World Indoor Bowls Championships


The World Indoor Bowls Championship was first held in 1979 at Coatbridge in Scotland for men's singles only. The event was sponsored by Embassy in the early years and grew in stature.
In 1988 the venue changed to Alexandra Palace and one year later Churchill Insurance took over the sponsorship when the championships were held at Preston Guild Hall.
The Midland Bank and SAGA were two more sponsors during the Preston era.
In 1999 Potters Holidays came in to take over the sponsorship and the event moved to Potters Resort in Hopton-on-Sea, where it is still held today. The BBC also show live coverage of the championships during the last week which includes all four competition finals.
The men's pairs started in 1986, the women's singles in 1988 and the mixed pairs in 2004. Both the men's singles and men's pairs changed to open singles and open pairs following the rule change which allowed women to compete in them. Alex Marshall from Scotland has won the singles event a record six times. Fellow Scot Paul Foster is one wins behind with five successes.

World Indoor Men's/Open Singles Champions

YearWinner
1979 David Bryant
1980 David Bryant
1981 David Bryant
1982 John Watson
1983 Bob Sutherland
1984 Jim Baker
1985 Terry Sullivan
1986 Tony Allcock
1987 Tony Allcock
1988 Hugh Duff
1989 Richard Corsie
1990 John Price
1991 Richard Corsie
1992 Ian Schuback

YearWinner
1993 Richard Corsie
1994 Andy Thomson
1995 Andy Thomson
1996 David Gourlay
1997 Hugh Duff
1998 Paul Foster
1999 Alex Marshall
2000 Robert Weale
2001 Paul Foster
2002 Tony Allcock
2003 Alex Marshall
2004 Alex Marshall
2005 Paul Foster
2006 Mervyn King

YearWinner
2007 Alex Marshall
2008 Alex Marshall
2009 Billy Jackson
2010 Greg Harlow
2011 Paul Foster
2012 Andy Thomson
2013 Stewart Anderson
2014 Darren Burnett
2015 Alex Marshall
2016 Nick Brett
2017 Paul Foster
2018 Mark Dawes
2019 Stewart Anderson
2020 Robert Paxton

Wins by individual
NameTitlesRunners upWinning Years
Alex Marshall611999, 2003, 2004, 2007, 2008, 2015
Paul Foster511998, 2001, 2005, 2011, 2017
Richard Corsie341989, 1991, 1993
Andy Thomson321994, 1995, 2012
David Bryant311979, 1980, 1981
Tony Allcock3-1986, 1987, 2002
Hugh Duff211988, 1997
Stewart Anderson212013, 2019
John Price131990
Mervyn King132006
Ian Schuback121992
Greg Harlow122010
Jim Baker111984
David Gourlay111996
Robert Weale112000
John Watson1-1982
Bob Sutherland1-1983
Terry Sullivan1-1985
Billy Jackson1-2009
Darren Burnett1-2014
Nick Brett1-2016
Mark Dawes1-2018
Robert Paxton1-2020

Performance by country
CountryWinning PlayersTitlesRunners up
Scotland92211
England91515
Wales337
Australia113
Northern Ireland112
Hong Kong--1
Israel--1
New Zealand--1
Canada--1
Total234242

World Indoor Women's Singles Champions

YearWinner
1988 Margaret Johnston
1990 Fleur Bougourd
1991 Mary Price
1992 Sarah Gourlay
1993 Kate Adams
1994 Jan Woodley
1995 Joyce Lindores
1996 Sandy Hazell
1997 Norma Shaw
1998 Caroline McAllister
1999 Caroline McAllister
2000 Marlene Castle

YearWinner
2001 Betty Brown
2002 Carol Ashby
2003 Carol Ashby
2004 Carol Ashby
2005 Ellen Falkner
2006 Ellen Falkner
2007 Caroline Brown
2008 Ceri Ann Davies
2009 Debbie Stavrou
2010 Debbie Stavrou
2011 Alison Merrien
2012 Karen Murphy

YearWinner
2013 Rebecca Field
2014 Katherine Rednall
2015 Laura Thomas
2016 Ellen Falkner
2017 Katherine Rednall
2018 Katherine Rednall
2019 Julie Forrest
2020 Julie Forrest

World Indoor Men's/Open Pairs Champions

The Men's Pairs allows women to compete, this is not to be confused with the Mixed Pairs. It was a men's only competition until 2012.
YearWinner
1986 Tony Allcock & David Bryant
1987 Tony Allcock & David Bryant
1988 Ian Schuback & Jim Yates
1989 Tony Allcock & David Bryant
1990 Tony Allcock & David Bryant
1991 Tony Allcock & David Bryant
1992 Tony Allcock & David Bryant
1993 Gary Smith & Andy Thomson
1994 Ian Schuback & Cameron Curtis
1995 Richard Corsie & Alex Marshall
1996 Ian Schuback & Kelvin Kerkow
1997 Tony Allcock & Mervyn King
1998 Richard Corsie & Graham Robertson
1999 John Price & Stephen Rees
2000 David Gourlay & Alex Marshall
2001 Les Gillett & Mark McMahon
2002 Hugh Duff & Paul Foster
2003 Tony Allcock & David Holt

YearWinner
2004 Ian McClure & Jeremy Henry
2005 Kelvin Kerkow & Mervyn King
2006 Billy Jackson & David Gourlay
2007 Billy Jackson & David Gourlay
2008 Andy Thomson & Ian Bond
2009 Kelvin Kerkow & Mervyn King
2010 Andy Thomson & Ian Bond
2011 Paul Foster & Alex Marshall
2012 Paul Foster & Alex Marshall
2013 Paul Foster & Alex Marshall
2014 Greg Harlow & Nick Brett
2015 Robert Paxton & Simon Skelton
2016 Stewart Anderson & Darren Burnett
2017 Les Gillett & Jason Greenslade
2018 Mark Dawes & Jamie Chestney
2019 Paul Foster & Alex Marshall
2020 Greg Harlow & Nick Brett

World Indoor Mixed Pairs Champions

YearWinner
2004 Alex Marshall & Amy Monkhouse
2005 John Price & Carol Ashby
2006 John Price & Carol Ashby
2007 Greg Harlow & Jo Morris
2008 David Gourlay & Ceri Ann Davies
2009 David Gourlay & Ceri Ann Davies
2010 Alex Marshall & Carol Ashby
2011 Simon Skelton & Alison Merrien
2012 David Gourlay & Debbie Stavrou

YearWinner
2013 Paul Foster & Laura Thomas
2014 Paul Foster & Laura Thomas
2015 Robert Paxton & Marion Purcell
2016 Darren Burnett & Katherine Rednall
2017 Nick Brett & Claire Johnston
2018 Jamie Chestney & Lesley Doig
2019 Robert Paxton & Ellen Falkner
2020 Nick Brett & Marion Purcell

World Indoor Open Under 25 Champions

YearWinner
2016 Joseph Mower
2017 Ellen Ryan

YearWinner
2018 Chloe Watson
2019 John Orr

YearWinner
2020 William Moulton

Players with 5 or more titles