Scotland complete clean sweep at 2026 Atlantic International Challenge

Scotland have been crowned 2026 Atlantic International Challenge champions after completing an outstanding clean sweep in Belfast.

The five-day competition at Belmont Bowling Club brought together players from Scotland, Ireland, Canada and the USA, with matches contested across the men’s, women’s and para disciplines.

Scotland finished top of all four team standings, winning the Mainstream Overall, Men’s Overall, Ladies’ Overall and Para Overall titles.

Dominant overall performance

Across the mainstream competition, Scotland won 55 of their 78 matches and recorded one draw, accumulating 166 points. That placed them 31 points clear of hosts Ireland in second.

The team scored 1,286 shots and conceded 928, producing an impressive overall shot difference of +358.

Scotland’s final Mainstream Overall record was:

• Played: 78

• Won: 55

• Drawn: 1

• Lost: 22

• Shots for: 1,286

• Shots against: 928

• Shot difference: +358

• Points: 166

Scotland’s men finish strongly

Scotland secured the Men’s Overall title with 85 points, finishing 12 points ahead of Ireland.

The men won 28 of their 39 matches, with one draw, and completed the competition with a +163 shot difference.

One of the foundations of their success was a perfect record in the round-robin singles, where Scotland won all six matches and outscored their opponents 120-69. They were also particularly effective in the RC singles, winning 12 of their 15 contests across the week.

Darren Gualtieri enjoyed an excellent competition, featuring in 12 victories and one draw from his 15 appearances. Connor Milne was involved in nine wins and one draw, while Andrew Dunnett, Gary Prunty and Stewart McAlees each featured in nine victories.

On the final day, Scotland won four of their five men’s RC singles against the USA before adding three victories from five against Ireland, helping to confirm the overall men’s title.

Ladies claim title by 19 points

Scotland’s ladies produced an equally impressive performance, winning 27 of their 39 matches and finishing with 81 points, 19 clear of second-placed Ireland.

They scored 644 shots, conceded 449 and recorded the largest shot difference in any of the mainstream standings at +195.

The ladies’ triples team completed the event with a perfect record of six wins from six, scoring 109 shots and conceding only 57. Scotland also won five of their six ladies’ fours matches and four of their six pairs.

Natalie McWilliams was involved in 13 victories from 15 appearances, while Megan Sproat, Rebecca Houston and Stacey MacDougall each featured in 12 winning matches.

The ladies finished the competition in style by winning four of their five RC singles against Ireland. Rebecca Houston, Emma MacLeod, Megan Sproat and Natalie McWilliams all recorded victories in that final session.

Natalie’s performances across the five days also earned her the Women’s Most Valuable Player award.

Para team completes the clean sweep

Scotland topped the Para Overall standings with 44 points, finishing eight ahead of Ireland.

The para team won 21 of their 32 matches, drew two and lost nine. They scored 508 shots while conceding 328, giving them a final shot difference of +180.

Scotland completed perfect records in three para disciplines:

• VI singles: four wins from four

• VI pairs: four wins from four

• Para mixed triples: four wins from four

Melanie Inness and Ross Noble both enjoyed unbeaten competitions, winning all eight fixtures in which they featured. Their records included two VI singles appearances, two para mixed triples matches and four VI pairs fixtures each.

Andrew Fleming was involved in seven victories from eight appearances, including a perfect four wins from four in the PD singles. Lee Mitchell also made a significant contribution, featuring in six victories across his eight matches.

Ross was also recognised for his performances by being named the Para Most Valuable Player.

A memorable week in Belfast

The final standings underline the strength and consistency Scotland demonstrated throughout the competition:

• Mainstream Overall champions: 166 points

• Men’s Overall champions: 85 points

• Ladies’ Overall champions: 81 points

• Para Overall champions: 44 points

Across the mainstream and para competitions combined, Scotland recorded 76 victories and three draws from 110 matches.

Kareena Cuthbert, Bowls Scotland Head of High Performance, said:

“To secure a clean sweep of all gold medals at the Atlantic International Challenge is truly exceptional. This outstanding success is a testament to the hard work, commitment and talent of our athletes and support staff, and highlights the strength and depth of Scotland's performance pathway.

“We are incredibly proud of all those who represented Scotland and grateful to our fantastic hosts in Ireland for delivering another superb event that provided a high-quality international competition experience for everyone involved.”

Congratulations to every member of the Scottish team, along with the directors and support staff, on an outstanding week in Belfast.

The full team announcement, event information, streaming details and live scoring links can be found in our Atlantic International Challenge event preview.