In 2023, Tayla Bruce won the Bowls New Zealand Women’s Player of the Year … propelled by her win in the Women’s World Champion of Champions Singles .. and quickly followed by a win in the Women’s Pairs at the National Opens, as well as a very narrow loss in the Women’s Singles at the same tournament. She was also a nominee in the 60th Halberg Awards.
That followed on from Women’s Player of the Year in 2022 … buttressed by her two ‘rose gold’ medals in both the Women’s Triples and Fours at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, and reinforced by a win in the Singles of the Canterbury Centre Champ of Champs .. as well as a member of the winning team in the Mixed Pairs and Women’s Fours. Tayla also had a win in the National Open Women’s Singles (and runner-up in the Pairs),
This year has been just as spectacular, and once again Tayla is Bowls New Zealand’s Women’s Player of the Year in 2024 … for the third year in a row.
As in previous years, her Award has been anchored by yet another big international win … this time a Gold Medal in the Women’s World Singles Championships on the Gold Coast last September.
It was a hard-fought win, but epitomised everything about Tayla that makes her a champion player. As Radio New Zealand reported ‘Bruce kept her cool in a dramatic final against Canada's Kelly McKerihen, picking up three on each of the last two ends to win 22-18 after trailing 18-16 in the race to 21.’
Tayla became the third woman ever to win a Women’s World Championship, following on from Elise Wilkie (twice) and Val Smith. And following on from her win in the World Champion of Champions, she becomes only the second person to win both crowns along with Australia’s Karen Murphy.
There’s no doubt that Tayla is in a very special elite group of women’s bowlers.
It was little surprise therefore when Tayla announced that after so many years of pressure bowls, she was for the first time in 15 years missing the Summerset Nationals in January ,.. instead choosing to holiday with her family as most of us Kiwis do over the new year break.
She had been winner and runner-up the past two seasons, so it was a brave call to miss this year’s events. But refreshed and revived, Tayla returned to bowls business in February as a member of the Blackjacks team at the Trans-Tasmans in Wellington.
And after Wellington, she went back home to Canterbury to pick up her bowls from where she had left off.
She once again won her Burnside Bowling Club’s Women’s Championship Singles, as well as the Pairs with clubmate Olivia Mancer, With Olivia Mancer, she was joint Club Player of the Year.
And in April, she won the Bowls Canterbury Women’s Centre Pairs with Olivia.
Tayla also won the Sport Canterbury Sportsperson of the Year … and that’s pretty difficult in a province that’s nuts about every sport!
In June, Tayla played in the Australian Open Women’s Pairs, and was runner-up with Jessie Cottell.
“They’re fabulous achievements,” says Bowls New Zealand Community Manager, Kevin Smith. “But she also won a lot of hearts and minds on the green with her involvement and commitment to mentoring 50 women with disabilities at ‘Have a go’ days run by the New Zealand Blind Lawn Bowling Association.”
“Tayla was a natural. Her training as a primary school teacher has made her outstanding in this space … she’s empathetic, she’s professional, and she genuinely cares about people. The days were a huge success.”
Lorraine McLeod, General Manager of the Canterbury Centre couldn’t agree more.
“She’s a diligent and delightful person. If we ask her to do something, she always seems to be available to do it. And there’s no drama about it.”
“I find that uplifting … because I know she’s so busy not only playing bowls, but doing all sorts of things to do with bowls : coaching, mentoring, speaking, and more. She is a magnificent ambassador for the game.”
Early next year, Tayla will be 30 years old.
Us ‘oldergenarians’ can only look on in wonder at what she has achieved to date … in so little time.
And we can only look on in wonder at what she seems capable of achieving in the future .. with so much more time.
Congratulations Tayla. You are yet again a remarkable Women’s Player of the Year.