Hoggan and Rice to compete at Champion of Champions
Dee Hoggan and Martyn Rice will represent Scotland at next week's World Singles Champion of Champions tournament in Australia, and they are looking forward to competing alongside their fellow national champions from around the world.
Dee and Martyn both won their respective singles titles at the 2017 Bowls Scotland National Championships, qualifying them for this event, which starts on Monday 29th October for five days at St John's Bowls Park in New South Wales.
Both have been preparing indoors but will arrive two days early to practice on the outdoor greens at St John's, and Dee has been getting tips from some well-known bowlers.
"I have been given a lot of pointers from the world class players in East Lothian like Tattie [Alex Marshall], Willie Wood and Derek Oliver who competed in the event last year at the same venue and just lost out in the final. I’ve been told it’s like indoor pace but outdoor lines which I think will suit me."
Martyn has played in Australia before, competing at the Youth Commonwealth Games in 2004.
"Just having the chance to play in an international tournament again is exciting. I'm looking forward to competing in a world class competition and mixing with all different nations, meeting old friends and hopefully making new ones in the international bowling community."
This will be Dee's first trip to Australia, and she will be supported by her partner and her uncle.
"It was my family that got me into bowls, especially my granny and my uncles. I was fortunate to win the National Championships mixed pairs with my uncle John [McCrorie] in 2016 and it meant so much to us considering he taught me everything about the game."
It's been a busy and successful year for Dee, who won the BIWBC Championships singles title at Belmont BC in Belfast in June.
"Winning the British was one of the best feelings for me and John," Dee explains, "both as after he won the Scottish singles in 2009 he wasn’t able to compete for the British title the year after which was also meant to be held at the venue where I won the British. To do well in this competition will be the icing on the cake to complete the set."
Martyn also represented Scotland at the BIBC International Series in 2018, and was happy to be re-called to the senior squad for the games in Leamington Spa in July.
"It was good to be back playing top level bowls at international level. Hopefully this will help me for heading into this tournament."
Martyn will be playing in section two of the Champion of Champions men's competition, whilst Dee is in section one of the women's. They will be competing against bowlers from as close to home as England, Wales and Guernsey, and as far afield as Namibia, Singapore and Fiji, to name just a few.
We wish them the best of luck at St John's. Read more from World Bowls.