s the pinnacle of our sport, so to be able to perform in front of a home crowd as well was really exciting.”

Reflecting on the Games, Bowls Scotland CEO Malcolm Dingwall-Smith said:

“It has been a great 11 days of bowls competition. We knew that if bowls was going to be included in these Games, it would have to look different. The move to playing indoors and adopting a shorter format has given us the opportunity to showcase an exciting form of the sport to new audiences.

“Bowls Scotland would like to thank Team Scotland, Commonwealth Sport and the Glasgow 2026 Organising Committee for stepping up when the future of the Games was in real doubt and delivering a great event.

“I’d also like to thank all the officials and volunteers, many from our own bowls community, who helped to make the Games happen and added to the special atmosphere around the venue.

“I’d like to pay tribute to all our players and coaches, who worked incredibly hard to prepare for the Games. Performance sport is tough, and there will always be a mix of lows and highs. All our players can be proud of their performances. In front of fantastic home support, they have done Scotland proud, as we knew they would.

“Finally, a special mention and congratulations must go to our gold medallists, Mary, Robert, Jim and Sarah-Jane, who played exceptionally well and provided one of Team Scotland’s most memorable moments.”

Every member of the squad represented Scotland with pride, contributing to an unforgettable home Games and a special new chapter in the history of Scottish bowls.