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Tayla Bruce

Tayla Bruce
Personal information
Born22 February 1995 (1995-02-22) (age 29)
Christchurch, New Zealand
Height1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Weight72 kg (159 lb)
Sport
CountryNew Zealand
SportLawn bowls
ClubBurnside Bowling Club
Achievements and titles
National finalsSingles champion (2022)
Pairs champion (2023)
Fours champion (2017, 2020)
Highest world ranking2 (August 2024)[1]
Medal record
Women's lawn bowls
Representing  New Zealand
World Outdoor Championships
Gold medal – first place 2023 Gold Coast singles
Silver medal – second place 2023 Gold Coast triples.
Commonwealth Games
Bronze medal – third place 2022 Birmingham fours
Bronze medal – third place 2022 Birmingham triples
World Champion of Champions
Gold medal – first place 2022 Wellington singles

Tayla Bruce (born 22 February 1995) is a New Zealand international lawn bowls player.

Bowls career

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Born in Christchurch in 1995, Bruce plays for the Burnside Bowling Club.[2] She won the 2017 national women's fours title, in a team with Jo Edwards, Val Smith, and Kirsten Edwards.[3][4] At the annual Canterbury awards, she was named as sportswoman of the year and young player of the year.[5]

She was selected as part of the New Zealand team for the 2018 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast in Queensland.[6]

A second national fours title was secured in 2020, playing alongside Sandra Keith, Clare Hendra, and Selina Smith.[7] During the same year she was selected for the 2020 World Outdoor Bowls Championship in Australia but the event was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[8]

In 2022, she won her third national title after securing the singles crown.[9] Also in 2022, she competed in the women's triples and the women's fours at the 2022 Commonwealth Games.[10] She won double bronze; in the triples playing with Nicole Toomey and Val Smith and in the fours, playing with Selina Goddard, Toomey and Smith.[11] In November 2022, she won the gold medal at the World Singles Champion of Champions in Wellington, New Zealand.[12]

In January 2023, Bruce won the New Zealand National Bowls Championships women's pairs title with Clare Hendra.[13]

Also in 2023, she was selected again as part of the team to represent New Zealand at the 2023 World Outdoor Bowls Championship.[14] She participated in the women's singles and the women's triples events.[15][16] In the singles, Bruce won her group undefeated before reaching the semi-final, where she beat Ellen Ryan to set up a final against Kelly McKerihen. In the final, Bruce defeated McKerihen, 21–18.[17] In the triples (partnering Val Smith and Leeane Poulson), the team won the group undefeated before winning a tense quarter final against Malaysia and a semi final against Canada. In the final they met Australia, losing 16–9 but claiming the silver medal.

References

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  1. ^ "Female rankings". World Bowls Series. Retrieved 28 June 2024.
  2. ^ Tayla Bruce at the New Zealand Olympic Committee
  3. ^ "Classy Sean O'Neill and Tayla Bruce takes NZ club singles title at Taieri". Stuff.co.nz.
  4. ^ "New Zealand Championships". Bowls Tawa.
  5. ^ "Top bowls club revealed at awards". Star.kiwi.
  6. ^ "Bowls: New Zealand team named for Commonwealth Games". New Zealand Herald.
  7. ^ "Record-extending 14th national title for Gary Lawson". Bowls New Zealand.
  8. ^ "Blackjacks Selected for World Championships 2020". Bowls New Zealand.
  9. ^ "Tayla Bruce crowned National Singles Champ, at home green". Bowls New Zealand. Retrieved 28 February 2022.
  10. ^ "Official Games profile". 2022 Commonwealth Games. Retrieved 4 August 2022.
  11. ^ "England beat Malaysia to win women's triple lawn bowls gold". BBC Sport. Retrieved 15 January 2023.
  12. ^ "Tolchard crowned World Champion of Champions champion". England Bowls. Retrieved 25 November 2022.
  13. ^ "World champion Tayla Bruce caps phenomenal year with national pairs title alongside Clare Hendra". Stuff. 9 January 2023. Retrieved 10 January 2023.
  14. ^ "COMPETITORS CONFIRMED: WORLD BOWLS OUTDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS 2023". Bowls International. 5 June 2023. Retrieved 2 September 2023.
  15. ^ "Events and Results, World Championships 2023 Gold Coast, Australia". World Bowls. Retrieved 2 September 2023.
  16. ^ "SCHEDULE & DRAWS". Bowls Australia. Retrieved 2 September 2023.
  17. ^ "'It's just unreal': Canterbury's Tayla Bruce wins world title in lawn bowls". Stuff. 3 September 2023. Retrieved 3 September 2023.
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