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Carol
Ashby, the glamour girl of English bowls, is a
confirmed starter for the inaugural World Team Cup
at Tweed Heads Bowls Club from 17-25 May.
Ashby
grabbed headlines when she took to the electric
blue carpet of the World Bowls Tour (WBT) in 2005
with figure-hugging attire, tattoo and lip, cheek
and nose studs.
While
her edgy look turned heads, it was her stunning
form on the carpet that kept the attention of the
bowls fraternity.
And
now Ashby is ready to show her wares in
Australia
when she joins Catherine Popple and Katherine
Hawes in the English Invitational team for the
World Team Cup.
Forty-year-old
Ashby, the female singles champion on the WBT in
2002 and 2003, is a star of the indoor circuit.
She
is a four-time English Indoor National Singles
titleholder and was her country’s Indoor
International Player of the Year from 1999-2001.
However,
the opportunity to play in
Australia
has avoided Ashby until now.
“One
of my bowling aspirations is to play in
Australia
,” Ashby said.
“I
would also like to continue winning singles events
and hopefully team events, too.”
Perhaps,
with the assistance of two-thirds of the 2006
Australian Open triples champion team, both dreams
will come true at the World Team Cup.
Hawes and Popple will be well known to crowds in
Australia
after their success at the Open last year and
appearance at the 2006 Commonwealth Games.
Popple,
who turns 42 in May, has more than 30 years bowls
experience under her belt.
A
distinguished career has reaped trophies at home
and abroad.
Hawes,
37, the youngest of the invitational trio, has
appeared at two Commonwealth Games and was a
silver medallist in the triples at the 2000
Women’s World Bowls Championship in
Australia
.
Bowls
Australia
commercial operations manager Des Ryan tipped the
talented trio would enjoy the indoor arena and
could well feature in the finals action.
“This is a very talented team,” Mr Ryan said.
“Carol Ashby has been a star in
England
for a decade and now Australian fans can watch her
in action.”
England
invitational
team for the 2007 World Team Cup:
Carol Ashby, Katherine Hawes,
Catherine Popple
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