Canada’s Kelly McKerihen and Aron Sherriff, Australia, are celebrating ending magnificent 2024 seasons as the World Bowls Series’ No 1 ranked players.

McKerihen, who is based in Australia, tops the women’s ranking list with 732 points becoming the first Canadian to hold the title.

She’s enjoyed a stellar year winning the New Zealand National Bowls Championship women’s pairs followed by the Australian Open fours title and mostly recently the Hong Kong International Bowls Classic women’s pairs which sees her climb to the top from her previously ranked 16^th position.

Australia’s Kelsey Cottrell, Australian indoor women’s singles champion, who has been the only other player to top the rankings since its inauguration in June, moves to third spot behind Malaysia’s Nor Farrah Ain Abdullah, World Bowls Indoor Championship gold medallist.

Australia’s Kristina Kristic who won bronze in the Australian Champion of Champions joins the top 10 moving from 21st to fourth, while winning the Oceania women’s singles sees Briar Atkinson, New Zealand, leap 35 places to fifth.

Aron Sherriff regains the men’s crown with 781 points, while 19-year-old Jack McShane is continuing his meteoric rise in the upper echelons of the bowls landscape coming in at second following his maiden Australian indoor title – the men’s singles. Third is Scotland’s Iain McLean, men’s singles and pairs champion at the Hong Kong International Bowls Classic and Bowls Scotland’s men’s singles holder.

African States Tournament men’s singles and pairs victor Wayne Roberts maintains fourth place, with immediate past No 1 ranked players Stewart Anderson, defending World Indoor Bowls Championships open singles and pairs winner, and Izzat Shameer Dzulkeple, Malaysia, Asian Lawn Bowls Championship singles gold medallist, in fifth and sixth.

World Champion of Champions men’s champion Australia’s Lee Schraner is 20^th, but silver medallist New Zealand’s Aiden Takarua is the biggest mover jumping from 115^th into the top 10 to number eight – a staggering 107 places.

January WBS events

• January 2 – 9, Summerset National Singles and Pairs (NZ National Championships), North Harbour and Auckland, New Zealand – Gold

• January 10 – 26, World Indoor Bowls Championships, Potters Resorts, Hopton-on-Sea, Norfolk, UK – Platinum

In 2025, the World Bowls Series (WBS) plans to launch its inaugural World Para Bowler rankings and work is currently occurring on preparing the calendar of events that will be included in these rankings.

This is an exciting era for bowls globally and the WBS is an important element to help grow the profile of the sport.

WBS is the official year-long calendar of sanctioned events connecting to the official world rankings. It is a joint venture between World Bowls and Tier 5 Ventures. The sanctioned events occur across the globe and will feature a mixture of existing and new events.

WBS currently has 29 sanctioned events. Each WBS event will belong to a different tier having different ranking points based on the size, location, and stature it presents for the sport.

The purpose of WBS is to build the profile and brand of bowls, showcase the best players in the game, accelerate the legitimacy of the sport on the global stage and launch world rankings that will help create clarity and interest in the sport of bowls.

For more information regarding the World Bowls Series, contact: Neil Dalrymple, CEO, World Bowls, [email protected]

Female Rankings List: HERE

Male Rankings List: HERE

World Bowls Series YouTube: HERE

Caption: World Bowls President Brett O’Riley with new No. 1 ranked female Kelly McKerihen.

Author: Ceris Hewlings, World Bowls media officer