Renowned local bowlers and officials Laureen Smith and her daughter, Rhoanna, will share the international stage when they officiate at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games this week.
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The pair have been appointed International Technical Officials for the Games, with the bowls competition beginning on Thursday, July 23 (AEST).
The first ever mother–daughter ITO combination were two of 31 officials selected from a pool of 140 accredited ITOs worldwide.
Laureen has held the qualification for 15 years, since the accreditation was introduced.
Her international officiating experience includes the Asia Pacific Championships in Adelaide, the World Championships in Christchurch and the 2018 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast.
However, Glasgow will be the first major international event at which she has officiated alongside Rhoanna, a member of the Wangaratta Bowls Club.
“It will be nice to share the experience,” Laureen said.
“I have played with Rho, but I have never officiated with her.
“I trained her, so it will be a great experience to be there together. It is always nice to see someone you have trained shine, especially when it is one of your own children.”
For Rhoanna, selection represents another milestone in a rapid rise through the officiating ranks.
She took up bowls 13 years ago and became an umpire four years later. She passed her ITO assessment in 2023 and has since officiated at several major national events, including the Australian Indoor Championships, Bowls Premier League and Victorian State Championships.
“My honest first reaction when I found out I had been selected was nerves, but that quickly turned to excitement,” Rhoanna said.
“It will be my first major world event, no pressure!”
Both women also have impressive records as players.
Laureen, a life member of Club Mulwala Bowls Club, has won numerous singles and pairs titles with Club Mulwala and, more recently, Yarrawonga Mulwala Golf Club Bowls Club.
She has also won two regional championships and was part of the team that claimed the 2021 Australian Fours Championship. The team, which also included locals Anne Miles, Claire Saunders and Kylie Lavis (née Whitehead), won several state titles together.
Rhoanna has collected several club and regional titles but said her greatest playing achievement was winning the Victorian Open pairs title alongside her mother early in her bowls career.
“I don’t think anything will ever top that,” she said.
“From an officiating perspective, marking both the men’s and women’s Australian Indoor Singles finals in 2024 was a real highlight.”
Rhoanna said the most rewarding part of officiating was making a positive contribution to the game.
“As bowlers, we always appreciate good officiating,” she said.
“You know when the person on the green is doing a good job.”
A new-look competition
Laureen expects the bowls competition in Glasgow to be very different from previous Commonwealth Games, with a shorter and faster format being introduced.
“You could compare it to T20 cricket, it is a shortened format,” she said.
Every discipline will use sets play, which is returning to the Commonwealth Games for the first time since Delhi in 2010.
Singles matches will feature four bowls per player and two sets of seven ends. Pairs and para pairs will be played over two sets of five ends, with three bowls per player.
When each side wins one set, the match will be decided by a single tie-break end.
“It will be cutthroat and different to watch for the traditional bowler,” Laureen said.
For the first time in Commonwealth Games history, bowls will be played indoors.
Four portable carpet rinks will be installed inside Glasgow’s SEC Centre, allowing four matches to be played simultaneously. Music and a more energetic, Bowls Premier League-style presentation will also be part of the spectacle.
Indoor carpet is generally faster and more consistent than an outdoor grass green, potentially giving players with indoor experience an advantage.
Laureen and Rhoanna will have front-row seats to some of the world’s best bowls, but the pressure on the officials will be just as intense.
“There is a lot of pressure to get it right,” Rhoanna said.
“When you are measuring for the match and there is only a fraction of a millimetre in it, it is not the time for your hands to shake.
“We have to make decisions quickly, and we have to get them right.
“As ITOs, we have a reputation to uphold.”
A special return to Scotland
With a packed competition schedule, Laureen and Rhoanna expect to be kept busy throughout the Games.
The trip will also carry special personal significance for the family.
Laureen’s husband and Rhoanna’s father, Dick Smith, who died in 2014, was born in Scotland. The pair hope to reconnect with relatives during their visit.
“It has been a while since I have been to Scotland,” Rhoanna said.
“Dad was born there, so it will be nice to connect with my roots again.
“And I get to share this experience with Mum.”
Laureen and Rhoanna travelled to Scotland together via Singapore on Monday. They were due to complete their accreditation and receive their uniforms on Wednesday, July 22.
The Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games opening ceremony will take place on Friday morning Australian time.
Australia’s first bowls match, in the women’s pairs, is scheduled to be broadcast at 6.30pm on Thursday, July 23 (AEST), with Australian commentary beginning on Friday, July 24.