Bowls Scotland today announced the players it believes have the potential to deliver medal winning performances for Team Scotland at the 2018 Commonwealth Games and beyond with the announcement of an 18-strong High Performance Squad.

With next year’s Gold Coast Games firmly in sight, Scotland’s top players will come together to train and compete in the run up to final selection, with the men’s squad including four gold medal winners from the Glasgow 2014 Games: Alex Marshall MBE, Darren Burnett, Neil Speirs and newly crowned World indoor singles champion Paul Foster MBE, as well as 2016 Scottish Super Series Champion Iain McLean.

The women’s squad includes 2016 World Championships silver and bronze medallists Lesley Doig and Claire Johnston, Claire also recently lifting the mixed pairs title with England’s Nick Brett at the 2017 World Indoor Bowls Championships.

Newcomers to Scotland’s High Performance squad include 2016 National Singles Champion Derek Oliver, 2006 Commonwealth Games Pairs silver medallist Kay Moran and rising star Carla Banks who represented Team Scotland at the 2015 Commonwealth Youth Games in Samoa.

Returning to the squad are Graeme Archer and Caroline Brown who both won World Championship Gold for Scotland in Australia in 2012.

Bowls Scotland High Performance Coach David Gourlay, who will work with the squad alongside High Performance Manager Rhona Howie, is confident that the players selected from this squad for the Gold Coast Games will be medal contenders on the fast greens of Broadbeach Bowls Club.

“We believe the players selected have the potential to deliver on the World Stage and in the very specific conditions that we will encounter at a Southern Hemisphere Commonwealth Games,” he said.

“We are now on the path towards the 2018 Games and the focus is on developing and preparing players in their position specific roles for the fast greens and challenging conditions in Australia. There is a mixture of experience, youth and players with a proven track record on relevant playing surfaces in the squad.

“Success in Broadbeach will depend on the player’s ability to work hard individually and as a team, from those current world class players to the new talent coming into the squad. Glasgow was amazing and to try to get close to what we achieved will require everyone involved to commit to the rigors of the High Performance programme. This is the challenge and I know that these players and the support staff are up for it.”

After a successful World Championships in Christchurch last year, Bowls Scotland are now looking to raise the bar even further to remain one of the best teams in the world.

Bowls Scotland High Performance Squad:

Lesley Doig

Caroline Brown

Claire Johnston

Carla Banks

Stacey McDougall

Rebecca Craig

Kay Moran

Claire Walker

Paul Foster MBE

Iain McLean

Alex Marshall MBE

Darren Burnett

Derek Oliver

Graeme Archer

Neil Speirs

Colin Walker

Stewart Anderson

Ronnie Duncan