Bowls club hopes Yaxley bowler Nick Brett’s Commonwealth gold will inspire next generation to take up sport

The president of bowler Nick Brett’s bowls club hopes the Yaxley bowler’s gold medal at the 2022 Commonwealth Games will inspire the next generation to take up the sport.

Nick and his teammates Jamie Chestney and Louis Ridout beat Australia in the final of the men’s triples to claim gold on Monday (August 1).

"We’re proud of him because he’s a world-class bowler and a good club member,” Pat King, 83, president of Brampton Institute Bowls Club, of which Nick has been a member for the last three years, said.

"I’ve known Nicky since he was about 14 years old. He always had a lot of potential and he was always going to make the grade.

"He’s a character and he’s much respected. I always thought he would make it and I always said that if he kept going the way he was he could never be ignored. Everybody’s seen what he’s capable of now.”

Pat hopes the success of the five-time World Indoor Bowls champion on the Commonwealth stage will help to inspire new talent through the doors of the bowls club.

“The club has always been a good green and obviously it attracts good bowlers – Nicky’s one of them,” he said.

“He represents our club and him being a member enhances other people’s impressions of the club – which is good for us as it attracts good young bowlers, which is what we need.

"The youngsters that are coming through are attracted to the sport because they’ve seen how skillful it is. It’s not an old man’s marvel like it used to be perceived. The youngsters are wiping the floor with us older people.”

Brett and his teammates, both hailing from Devon, won all of their group matches against Malaysia (13-12), South Africa (22-14) and Canada (36-8), before easing past Jersey (16-11) in the quarter-finals.

England cruised past Wales (17-5) in the semi-final, before beating Australia (14-12) in a tight final on Monday.