Painter and professional bowler, Wayne Willgress, was defeated in his opening match at the 2025 World Indoor Bowls Championship.
Former worlds champion David Gourley MBE beat him in a close two set game.
“It’s disappointing not to come away with the win,” Willgress said after the match. “I gave it everything, but David played incredibly well. It’s tough to lose, but I’m proud of how I competed.”
For Willgress, the loss emphasised the challenges of balancing elite sport with a full-time career as a painter.
“I struggle to make it work sometimes. I’m a self-employed decorator most of the week and it does often clash with my training. I need to train five times a week but I’m also a younger player, so I do need to be realistic with money.”
Bowls remains a sport with limited financial rewards, forcing even top professionals like Willgress to maintain a dual career.
Unlike mainstream sports, there is a lack of sponsorship deals, with Bowls athletes relying on prize money that barely covers the cost of competing.
The sport of Bowls provides its unique financial struggles for the professionals compared to other niche sports. Tournaments are often weeks long, with some bowls’ players even sleeping in cars to reduce accommodation costs according to Wayne Willgress.
“The state of the sport is terrible,” Wayne discussed. “My local club in Norfolk used to be one of the most successful and established in the country. Numbers have slowly died with no one willing to invest any time and money into it. Its worrying!”
Willgress was a wildcard entry just five years ago and has now established himself as one of the sport’s most consistent competitors.
Rishi Persad, BBC host of the World Bowls Championships for the past 20 years, said “Wayne is young enough to improve substantially despite this result. He’s a two-time finalist of the World singles and for a player of his ability, winning the title will not be long in coming.”
Discussing financial issues, Persad said, “Due to the lack of money in the sport, it’s almost impossible to make a living solely as an elite bowler. To change things, better prize money and sponsorships deals for the players are needed. This requires enticing those sponsors by making the sport more marketable which again requires money.”
“The World Bowls Championship is crucial as a solution. The fact it is covered by the BBC and on the weekends, it can attract over a million viewers, proves that terrestrial coverage can still afford to show smaller sports. The matches need to be and are compelling to show people what a great sport it is!”
Despite his World Bowls Championship journey ending early, Willgress is not scared off by the challenges.
“I play because I love it, and I will continue to do so as long as the sport and finances let me.”
