New Zealand’s youngest-ever BlackJacks team is gearing up to take on the world’s best at the 2025 Lawn Bowls World Cup, to be held in Malaysia from November 4th-9th.

Six Kiwis will contest the event, with the squad made up of two players in their 20s, and four in their 30s. The team boasts an average age of just over 30-years-old, making it New Zealand’s youngest ever international lawn bowls team.

The event features 12 countries, with matches to be played across men’s and women’s singles and pairs, as well as Para singles and Para mixed pairs.

The competition will also be played on portable indoor rinks, with carpet used as the playing surface, mirroring the conditions for the 2026 Commonwealth Games.

Bowls New Zealand Head Coach Mike Kernaghan says selectors are looking forward to seeing the emerging stars on the global stage.

“It is a young team in terms of age but there’s plenty of experience in the squad and we’ll be pushing for strong results,” said Kernaghan.

“We’re excited for the competition and ready to show what we’re capable of.”

Selina Goddard (Auckland) will contest the women’s singles, as well as the pairs event alongside Katelyn Inch (Canterbury).

“I’m pretty happy with how I’m playing at the moment and I’m looking forward to the competition,” said Goddard.

“Carpet is a bit of a different game to playing on grass so it’ll be really beneficial to get some competition experience on that surface. It’s also really exciting to be playing against the top 12 nations in the world. These are the exact players I want to be competing against right now so it’s going to be a great challenge.”

Goddard will reach her 150th cap for New Zealand in the third game of the tournament.

The 2025 World Cup will be broadcast daily from Kuala Lumpur on Sky TV and the Bowls New Zealand YouTube channel, with play starting each day at 12:30pm NZT.

The full BlackJacks team is:
Kurt Smith, 35, New Plymouth
Teri Blackbourn, 31, Hamilton
Selina Goddard, 31, North Harbour
Katelyn Inch, 30, Canterbury
Keanu Darby, 29, Dunedin
Finbar McGuigan, 25, Wellington