| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Born | 22 February 1995 (age 29) Christchurch, New Zealand | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 72 kg (159 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Country | New Zealand | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Lawn bowls | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Club | Burnside Bowling Club | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Achievements and titles | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| National finals | Singles champion (2022) Pairs champion (2023) Fours champion (2017, 2020) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Highest world ranking | 2 (August 2024) [1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Tayla Bruce (born 22 February 1995) is a New Zealand international lawn bowls player.
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.
Ellen Marie Falkner is an English international lawn and indoor bowler from Cambridge, England. Falkner was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2020 Birthday Honours for services to lawn bowls.
Valerie Christine Smith is an international lawn bowler from New Zealand.
Mandy Boyd is a New Zealand international lawn bowls player.
Selina Goddard is a New Zealand international lawn bowls player, playing out of Takapuna Bowling Club.
Mark Fredrick Noble is a New Zealand chess and lawn bowls player. He was awarded the title of International Correspondence Chess Grandmaster (GM) in 2010, the first New Zealand player to be awarded this title.
Jamie-Lea Marshall is an English international lawn bowler.
Kelsey May Cottrell is an Australian international lawn bowler.
Sam Tolchard is an English international lawn and indoor bowler.
Laura Daniels is a Welsh lawn and indoor bowler.
Azlina Arshad is a Malaysian international lawn bowler.
Kelly McKerihen is a Canadian International lawn bowler.
Ali Forsyth is a New Zealand international lawn and indoor bowler.
Tony Grantham is a New Zealand international lawn and indoor bowler.
Katelyn Inch is a New Zealand international lawn bowler.
Ellen Fife is an Australian international lawn and indoor bowler.
Andrew Kelly is a New Zealand international lawn and indoor bowler.
Ross Owen is a Welsh international lawn and indoor bowler.
Nicole Toomey is a New Zealand international lawn bowler.
Clare Hendra is a New Zealand international lawn and indoor bowls player.
Leeane Poulson is a horse racing trainer and a New Zealand international lawn bowler.
