Competitive Spirit and Camaraderie Shine at the European Mixed Pairs Bowls Championships 2023
While some teams arrived early for extra practice in Tenerife, the official practice session began on Friday, September 21st. This period allowed players to reconnect with familiar opponents and meet new ones, fostering a positive atmosphere among participants, supporters, managers, coaches, and even the umpires . Despite the competition ahead, the event maintained the friendly spirit characteristic of bowls.
Tournament Progress
The tournament officially commenced on September 22nd, with the first session showcasing the high quality of play expected throughout the event. In the opening matches, Spain defeated Hungary, Ireland defeated Guernsey, Israel defeated Switzerland, and the Netherlands defeated Cyprus victories, with Scotland receiving a bye. Subsequent sessions saw Guernsey, Israel, Ireland, Scotland, Spain, Cyprus, and the Netherlands advancing through their matches.
In the second session, Scotland defeated Spain, Cyprus defeated Israel, Guernsey defeated Switzerland and Ireland defeated Hungary. The Netherlands had a bye.
In the third session of the day, Spain defeated Israel, Netherlands defeated Guernsey, Scotland defeated Hungary, Cyprus defeated Switzerland, with Ireland having a bye.
The last session of the long, gruelling day, Netherlands defeated Spain, Scotland defeated Israel, Cyrpus defeated Hungary and Ireland defeated Switzerland. Guernsey had a bye.

Full Tournament Details
You can see FULL details of every game, league etc by clicking above.

Recorded Games
One game per session was live streamed, up to and including the Finals. The can still be viewed on our YouTube Channel
Saturday morning brought the 5th session, after everyone had a well deserved sleep. This session brought the first tie break end, which occurred between Spain and Scotland. the Scottish Skip, won the game for Scotland, with the last bowl. Cyprus defeat Israel 2-1., Guernsey defeated Switzerland 3-0. The biggest cheer of the session came for Hungary. Hungary, usually play short mat and had struggled to get to gtips on the longer distances. They persevered and that perservance was rewarded when they won the first set of the tournament against Ireland. Ireland still won 2-1, but it was a big stepping stone for Hungary. Netherlands had a bye.
In the 6th session, the second session of the day, Scotland won their match against Cyprus, Netherlands beat Switzerland, Ireland beat Israel. Hungary, although beaten by Guernsay, won their second set of the tournament. Seeing the gaces of the Hungary players told everyone all you need what these sort or tournaments are all about when it comes to helping the developing nations in the sport. Spain had a bye.
In the last session of the day, Switzerland had a bye. Spain beat Cyprus, Guernsey beat Israel. The two “pre-tournament favourites, Scotland and Ireland , played each other. Ireland defeated Scotland by a surprising score of 3-0.
The 3rd day of the tournament, Sunday, the league was very tight, adding even more intrigue and excitement to the tournament. Ireland were top of the league, with Scotland chasing them. The top four teams in the league, with two games to go, were to play off to decide the medals, with 1st and 2nd place playing off for GOld and Silver and 3rd and 4th position playing off for bronze. Any of 7 teams could claim the 4 positions.
Spain beat Switzerland 3-0, Netherlands beat Israel 2-1. Two big surprises occurred in this session. Surprisingly, both Ireland and Scotland were defeated by Cyprus and Guernsey respectively.
Those results did not make the last session of the round robin stage, any clearer. There were a lot of permutations on who could get the qualifying positions. Literallly, 3 out of the last 4 games in the last session would all determine who would qualify.
As the players went on the green the excitement and nervousness was palpable.
Israel had a bye in the final session. In the game which could have no bearing on the top 4 positions, Hungary were defeated 3-0 by Switzerland. Spain were defeated decisively by a rejuvenated Irish team, Cyprus beat Guernsey 3-0 and in a surprising result, with the Netherlands playing very well, particularly the skip Saskia Schaft, and Scotland getting more than there share of bad luck, Switzerland beat Scotland, in a tie break end after drawing the sets.
Once the dust had settled it meant Ireland (1st place) would play against Guernsey (2nd place) would play off for gold and silver. Cyprus (3rd place) woudl play against Scotland (4th place).
Both Spain (6th) and the Netherlands (5th) would have felt, justifiably, unlucky, as just one set or one tie break win for either would have seen them finish in at least 4th position.
Final League Table
Position | Name | Played | Won | Loss | Draw | Bye | For | Against | Score Diff. | Score % | Set Points | Net Set Points | Match Points |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Ireland | 9 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 135 | 72 | 63 | 187.5 | 18.5 | 13 | 14 |
2 | Guernsey | 9 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 105 | 102 | 3 | 102.94 | 14 | 4 | 12 |
3 | Cyprus | 9 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 107 | 122 | -15 | 87.7 | 14.5 | 5 | 10 |
4 | Scotland | 9 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 120 | 85 | 35 | 141.18 | 13.5 | 3 | 10 |
5 | Netherlands | 9 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 123 | 92 | 31 | 133.7 | 12.5 | 1 | 10 |
6 | Spain | 9 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 152 | 89 | 63 | 170.79 | 14.5 | 5 | 8 |
7 | Israel | 9 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 142 | 112 | 30 | 126.79 | 10.5 | -3 | 4 |
8 | Switzerland | 9 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 78 | 182 | -104 | 42.86 | 6 | -12 | 2 |
9 | Hungary | 9 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 68 | 174 | -106 | 39.08 | 4 | -16 | 2 |
Bronze Medal Play-Off: Cyprus vs. Scotland
In the bronze medal match between Cyprus and Scotland, Caryn Morris, leading for Cyprus, displayed outstanding performance, continuing her excellent form throughout the tournament. She outplayed her counterpart, Kara from Scotland, who also performed well but faced a tough challenge. Caryn’s play helped Cyprus secure 3 shots and then another in the opening two ends of the five-end set, making it difficult for Scotland to recover. Both skips, Paul (Scotland) and John (Cyprus), executed some impressive shots, but Paul’s task was made more challenging due to Caryn’s strong setup.
Scotland managed to score one shot in the third end, but Cyprus added two more shots in the fourth end, nearly securing the game. The first set concluded with a 6-3 score in favor of Cyprus.
This result meant Scotland needed to win the second set to stay in the competition for the bronze medal. The second set turned into a tight battle, with each team winning two ends and scoring one shot each by the fourth end. Scotland had improved from the first set, but Caryn continued her strong performance. Her second bowl became a front toucher, putting Cyprus in a winning position, lying 2 or possibly 3 shots ahead. Scotland’s Paul had one last chance to hit the front toucher and disrupt the head, but despite a strong strike, the bowl moved sideways, and the jack remained in place. This secured the bronze medal for Cyprus.

Final: Ireland vs. Guernsey
The final between Ireland and Guernsey began with a strong start for Guernsey, who won the first two ends to take a 3-0 lead. However, after a slightly nervous start, Ireland’s Zoe Stratton (the youngest player in the tournament) and Stephen Kirkwood stepped up, winning the next two ends by 3 shots, giving them a 3-shot lead going into the last end. Most spectators assumed the set was decided, but a mix-up in the shot count allowed Guernsey to score a 3, halving the set.
In the second set, although Alison Guillou and Michael Ogier of Guernsey played well, Ireland shifted into a higher gear, dominating the set 10-0.
The match then came down to a decisive third set. After winning the first two ends and scoring 2 shots in each, it seemed the match was all but over, especially when Zoe placed a toucher on the jack with her first bowl in the third end. However, Guernsey fought back, with Alison beating Zoe’s bowl with an excellent toucher that held the shot until the end of the end, narrowing the gap to 3 shots with two ends left.
In the fourth end, Zoe, after her opponent played their 3 bowls, lay 2 and a measure down. With her last bowl, she managed to draw in for the first shot, relieving the pressure for her skip. The Guernsey skip responded with a front toucher, reducing the deficit to 2 shots, giving them a chance to tie the match in the final end.
After the leads played their 3 bowls, Ireland lay two shots, with the closest being about a foot directly behind the jack. Stephen, the Irish skip, chose to avoid the head and cover Guernsey’s bowls, minimizing the risk of losing more than one shot. This strategy paid off, with Ireland securing the shot needed to win the gold medal.


Overall Tournament Success
Over the three days, it was clear that Ireland deserved the gold medal, with manager Neil Booth, who also commented on one of the matches, expressing his delight with the team’s performance. The tournament was a great success, enjoyed by all participants and spectators. Many are now asking whether the tournament could become an annual event.
Bob Christie M.B.E., Chairman of Bowls Europe, who was unable to attend the championships due to World Bowls commitments, extended his thanks to Jock Halliday (B.E Event Director) for organizing and overseeing the tournament, and to Robert Stirling (B.E. Director) for his hard work before and during the event, including organizing scorecards, updating scores, and efficiently handling any issues that arose. Bob also thanked Graham Cathcart (B.E. Marketing and Social Media Director) for his efforts to ensure the entire event was live-streamed. The event exceeded expectations, leading to new bowlers trying the game and joining clubs.
Bob also expressed his gratitude to Blevins Franks, Coca-Cola, Tenerife Green Bowls, and its owners Julie Lincoln and Norman Gardner, for their exceptional support and use of their facilities. The bar and kitchen staff of T.G.B. provided friendly and professional service, and Robert Cathcart and Ian Naismith umpired all three days of the tournament with great efficiency.
Additionally, Bob thanked Neil Dalrymple for his support and encouragement regarding the tournament and the broader goals of Bowls Europe. Neil played a crucial role in connecting Bowls Europe with Robert Savage from Solucio, enabling the live scoring of all games. Bob also acknowledged Robert’s efforts in teaching and supporting the use of the system, which will undoubtedly be used in future events. Bowls Europe encourages any club or member country interested in a top-tier scoring system to contact them for more information.
Finally, Bob thanked the controlling bodies and their appointed representatives from all participating countries, the players for their excellent performances, and the managers, coaches, and spectators who contributed to a vibrant tournament atmosphere.
“All in all, this tournament was highly enjoyable and successful, with positive feedback from players, member countries, and even people outside Europe, including those in Australia, America, and Asia. Despite challenges in bringing everything together since our inception, we have successfully fostered, safeguarded, promoted, developed, and encouraged the growth of the sport in Europe. Our impact seems to be extending beyond Europe, which is a positive development for World Bowls and our sport in general.
We are already working on future projects, aiming to improve upon our current offerings and address areas where we see potential for growth. We look forward to strengthening our ties with World Bowls and working closely with them in the future.”









