First held in Australia in 1966, the World Bowls Championships for men and women are held every four years.
From 2008, the men’s and women’s events were held together.
Qualifying national bowls organisations (usually countries) are represented by a team of five players, who play once as a single and a four, then again as a pair and a triple.
Gold, silver, and bronze medals are awarded in each of the four disciplines, and there is also a trophy for the best overall team; the Leonard Trophy for men and the Taylor Trophy for women.
Northern Ireland & the Republic of Ireland compete as one Irish team.
Men’s Titles
| Year | Venue | Singles Gold | Pairs Gold * | Triples Gold * | Fours Gold * | Team Champion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1966 | Australia |
 David Bryant |
 Geoff Kelly, Bert Palm |
John Dobbie, Athol Johnston, Don Collins |
 Bill O’Neill, Gordon Jolly, Ron Buchan, Norm Lash |
Australia |
| 1972 | England |
 Maldwyn Evans |
 Eric Liddell, Saco Delgado |
 Dick Folkins, Clive Forrester, Bill Miller |
Peter Line, Ted Hayward Cliff Stroud, Norman King |
 Scotland |
| 1976 | South Africa |
 Doug Watson |
Bill Moseley, Doug Watson |
Kevin Campbell, Nando Gatti, Kelvin Lightfoot |
Kevin Campbell, Bill Moseley, Nando Gatti, Kelvin Lightfoot |
South Africa |
| 1980 | Australia |
David Bryant |
Peter Rheuben, Alf Sandercock |
David Bryant, Tony Allcock, Jimmy Hobday |
Omar Dallah, Eric Liddell, George Souza, Philip Chok |
England |
| 1984 | Scotland |
Peter Belliss |
Skippy Arculli, Jim Candelet, George Adrain * |
 Jim Baker, Sammy Allen, Stan Espie |
Tony Allcock, John Bell Julian Haines, George Turley |
Scotland |
| 1988 | New Zealand |
David Bryant |
Peter Belliss, Rowan Brassey |
Phil Skoglund, Morgan Moffat, Ian Dickison |
Jim Baker, Sammy Allen, John McCloughlin, Rodney McCutcheon |
England |
| 1992 | England |
Tony Allcock |
Alex Marshall, Richard Corsie |
 Cecil Bransky, Lawrence Mendelsohn, Leon Bluhm |
Angus Blair, Willie Wood, Alex Marshall, Graham Robertson |
Scotland |
| 1996 | Australia |
Tony Allcock |
Sammy Allen, Jeremy Henry |
George Adrain, Willie Wood, Kenny Logan |
John Bell, Andy Thomson, David Cutler, Brett Morley |
Scotland |
| 2000 | South Africa |
Jeremy Henry |
Alex Marshall, George Sneddon |
Peter Belliss, Rowan Brassey, Andrew Curtain |
Will Thomas, Robert Weale, Stephen Rees, Mark Williams |
Australia |
| 2004 | Scotland |
Steve Glasson |
 Ryan Bester, Keith Roney |
David Peacock, Willie Wood, Jim McIntyre |
Jim Baker, Neil Booth, Noel Graham, Jonathan Ross |
Scotland |
| 2008 | New Zealand |
 Safuan Said |
Gary Lawson, Russell Meyer |
David Peacock, Willie Wood, Wayne Hogg |
Gary Lawson, Russell Meyer, Richard Girvan, Andrew Todd |
New Zealand |
| 2012 | Australia |
Leif Selby |
Alex Marshall, Paul Foster |
Graeme Archer, Darren Burnett, David Peacock |
Aron Sherriff, Mark Casey, Brett Wilkie, Wayne Ruediger |
Australia |
| 2016 | New Zealand |
Shannon McIlroy |
Aaron Wilson, Brett Wilkie |
Robert Paxton, Andy Knapper, Jamie Walker |
Ali Forsyth, Blake Signal, Mike Kernaghan, Mike Nagy |
New Zealand |
Women’s Titles
| Year | Venue | Singles Gold | Pairs Gold | Triples Gold | Fours Gold | Team Champion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1969 | Australia |
 Gladys Doyle |
May Cridlan, Elsie McDonald |
Kathy Bidwell, Yetta Emanuel, Sara Sundelowitz |
May Cridlan, Kathy Bidwell, Yetta Emanuel, Sara Sundelowitz |
South Africa |
| 1973 | New Zealand |
Elsie Wilkie |
Dot Jenkinson, Lorna Lucas |
Cis Winstanley, Noeleen Scott, Irene Foote |
Cis Winstanley, Verna Devlin, Noeleen Scott, Irene Foote |
New Zealand |
| 1977 | England |
Elsie Wilkie |
Helen Wong, Elvie Chok |
Enid Morgan, Margaret Pomeroy, Joan Osborne |
Merle Richardson, Lorna Lucas, Connie Hicks, Dot Jenkinson |
Australia |
| 1981 | Canada |
Norma Shaw |
Nan Allely, Eileen Bell |
Lena Sadick, Rae O’Donnell, Linda King |
Eileen Fletcher, Gloria Thomas, Mavis Steele Betty Stubbings, Irene Molyneux* |
England |
| 1985 | Australia |
Merle Richardson |
Merle Richardson, Fay Craig |
Mavis Meadowcroft, Norma Massey, Dorothy Roche |
Frances Whyte, Annette Evans, Elizabeth Christie, Sarah Gourlay |
Australia |
| 1988 | New Zealand |
Janet Ackland |
Margaret Johnston, Phillis Nolan |
Dorothy Roche, Marion Stevens, Greeta Fahey |
Dorothy Roche, Norma Wainwright, Marion Stevens, Greeta Fahey |
England |
| 1992 | Scotland |
Margaret Johnston |
Margaret Johnston, Phillis Nolan |
Frances Whyte, Janet Maxwell, Joyce Lindores |
Senga McCrone, Frances Whyte, Janet Maxwell, Joyce Lindores |
Scotland |
| 1996 | England |
 Carmen Anderson |
Margaret Johnston, Phillis Nolan |
 Hester Bekker, Barbara Redshaw, Jannie de Beer |
Daphne Shaw, Margaret Sumner, Marilyn Peddell, Gordana Baric |
South Africa |
| 2000 | Australia |
Margaret Johnston |
Joyce Lindores, Margaret Letham |
Anne Lomas, Sharon Sims, Patsy Jorgensen |
Anne Lomas, Patsy Jorgensen, Jan Khan, Sharon Sims |
England |
| 2004 | England |
Margaret Johnston |
Jo Edwards, Sharon Sims |
Loraine Victor, Jill Hackland, Trish Steyn |
Amy Monkhouse Jean Baker, Ellen Falkner, Jayne Christie |
England |
| 2008 | New Zealand |
Val Smith |
Jo Edwards, Val Smith |
Lorna Trigwell, Loraine Victor, Sylvia Burns |
Karen Murphy, Claire Duke, Julie Keegan, Lynsey Clarke |
Australia |
| 2012 | Australia |
Karen Murphy |
Rebecca Van Asch, Kelsey Cottrell |
Karen Murphy, Lynsey Clarke, Natasha Scott |
Margaret Letham, Caroline Brown, Lynn Stein, Michelle Cooper |
Australia |
| 2016 | New Zealand |
Karen Murphy |
Jess Sims, Laura Daniels |
Rebecca Van Asch, Natasha Scott, Carla Krizanic |
Natasha Scott, Rebecca Van Asch, Carla Krizanic, Kelsey Cottrell |
Australia |
Summary
| Nation | Men | Women | Total | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Singles | Pairs | Triples | Fours | Team | Total | Singles | Pairs | Triples | Fours | Team | Total | ||||
| Australia |
2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 10 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 19 | 29 | ||
| New Zealand |
2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 11 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 10 | 21 | ||
| Scotland |
– | 3 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 13 | – | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 19 | ||
| England |
5 | – | 2 | 2 | 2 | 11 | 1 | – | – | 2 | 4 | 7 | 18 | ||
| South Africa |
1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | – | 1 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 8 | 13 | ||
| Ireland |
1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | – | 5 | 3 | 4 | – | – | – | 7 | 12 | ||
| Wales |
1 | – | – | 1 | – | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | – | – | 3 | 5 | ||
 Hong Kong |
– | 1 | – | 1 | – | 2 | – | 1 | 1 | – | – | 2 | 4 | ||
| USA |
– | 1 | 1 | – | – | 2 | – | – | – | – | – | – | 2 | ||
| Malaysia |
1 | – | – | – | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | ||
| Canada |
– | 1 | – | – | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | ||
| Israel |
– | – | – | 1 | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | ||
| Papua New Guinea |
– | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | 1 | 1 | ||
| Norfolk Island |
– | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | 1 | 1 | ||