Scottish Women & Girls in Sport Week 2024 - Sophie McGrouther

Our third and final profile during Scottish Women and Girls in Sport Week 2024 features Sophie McGrouther from Townhill Bowling Club.

Sophie’s bowling career began when she was 10-years-old following a school taster session. Despite having no family connections to bowls, Sophie loved the whole experience and decided she wanted to join a club and take up the sport.

Since then, Sophie has developed into one of Scotland’s most talented young female players, having won the Scottish Indoor Ladies U25 Singles title back-to-back in 2023 and 2024 and gaining several international honours.

Playing alongside the mother and daughter pairing of Kara and Lynn Lees, Sophie secured one of her biggest wins to date when the trio won the Bowls Scotland Ladies National Triples in August 2024. A journey which saw the team from Townhill BC beat two former champions in Chloe Thomson, Tracey Breslin and Nicole McKean in the semi-final and Emma Kennedy, Susan Morrison and Gail Notman in the final.

At just 21-years-old, Sophie has already found time within her busy schedule to give back to the sport she loves. At the beginning of 2024 she took up the role as District Youth Co-Ordinator for District 8, ensuring the smooth running of the Stage 1 National Championships qualifiers in the local West Fife area. Sophie also runs a weekly coaching class to help develop the young players outwith a competitive environment.

We spoke to Sophie to find out more about her bowls journey. Read the full Q&A below.

Q1. When and how did your bowls journey begin?

SM: “I started bowling 11 years ago after taking part in a taster session with my primary school. No one in my family had even heard of bowls, so everyone was surprised when I decided I wanted to start playing. I stay only five minutes away from my local club, which made it easy to walk along to the Saturday morning junior coaching. I would stop at the bowling club to practice on my way home from school and worked my way through playing in junior competitions to representing Scotland at international events.”

Q2. What’s your favourite thing about bowls?

SM: “For me, the best thing about bowls is the people that you meet and the places the sport can take you. You can regularly play competitively with and against people from across the country all year round, which allows you to build and maintain friendships easily. This is great for women especially as it helps when everyone is supportive and makes a better atmosphere during matches.” 

Q3. How did it feel to win this year’s Ladies National Triples alongside Kara and Lynn Lees?

SM: “It was amazing to finally win our first national title together, as we have had a lot of near misses over the last few years. Going into the competition we just took each game at a time and tried not to think too far ahead. We knew we had a tough task on the Saturday playing the 2022 champions in the semi-final and then defending champions in the final, however we managed to play the big bowls when we needed to and got over the line. We were all delighted and are looking forward to competing in the British Isles Championships next year!” 

Q4. Tell us more about your role as District Youth Co-Ordinator for District 8 – what do you enjoy most about the role and why would you encourage other women to volunteer in bowls?

SM: “This was my first year as a DYC for my area and I loved it! I ran several competitions and qualifiers throughout the season and started a coaching club for beginners too. 

"Junior bowls was a big part of my life and helped me to develop a lot, so I have been keen to get involved and try to give others the same opportunity that I had. I am looking to continue and extend this into the indoor season over the winter. 

“I would definitely recommend volunteering in bowls as it has been a massively rewarding role! It’s been refreshing working with the juniors in my area as they are so passionate about the sport, and ultimately, they are the people we need to be keeping involved to help bowls continue to grow. Even if you only make a difference to one or two people, it is huge to the wider image of promoting the sport!”

Q5. What would you say to encourage other women and girls that may be interested in trying bowls?

SM: “I would recommend trying bowls to anyone, there are a lot of opportunities for all ages and abilities, especially for women! It is such a social sport that allows you to build friendships around the world. I have personally met so many people and been given opportunities I never would have had if it hadn’t been for bowls.

“Whether you are looking to play competitively or just for fun, there are options there for everyone!”

A huge thanks to Sophie for sharing more details about her bowls journey. Over 16,000 women and girls currently participate in bowls throughout Scotland, if you are keen to get involved find your nearest club here: https://www.bowlsscotland.com/club-finder