LAWN BOWLS ISLE OF MAN
Mark McGreal and Caroline Whitehead have returned home following achieving landmark performances at the 2025 World Bowls Indoor Championships in Aberdeen, Scotland. The duo produced the most successful campaign ever by Manx bowlers at this prestigious global tournament, with both advancing beyond the group stages to reach the knockout rounds.
The World Bowls Indoor Championships, a World Bowls Series Platinum event is a highlight on the international bowls calendar, and featured elite players from across the globe. Formed through the merger of the World Cup Singles and the IIBC Championships it now serves as the ultimate indoor bowls competition, attracting the best bowlers from around the world.
McGreal and Whitehead not only held their own against some of the sport’s biggest names, but exceeded expectations. In the men’s singles, McGreal battled through arguably the toughest of the four pools, qualifying for the knockout rounds by finishing second in the group following some commanding performances both skilfully and tactically; achieving a top 8 position in the process. Mark was narrowly eliminated on a tie break by England’s Dominic McVittie, the eventual runner-up in the singles and world champion in the pairs. McVittie will likely enter the top 10 of the world rankings following the event! In the women’s singles, Whitehead showed grit and determination to qualify among the top 12, overcoming some of the world’s highest-ranked players – including a crucial win over rising Irish star Zoe Minish. Caroline’s only defeats came at the hands of the eventual bronze, silver and gold medalists, a remarkable achievement given her original goal was to claim her first ever international singles victory!
The pair also competed in the mixed pairs event, where despite strong performances, they narrowly missed out due to a string of close tie break losses to top-tier opponents.
Manx bowlers have long punched above their weight in domestic competitions, and have slowly made headway on the international scene but were yet to make such a profound impact in an event of this magnitude. Their success is sure to raise the profile of lawn and indoor bowls on the island, and hopefully will inspire a new generation of players, which is vital for the continued growth of the sport locally. It’s also hoped their efforts will be recognised when it comes to athlete selection for next year’s Commonwealth Games.
