Ideagen, a Nottingham-headquartered software company, has been unveiled as the Official AI Technology Principal Partner of Glasgow 2026, Presenting Partner for Netball and an Official Partner for Team Scotland, becoming one of the primary sponsors of the UK’s biggest sporting event this year.
Launched in 2009, Ideagen technology sits at the heart of quality, safety and compliance in the world’s most regulated and high-compliance industries — aviation, life sciences, healthcare, food and beverage, financial services, energy and construction.
Ideagen operates largely out of sight and for the first time, the brand will be seen by hundreds of thousands of spectators who are set to watch 11 days of world-class sport unfold across four iconic venues when the Games return to Glasgow from 23 July to 2 August.
Signing with Glasgow 2026 as a Principal Partner and Presenting Partner for Netball reflects shared values in excellence, standards and what people are capable of at their best.
The partnership aligns with Glasgow 2026’s ambition to unite, inspire and engage people across the Commonwealth, creating opportunities for communities to get involved. Through the partnership Ideagen’s brand will be visible across the Netball programme, engaging global markets where the sport dominates. Ideagen will also provide sporting equipment for schools and opportunities for young people to find inspiration in sport, technology and science.
Martin Fitchie, Chief Information Officer, said: “Leaders in both sport and technology strive for precision, reliability and continuous excellence. Ideagen recognises this deeply. Their technology underpins some of the world’s most vital operations and their dedication to zero failure aligns perfectly with the high standards of elite sports.
“This is a partnership founded on common values and we are proud to welcome Ideagen as a Principal Partner. We look forward to collaborating and showcasing how innovation and athletic performance go hand in hand at Glasgow 2026.”
Ben Dorks, Chief Executive Officer at Ideagen said: “Glasgow 2026 is where the world’s best will come to prove that performance is everything – and that’s exactly what makes this partnership so exciting, because that’s precisely what our technology is built for. Standards matter and failure isn’t an option, whether you’re competing for a medal or keeping the world’s most critical industries safe.
“For us, it’s also about our people – Ideagen has offices, colleagues and customers in many of the nations competing this summer – not just the home nations but also Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Barbados, Cyprus, India, Malaysia and South Africa so this partnership made a lot of sense for us on so many levels. As Official AI Technology Partner of Glasgow 2026 and Presenting Partner of the Netball programme, we can’t wait to be part of it.”
Jon Doig OBE, Chief Executive at Team Scotland, added: “We are delighted to welcome Ideagen as a Principal Partner of Glasgow 2026 and Team Scotland. Having the support of a company that has global Commonwealth connections is a tremendous asset and will only add to the impact that the Games will have this summer and beyond.”
Tickets for Glasgow 2026 are available now, visit www.glasgow2026.com for more information, tickets and sign up to be the first to hear the latest updates.
At just 19 years old, and in her first season on the elite cycling circuit, Erin Boothman has her eyes set on a medal at a home Commonwealth Games in Glasgow this summer. Living just 20 minutes from the competition venue, she has the credentials, with four World Junior titles, three European Junior titles and world junior records to her name. Already mixing it with riders she idolised growing up, she’s putting absolutely everything into emulating their success.
“All the Scottish riders are super strong,” she says, sitting in the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome, which will host the cycling action at Glasgow 2026. “This is where I grew up as a kid, it’s where I learned to ride the velodrome and now to be potentially riding at a Commonwealth Games on my home track with the honour of wearing that jersey, it’s special and something I’m really looking forward to.
“The women’s endurance squad that Team Scotland have potentially going to the Games is one of the strongest on paper, so I think we’d be going with the intention of medalling, if not trying to get that gold medal. So I certainly wouldn’t just be going along for my first experience, I’d be there ready to compete and hope for medals.”
Medals have been plentiful so far in her career, announcing her potential on the junior circuit with gold in the Team Pursuit and Madison at the 2024 World Junior Championships, as well as with silver and bronze at the European Juniors. 2025 was even better, defending both titles at the World Juniors and taking home three gold medals, including the Team Pursuit in a world junior record, at the Europeans. She also set a world junior record in the 3km individual pursuit at the British Junior Track Championships.
She’s come a long way in a short time, from family holiday rides to taking up the sport competitively at age 10, to being selected for the GB Pathway when she was 16. She even deferred her place to study Pharmacy at Strathclyde University to concentrate on her cycling career, a gamble for herself and her family, but one that seems to be paying off.
“It was a hard decision for me, and it was also hard for my parents to accept. It’s a big leap of faith. You have to have the trust in yourself that you can make it. I always knew I could come back to university, and I think I would have been silly not to take the opportunity and really commit to my sport. I’m happy now that I did make that decision.”
As she makes the step up to elite level, she’s already mixing it with the riders she idolised growing up, beating World and Olympic medallists Katie Archibald and Anna Morris to the Elimination Race gold at the British Track Cycling Championships.
“That was a big shock for me, she says. “I’d ridden the Madison championships a few months before with Anna Morris, who’s one of the best in the world. We’d won, so I knew I was physically good, but the Elimination Race is hard to get right tactically on the day and it’s a lot of luck too. I was really emotional at the finish when I won because I didn’t expect it. An elite national title in my first year was not what I was expecting, but I couldn’t be happier with it.
“Everyone knows it’s a massive jump to elite level and I did a big winter of training to try to prepare and even still the jump was even bigger than we thought. I’m trying to find my feet this year and just see what we can do.”
With Glasgow 2026 on the horizon, selection and success there could kickstart a highly promising senior career. There’s a lot of experience around to guide her too and she’s taking in all she can from those who have been there before, like Katie Archibald.
“Katie’s been a huge part of my career, especially on the track,” says Erin.
“When I was young and just getting into the sport I’d come into the velodrome and see her training, and now I go to Manchester and she’s there with the GB squad. It’s been that shift from looking up to her, but not being in her circle, to now being around her and learning from her, it’s very special.
“It’s a bit surreal to compete against someone that you have so much respect for, almost idolise really. It’s nice just being in the peloton with her, but being on the line trying to beat her is something different. It’s a bit weird beating someone like that because, when I was younger, I always saw her as someone way above me and someone who was a completely different level to anyone. It’s a really nice confidence boost and, if I get into the team, I look forward to maybe competing with her.”
Cycling and Para Cycling will take place at the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome with competition running from 30 July to 2 August. Tickets to watch Team Scotland compete are available here.
Team Scotland’s momentum towards the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games continues to pick up pace with the selection of a seven-strong line up in Para Swimming.
With Glasgow 2026 set to have the largest para-sport programme in Commonwealth Games history, four men and three women will make up Team Scotland’s Para Swimming team competing at Tollcross International Swimming Centre this summer.
Toni Shaw is set for a third Games appearance with Team Scotland, while Stephen Clegg, Ollie Carter and Sam Downie return after debuts at Birmingham 2022. Making a first Commonwealth Games are James Clegg, Faye Rogers and Astrid Carroll.
At Paris 2024 Stephen Clegg delivered the first two Paralympic gold medals of his career in the S12 100m Butterfly and 100m Backstroke – setting a new World Record in the latter. A three-time Paralympian, having made his debut at Rio 2016, he also boasts a silver and two bronzes from Tokyo 2020.
Making his Commonwealth Games bow in 2022, Stephen secured a sensational silver in Birmingham in the S13 50m Freestyle, despite swimming up a classification.
Clegg said: “It’s such an honour to be selected for a Commonwealth Games and to have a home Games is such a rare opportunity. To have a crowd that is there for you is really special. As I’ve got older, I have learned to use the crowd in a much more effective way, and I think the atmosphere in Glasgow is going to be huge.”
Also a Paralympic gold medallist at Paris 2024, Faye Rogers won the S10 100m Butterfly and marking an incredible 12 months, that also saw her become World Champion in the same event on her major international debut. In 2025 she won a further five medals at her second World Para Swimming Championships in Singapore and will make her Team Scotland debut in Glasgow.
Rogers shared her excitement: “I’ve never competed for Team Scotland before so it’s my first Commonwealth Games and I feel very fortunate to get a home Games. I am most excited about it being in Glasgow and Scotland so that my family can come.”
There will be an incredible Commonwealth Games debut for London 2012 Paralympic medallist James Clegg, following a triumphant return to the sport.
A medallist at the World Championships in 2013, he makes his first international team in 13 years, joining brother Stephen for the first time. It’s a family affair for the Cleggs, with sister Libby a Paralympic champion and Commonwealth Games gold medallist in athletics.
Four years ago Toni Shaw took her first Commonwealth Games medal, clinching an opening night bronze in Birmingham in the S9 100m Freestyle. The Paralympic Games and World Championship medallist will be on the hunt for more silverware this summer.
Also returning to Team Scotland are Sam Downie and Ollie Carter. Sam - who made his international debut just months prior to Birmingham 2022 – was only 16 years old at his first Games, the youngest athlete on the team. He competed in the S9 100m Backstroke, swimming up a classification, and finishing in the top 6 in the event. Ollie took 7th place in Men’s 100m Butterfly S10 – entering poolside in a kilt, in an iconic moment at the Sandwell Aquatics Centre.
There will be a Commonwealth Games debut for Astrid Carroll, who burst onto the international para swimming scene with a pair of medals at the 2025 World Championships, a silver in the SB12 100m Breaststroke, and a bronze in the S12 100m Backstroke.
Elinor Middlemiss, Team Scotland Chef de Mission, said: “I’d like to offer a huge congratulations to all of the athletes who have been selected for Team Scotland at a home Games. We look forward to them representing their families, communities and country with pride in Glasgow this summer.
“There is a huge amount of experience in this Para Swimming team, in both our returning athletes and those making their Commonwealth Games debut. I look forward to watching these athletes deliver what I’m sure will be strong performances in Glasgow and wish them every success.”
Para Swimming will take place at Tollcross International Swimming Centre with competition running from 24 July to 29 July. Tickets to watch Team Scotland compete are available here.
You can learn more about the Glasgow 2026 Para Swimming programme here.
Selected Athletes
Astrid Carroll
Ollie Carter
James Clegg
Stephen Clegg
Sam Downie
Faye Rogers
Toni Shaw
The full lineup of Bowls and Para Bowls athletes for Team Scotland at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games has been announced.
Headlining a very strong team is seven-time Commonwealth Games athlete and seven-time medallist, Alex ‘Tattie’ Marshall, who will join forces with Paul Foster, who is heading to his sixth Games with six medals in hand, in the Men’s Pairs.
On his eighth selection, Alex said: “It is always such an honour and privilege to be selected to represent Team Scotland at the Commonwealth Games. To have another opportunity to be a part of a home Games is also not lost on me, and I know that Paul and I will give it our very best to try and win a medal for the team.”
Keeping it in the family, one of the two notable newcomers is Beth Riva, the niece of Alex Marshall who celebrated her 23rd birthday last weekend. She won the World Championship mixed pairs in 2025 with Jason Banks who will also make his Team Scotland debut in Glasgow in the Men’s Singles.
Riva is partnering with the experienced Caroline Brown in the Women’s Pairs. Brown is heading to her fifth Games with the team and will be looking to add to her silver medal she clinched at the Gold Coast in 2018.
Glasgow 2026 will see Bowls and Para Bowls in a reimagined format and for the first time in Games history it will be played indoors. With four medal events in Bowls and three in Para Bowls, the revised competition formats will be fully integrated and run across all ten days of the competition.
Leading the charge for the Para Bowls team is Birmingham 2022 gold medallist Pauline Wilson. In her Team Scotland debut, Wilson took gold in the Women’s B6-8 Pairs and will be hoping to repeat her success four years on. She will be partnered by Mary Wilson.
The youngest member of the Bowls and Para Bowls team will be Sophie McGrouther aged 22. After taking up the sport at the age of ten, she was the youngest player ever to qualify to play at the Scottish National Championships at 14. In 2025 she was crowned World Indoor Singles Champion aged 21.
Sophie said: “It is an absolute dream come true to be picked for Team Scotland at the Commonwealth Games. “I am looking forward to the whole experience and especially the home crowds. Obviously, I’ll be hoping to medal but I also just want to take it all in and enjoy every second of it.”
The depth of experience and accomplishments continues with returning gold medallists from Birmingham 2022 and all heading to their third Games for the team namely Garry Brown in the Mixed Pairs (B6-B8); Robert Barr in the Mixed Pairs (B2-B3) and his Para Director Sarah Jane Ewing.
Elinor Middlemiss, Team Scotland Chef de Mission, said: “We are delighted to announce the entire team for Bowls and Para Bowls, and I’d like to congratulate all the athletes selected.
“Our Bowls and Para Bowls athletes have historically been very successful at the Games, and I am sure it will be no different with this exciting new format and in an indoor setting. This team has such a mix of youth and experience, it is wonderful to see the sport attracting new players of all ages and I am sure they will undoubtedly inspire those who come along to watch and cheer them on at the SEC Centre.”
Athletes from across all 10 sports and six para-sports featured at Glasgow 2026 will continue to be selected in the coming months as Team Scotland shapes up for an exciting home Games.
Bowls and Para Bowls take place at the Scottish Event Campus with competition running from 24 July to 2 August. Tickets to watch Team Scotland compete are available here.
Selected Team Scotland Athletes:
Paul Foster MBE – Men’s Pairs
Alex Marshall MBE – Men’s Pairs
Beth Riva – Women’s Pairs
Caroline Brown – Women’s Pairs
Garry Brown – Men’s Pairs (B6-B8)
Stuart Sloan – Men’s Pairs (B6-B8)
Mary Wilson – Women’s Pairs (B6-B8)
Pauline Wilson – Women’s Pairs (B6-B8)
Mary Stevenson – Mixed Pairs (B2-B3)
Robert Barr – Mixed Pairs (B2-B3)
Jason Banks – Men’s Singles
Sophie McGrouther – Women’s Singles
Sarah Jane Ewing – Mixed Pairs (B2-B3) Director
Jim Aitken – Mixed Pairs (B2-B3) Director
As she prepares to compete at the upcoming European Weightlifting Championships in Batumi, Georgia and with her sights firmly set on representing Team Scotland at Glasgow 2026, Beth Ashbee is on the brink of fulfilling a long-held dream of representing her country at the Commonwealth Games – just not in the sport she first imagined.
Her first love was gymnastics, taking up the sport at the age of nine, competing at Scottish and British Championships and representing Scotland internationally, alongside Birmingham 2022 medallist Shannon Archer, as well as Cara Kennedy and Carly Smith, who would also go on to represent Team Scotland at the Commonwealth Games.
It was a sport with a strong family connection, her mum having competed at the Commonwealth Games, but certainly not one she was pushed into. In the end Beth’s enthusiasm ensured that a second generation took to the vault, bars, beam and floor.
“My mum knew how hard it was, so it was very much, ‘I don’t want you to do it, but if you want to do it then let’s get into it.’
“I wanted to be better. I wanted to build up to where my mum had got to and see if I could go further. So that was my whole life, I couldn’t see any other sport outwith gymnastics.”
Beth went a long way in her mother’s footsteps, but her dream of competing at Glasgow 2014 wasn’t to be, with injuries hampering her chances. Missing out was the catalyst for Beth to step away from the sport.
“It was hard to step away from gymnastics,” says Beth. “That was my life, I would train in the morning, go to school, come back out and it would be straight back into the gym again in the evening. I would see my coach more often than I would see my mum.
“Obviously I wanted to go to the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, I didn’t make that one and that was hard. I think I was lost for a good bit [after stepping away], but I still have all my leotards, still have everything around gymnastics, just in case,” she jokes.
Although she had missed out on the Games as an athlete, she embraced them as a spectator. She decided to watch different sports, as watching gymnastics still felt too close to home.
It was weightlifting that captured her attention, struck by the great atmosphere and support for the athletes, but it wasn’t until she was talent spotted at a school strength and conditioning programme that she even considered making the switch.
“I didn’t think, going into the sport, that I would be able to do it, it was more, OK I’ll give it a go”, says Beth, but soon she was hooked. She also found that, although the sports seemed so different, her strength and flexibility from gymnastics were huge assets.
Now training at Glasgow City Barbell Club with coach and former Commonwealth Games competitor John McEwan, she’s found a new focus and sense of belonging.
“This place is everything,” says Beth. “It’s the environment, the people, they’re so supportive. John has a massive part to play, he’s an inspiration. He’s still pushing away in the gym too, after injuries and operations, so it’s great to train alongside him.
“I would never have thought that stepping into weightlifting would change my life in so many ways. Getting into it at first was a struggle, everything hurt, everything was bruised, but I got stronger. Before I started I was strong, now I feel stronger than ever.
“Mentally it’s made a massive difference, just going in and getting stuff done, lifting some heavy weights, it clears your head. I can’t tell you exactly how, but it changes everything massively.”
Since starting weightlifting, the path has not always been easy. Daughter Ruby arrived in 2019, followed by the Covid pandemic closing gyms just as she was getting back to training.
“I had weights in my kitchen and was training in there,” she laughs. “I was sorting Ruby out then, if she was asleep, going down to the kitchen to train. I gave it everything I had at the time, it was hard going but here we are.
“People would say you can’t do that after you’ve had a kid, your body just won’t let you, but I always wanted to try. Obviously training is a massive part of my life, but so is my daughter. I couldn’t tell you how I balance it, but it’s a routine every day.
“Ever since she was little I would bring her into the gym and when she does a lift that I do, I love how happy she gets. It’s good to see her around the people I get on with, and my support system also supports her.”
If Beth is selected for Team Scotland this summer, she’ll be aiming for a personal best total, but also to inspire – her daughter and anyone who’s ever thought they couldn’t do sport after starting a family.
“To have Ruby come and watch, and see that her mum can do this, would be amazing. It’s about inspiring people that you can still do it, even after having a kid. That’s what I want to do, just show everyone that it’s still possible.”
Tickets to watch Team Scotland compete at Glasgow 2026 are available now. Secure your seats at www.glasgow2026.com
Team Scotland has teamed up with Last Rep Coffee in a new partnership blending elite and community sport through a purpose-driven brand, co-owned by athlete Jake Wightman.
The agreement will see Last Rep Coffee become an Official Partner of Team Scotland as preparations continue for a home Games this summer.
At the heart of the partnership is a bespoke Team Scotland coffee product, created to fuel athletes and fans at Glasgow 2026.
Last Rep Coffee will donate 10% of profits from every sale to the Team Scotland Youth Trust, directly supporting the next generation of Scottish athletes.
Founded by Olympic athletes Jake Wightman and Zak Seddon, Last Rep Coffee is built on shared passion for sport and coffee. With over a decade of competing at the highest level, the pair developed an appreciation for coffee as a way to connect away from sport.
The partnership will come to life at Team Scotland House during Glasgow 2026 where fans can purchase the co-branded coffee, with activations including run clubs and community events designed to bring fans closer to the team.
Jake Wightman, who was among the first Team Scotland athletes selected for Glasgow 2026 after winning silver in the men’s 1500m at the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, said: “Last Rep Coffee was created to help athletes connect away from training and competing and I’m excited about the opportunity to extend that to Team Scotland athletes and supporters at Glasgow 2026 through this partnership.
“The commitment to donate to the Youth Trust was also a really important factor in partnering with Team Scotland. It’s vital that athletes continue to support younger athletes coming through, and it’s great that every bag of coffee sold can play a role in that journey.”
Colin Millar, Head of Marketing and Commercial Operations at Team Scotland, said: “We’re delighted to welcome Last Rep Coffee into the Team Scotland family. This is a partnership that feels authentic, from its athlete connection through Jake to its focus on community and giving back.
“As we build towards Glasgow 2026 and beyond, this collaboration allows us to engage fans in a new way while directly supporting the next generation of Scottish athletes through the Team Scotland Youth Trust.”
Team Scotland has revealed its Ceremony Outfits for the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games.
The attire, which will be worn during the Opening Ceremony on 23rd July 2026, was unveiled at a special dinner to mark 100 days to go until the Games, bringing together stakeholders, partners, athletes and supporters.
The Team Scotland tartan for Glasgow 2026, unveiled on Tartan Day on 6th
April, takes a bold new direction, using the Team Scotland thistle logo as inspiration and incorporating metallic gold yarn to represent the team’s ambition and pursuit of success. Gold embroidery on the shirt collar and custom-made kilt pins tie-in the thistle design and metallic gold from the tartan, as accents in the full outfit.
In addition to the main team attire, the outfits to be worn by the flagbearers were also revealed, adding a jacket and fly plaid to create an eye-catching contemporary twist on tradition.
Team Scotland is delighted to be collaborating with award-winning Scottish designer Siobhan Mackenzie for a third time. Siobhan, who kick-started her career as tailoring technician at Glasgow 2014, designed the women’s Ceremony Outfit for the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games, and the tartan and Ceremonies Outfits at Birmingham 2022.
She has once again designed all elements for the team at Glasgow 2026, from the tartan to the outfits and accessories, with everything being manufactured in Scotland.
Siobhan said: “It’s an incredible honour to be asked to design the Ceremony Outfits for Team Scotland at a home Games. I want the athletes to walk out into the Opening Ceremony feeling great in their outfit, with the bold colours and introduction of metallic gold representing their drive and determination.
“The outfits are classic and timeless, with the tartan very much the focus.
“It’s also really important to me that everything is made in Scotland, from the woven cloth to the finished garments and accessories, supporting local textiles and craftsmanship.”
Team Scotland Chef de Mission Elinor Middlemiss MBE said: “After months of planning it is really exciting to see the designs come to life and we are delighted with the new look created by Siobhan.
“I hope our athletes will take great pride in wearing it as they make their grand entrance in front of a home crowd this summer.”
All female athletes and team staff are given the choice of kilt length, ensuring they can tailor their look to personal preference. Modifications are also made where required to cater for specific requirements of our para athletes.
Tickets to watch Team Scotland compete at Glasgow 2026 are available now. Secure your seats at www.glasgow2026.com
Most of her teammates have parents or grandparents who played, she took the Scottish National Triples title with a mother and daughter pair, but Sophie McGrouther is one of a kind. Crowned World Indoor Singles Champion in 2025 at the age of just 21, she’s forging her own path in the bowls world and turning stereotypes on their head.
“No one else in my family plays,” she says. “The fact that I’ve gone on to play at such a high level is definitely a unique story, but I hope it’s quite an inspiring one for people out there who want to get started as well.
“I just came from nowhere really so I’m trying to be that story for people, that this is something that you can do. It’s a sport you can just come into and if you put the practice in, you can go anywhere that you want to with it.”
Sophie is certainly going places. From taking up bowls age 10 after a taster session at primary school, she has risen to become one of the best players in the world and is making a strong bid to be on Team Scotland for this summer’s Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.
Success came quickly when, at just 14 years old, Sophie became the youngest player ever to qualify to play at the Scottish National Championships. Naturally that attracted a lot of attention, but she remained unphased, making it to the semi-finals of the Under 25 singles, an incredible feat against opposition up to 10 year her senior.
“At the time I didn’t really understand,” she reflects. “I was just me and just wanted to play my bowls. I didn’t understand what was so special about that, but looking back now, I can definitely see why it had the attention that it did.
“Because of the pressure that I’d felt people putting on me, it did sting a bit more when I was beaten, but it was a big learning moment in dealing with pressure at a young age.”
Fast forward seven years and she pulled on all she’d learned to land the biggest accolade of her career to date – a World Championship gold medal in front of a home crowd in Aberdeen.
“It was surreal,” says Sophie. “I went purely looking to get some experience. I’d played in the Under 25s, but this was my first time at the full World Championships. As the week went on and I was still playing well, I never really thought too much about it until I was in the final. It only really started to sink in when the last bowl was played and it was, ‘oh my goodness, you’re a World Champion!’
“At the medal ceremony, standing on the top step of the podium and the whole stadium singing Flower of Scotland, that was something very special, but not something I’d ever dreamed about actually becoming a reality.”
That moment has given Sophie a taste for more, and the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games sits high in her priorities. With selection taking place in the next few weeks, she’s hoping she’s done enough to earn a place on Team Scotland.
“It would be an absolute dream come true to be picked for the Commonwealth Games,” she says. “I would just be looking forward to taking in every single minute of that experience and the crowds and the performance that comes with that. Obviously I’d be hoping to medal but also just taking in every second of the experience and enjoying it.”
Thrust into the spotlight after her World Championship win, the learning has continued as she has had to deal with a whole new set of pressures.
“After the Worlds I had a bit of imposter syndrome. I’d gone away for a week and come back as a World Champion and I felt that people were kind of looking at me differently, which I did struggle with.
“I’ve been working a lot with a sports psychologist, just to learn some different strategies, which I think is not something that’s spoken about a lot in bowls. It’s not seen as a sport that can be mentally taxing but it definitely is. Just like in any sport, being mentally strong is so important.
“Working with a sports psychologist has really helped me to sort my mindset out. It has been a big flip in my perspective from winning and learning to deal with the self-doubt and the pressure to make sure I’m as strong as I can be.”
During her victorious World Indoor Championships, she was juggling finishing her final dissertation as part of her Primary Education degree in between her Singles and Mixed Pairs games. It was always her dream to be a teacher and it’s important for her to pass on her experiences, so for the past two years she has been guiding the next generation as a District Youth Co-Ordinator for Bowls Scotland.
“Since I was young, I’d line up my teddies playing schools and making worksheets, dragging my little brother into it,” she laughs. “It was always there from a young age, naturally taking on that teaching role that I’ve always wanted.”
“I just wanted to inspire people. Knowing how I felt when I was in those shoes at a young age it’s nice to be able to give encouragement and support when it’s needed. It’s very different to playing on the green myself, but trying to be that mentor and guiding people through, I do really enjoy it.”
If given the nod for Glasgow 2026, she’ll have the opportunity to inspire a nation, and the young players she’s guided will surely be some of her loudest supporters in the stands.
Team Scotland will compete in Bowls and Para Bowls at the SEC Centre from 24 July – 2 August with tickets starting from £17 for adults and £13 for concessions. Available at https://glasgow2026.tmtickets.co.uk/
Team Scotland has unveiled its official tartan for the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games, created in collaboration with the award-winning Scottish designer Siobhan Mackenzie.
The new tartan, revealed on Tartan Day, is designed exclusively for Team Scotland, and takes a bold new direction while staying rooted in tradition.
It features a deep navy base, lifted with vibrant purples, pinks and greens, reflecting the energy of the team and the pride of representing Scotland on the international stage. At its centre is a striking metallic gold thread, introduced as a new yarn to symbolise Team Scotland’s ambition and pursuit of success at Glasgow 2026.
The design draws on the Team Scotland thistle, with the distinctive stripes from the head of the thistle running through the middle of the tartan.
Siobhan’s connection to the Commonwealth Games goes back more than a decade. She began her career as a tailoring technician at Glasgow 2014 before designing Team Scotland’s womenswear for Gold Coast 2018 and enhancing her involvement further by undertaking the full design and production of the tartan and opening ceremony outfits for Birmingham 2022.
She has also worked with Glasgow 2026 to design an official tartan for this year’s Games, taking place between 23 July and 2 August.
Siobhan Mackenzie said: “It’s an incredible honour to be asked to design a tartan for Team Scotland as the Games return to Glasgow.
“I wanted to create something that respects tradition but also moves it forward, with bold colours and the introduction of metallic gold to reflect the drive and determination of the athletes who will wear it.
“It’s also really important to me that everything is made in Scotland. From the weaving through to the final pieces. This is a celebration of Scottish craftsmanship as much as it is of Team Scotland.”
The tartan will feature across Team Scotland’s official kit for Glasgow 2026, including ceremony wear for athletes and team officials, and will become a defining symbol of the team at a home Games.
Elinor Middlemiss, Chef de Mission for Team Scotland at Glasgow 2026, added: “Tartan is one of the strongest symbols of Scotland’s identity and this design captures exactly what it means to represent the country on the international stage.
“Siobhan has a brilliant ability to blend heritage with something more modern and this tartan reflects Team Scotland perfectly. It’s especially fitting to see it unveiled on Tartan Day where so many people around the world celebrate their connection to Scotland and Scottish heritage.
“With a home Games coming up, this is something our athletes and team members will wear with pride and I’m sure it will become a big part of Glasgow 2026.”
Team Scotland will reveal its formal wear at a ceremony in Glasgow next Monday, with the tartan set for its first official showing ahead of this summer’s Games.
Team Scotland Tartan – Glasgow 2026
Four years ago at Birmingham 2022, Team Scotland’s Robyn Love had two life-changing moments. The first was expected – after two Paralympic Games, plus World and European medals for Great Britain, she pulled on a Scotland vest for the first time as 3 x 3 Wheelchair Basketball made its Commonwealth Game debut – the second took place in much less glamorous surroundings, was even more personal but was no less inextricably linked to her finding her sport nine years previously.
In a brief break away from the Games and Athletes’ Village, in a supermarket bathroom, she and partner Laurie Williams discovered they were going to be parents. The pair met through wheelchair basketball, playing on GB teams together and when Team Scotland’s 3 x 3 Wheelchair Basketball team take to the court at Glasgow 2026, their daughter Alba will be the team’s biggest fan.
“Laurie got IVF and it’s one of those things,” says Robyn. “There’s no perfect time, especially in sport. You never know if it’s going to be a positive result or not but luckily, for us, it was. We had a morning off, Laurie wasn’t allowed to come into the Village, so I had to go out. There wasn’t really anywhere for us to go, so Morrison’s – thank you! A really happy memory in a Morrison’s bathroom.
“But it doesn’t matter where it is, to have that moment during a Games, we also had a game later on and we won. To have that positive moment, there’s nothing like it and then obviously Alba was born. We didn’t name her that because that’s where we found out, representing Team Scotland, but it’s definitely in homage to Scotland that’s for sure.”
Incredibly, Laurie was back training and competing just four months after giving birth, joining Robyn in the European Championships squad that qualified the GB team for the Paris 2024 Paralympics.
Having grown up in Ayr, not realising para sport was an option, Robyn is delighted by the visibility that the Commonwealth Games gives, meaning others may find and benefit from sport earlier than she did.
“My disability is called arthrogryposis, it basically means that one leg is longer than the other and I’ve got reduced muscle power. The umbilical cord was wrapped around my legs in the womb, it’s not something they caught at the time, so it wasn’t until after I was born that my mum knew something wasn’t quite right.
“Growing up with a disability, where I’m from, I didn’t really know anybody with a disability, if I did it was on the very severe spectrum. So, growing up I didn’t really understand what disability was, I saw it almost as a negative thing.
“Whereas, I discovered paralympic sport when I was 22 years old, and now I realise that my disability is such a strength. With the media coverage surrounding the Paralympics and the Commonwealth Games, it’s no longer ‘Oh no, she’s got a disability,’ it’s ‘Oh, cool! I wonder what her disability is.’ It makes it inclusive, it makes it curious, it makes it exciting. I think that’s what sport does, it’s such a great social tool to educate people about disability – even me.”
Always a sporty child, it wasn’t until she went to university that Robyn got the chance to try the sport that would take her to international honours.
“In Ayr there wasn’t really basketball around at that time and it’s just something that’s always excited me, the ball going through the hoop, I just love it. So I tried it at university and loved it and then it was a few years later in 2013 I got in a chair for the first time and, yeah, love at first push.”
From there her rise in the sport was incredible, being selected for the GB team in early 2015, winning European bronze that same year and competing at her first Paralympic Games at Rio 2016, just missing out on bronze. A second European bronze followed in 2017 and World silver a year later, but there was one major event she never thought she’d get to compete at – the Commonwealth Games. Never before on the programme, 3 x 3 Wheelchair Basketball made its debut at Birmingham 2022 and returns for Glasgow 2026, fulfilling Robyn’s dream of competing with the saltire on her vest.
“The Commonwealth Games for me was almost one of those things, like maybe I could try another para sport, what could I try and do to compete for Scotland, I’m never going to get to compete for Scotland. And lo and behold, two Paralympics later, I get to put on that Team Scotland vest. It was honestly one of the best moments of my life and just to have my family in the stands was something special that I hope we can re-do in Glasgow.”
A fourth-place finish in Birmingham has the team pushing for the podium on home soil, something that Robyn would dearly love to be part of. She’s an official ambassador for Glasgow 2026, a role she embraces, and is ready to give her all on the court.
“Competing for Scotland is like nothing else. As Scottish people our culture, our togetherness, our doggedness, our energy, we are a great people. To be able to surround myself with the Scottish community and really get backed by Scotland is incredible. The GB community is special, it’s magical, but there’s just something in that the people of Scotland really get behind us. You can sense that when you’re on court, you can really feel it. To have that again in Glasgow, at a home Games? Bring it on.”
Watch Robyn talk more about her incredible story
Team Scotland will compete in 3×3 Basketball and 3×3 Wheelchair Basketball at the SEC Centre from 24-29 July with ticket prices ranging from £17 to £45 for non-medal sessions. Medal sessions are currently unavailable. Visit glasgow2026.com for more info.