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- Media release: 14 March 2007
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- NEW SHERRIFF IN TOWN FOR
WORLD TEAM CUP
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- Australian selectors have plucked
21-year-old Aron Sherriff from relative bowls
obscurity and handed him the task of carrying
much of Australia’s hopes at this year’s
inaugural World Team Cup.
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- Bowls Australia announced its six-player
line-up today (14/3) and a trimmed-up Sherriff
— who is not even in the nine-player men’s
section of the Australian Bowls Squad — has
landed the plum singles role.
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- The new-look Sherriff, who has lost almost
15kg in his push for national honours, will
join Commonwealth Games gold medallist Wayne
Turley and Queensland’s Nathan Rice in his
first national team for the 17-25 May
international face-off at Tweed Heads Bowls
Club.
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- Young gun Kelsey Cottrell, 16, fellow
Queenslander Julie Keegan and the reliable
Karen Murphy will represent Australia in the
women’s division.
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- The World Team Cup will pit Australia
against seven other bowls superpowers and is
tipped to rival the world championships in
terms of recognition amongst bowlers.
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- In 2007 the event will feature England,
Scotland, Ireland, Wales, South Africa, New
Zealand, Malaysia and the host nation.
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- Sherriff, who has pulled on the
green-and-gold at under-25 level, will be
truly tested at the indoor event.
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- But national coach Cameron Curtis believes
the Halekulani Bowling Club member is ready to
graduate to the senior ranks.
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- “Aron’s been a teenage sensation on the
bowls scene and this is his chance to transfer
potential into performance for his country,”
Curtis said.
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- “There was a time as a teenager that he
was happy just playing tournaments and making
good money on the circuit, but he really
wanted to play for Australia and dedicated
himself to losing weight and getting into
shape.
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- “He’s a big guy. There’s certainly
been a noticeable difference in his play and
stamina on the green since losing the weight
and he has earned his chance.”
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- Curtis said Sherriff’s dominant
performances for Australia at the under-25
level during the Trans Tasman Test Series in
New Zealand earlier this month sewed up his
place in the side.
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- “He was the standout in Christchurch among
the under-25 and senior players and this
opportunity is exciting for the game and Aron,”
Curtis said.
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- Sherriff will have plenty of guidance when
he becomes the 127th male bowler to represent
Australia.
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- A consistent performer at state and national
level, Rice has won a series of state titles
and skipped the pairs combination at the
Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games where he
collected a bronze medal.
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- Turley is a similarly familiar face on the
bowls scene. After debuting in 2005 Turley
furthered his international experience prior
to the 2006 Commonwealth Games when he played
in the Tri Nations Cup against New Zealand and
Malaysia in February. At the 2006 Games in
Melbourne the Taren Point Bowling Club member
played second in the triples team that won
gold.
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- Australia’s women’s line-up will be
confident of claiming the maiden trophy at the
World Team Cup.
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- Cottrell is the youngest player to take to
the green for Australia at open level. Since
playing at the 2005 Asia Pacific Bowls
Championship in Melbourne at the tender age of
15 Cottrell has become a regular member of
Queensland and Australian teams.
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- Keegan won the 2006 Australian Open women’s
singles title and subsequently won her way
into the national squad in the same year. Her
international career began in style at the
2007 Asia Pacific Bowls Championship when
Australia returned from New Zealand with the
men’s and women’s titles.
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- Keegan has the huge responsibility of
playing singles in the event in which each
match will comprise a singles, pairs and
triples rubber.
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- There is little left to say about Australia’s
first lady of bowls Karen Murphy.
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- She made her debut for Australia in 1997 and
has since been a regular member of the
Australian team, competing in three
Commonwealth Games, six Asia Pacific events
and two world championships.
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- With two Commonwealth Games silver medals,
Murphy secured gold as skip of the women's
pairs combination in Melbourne in 2006.
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- The eight nations contesting the 2007 World
Team Cup will be divided into two sections of
four for sectional play. The top two teams in
each section will proceed to semi-finals and
the semi-final winners on to the finals.
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- ABC TV has already committed to televising
the event with extensive coverage to be
provided as part of the network’s regular
Saturday bowls programming.
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- Australian team for 2007 World Team Cup
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- Men
- Singles: Aron Sherriff (NSW)
- Pairs: Wayne Turley (NSW), Nathan
Rice (QLD).
- Triples: Sherriff, Turley, Rice.
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- Women
- Singles: Julie Keegan (QLD).
- Pairs: Kelsey Cottrell (QLD), Karen
Murphy (NSW).
- Triples: Cottrell, Keegan, Murphy.
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