Sam Tolchard

English bowls player

Sam Tolchard

Personal information

Nationality| British (English)
Born|  (1989-05-27) 27 May 1989 (age 36)
Torquay, England
Sport
Sport| Bowls
Club| Torquay Utd (indoors)
Kings BC (outdoors)
Achievements and titles
Highest world ranking| 16 (August 2024)[1]

Medal record

Representing  England
Men's lawn bowls
Commonwealth Games
| 2014 Glasgow | pairs
| 2018 Gold Coast | fours
| 2022 Birmingham | pairs
| 2022 Birmingham | fours
Atlantic Bowls Championships
| 2009 Johannesburg | singles
| 2009 Johannesburg | triples
| 2019 Cardiff | triples
World Champion of Champions
| 2022 Wellington | singles
Hong Kong International Bowls Classic
| 2010 | pairs
British Isles Championships
| 2017 | pairs
English Nationals
| 2007 | cofc
| 2008 | singles
| 2016 | pairs
| 2016 | singles2w
| 2019 | cofc
| 2021 | singles
| 2021 | singles2w
| 2022 | singles2w

Sam Tolchard (born 27 May 1989) is an English international lawn and indoor bowler.[2][3] He reached a career high ranking of world number 16 in September 2024.[4]

## Profile

[edit]

In 2009, he won the singles and triples silver medals at the Atlantic Bowls Championships[5][6] and the following year in 2010, he won the Hong Kong International Bowls Classic pairs title with Robert Newman.[7]

He competed for England in the men's pairs at the 2014 Commonwealth Games[8] where he won a bronze medal.[9][10]

He was selected as part of the English team for the 2018 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast in Queensland[11] where he claimed a bronze medal in the Fours with David Bolt, Jamie Chestney and Louis Ridout.[12][13]

In 2019, he won the triples bronze medal at the Atlantic Bowls Championships[14] and in 2020, he was selected for the 2020 World Outdoor Bowls Championship in Australia but the event was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[15] In 2022, he competed in the men's pairs and the men's fours at the 2022 Commonwealth Games.[16] Partnering Jamie Walker he won the pairs silver medal, losing out to Wales in the final and in the fours he also secured a bronze medal.[17]

In November 2022, he won the gold medal at the World Singles Champion of Champions in Wellington, New Zealand.[18]

In 2023, he was selected as part of the team to represent England at the 2023 World Outdoor Bowls Championship.[19] He participated in the men's singles and the men's pairs events.[20][21] In the singles, he won his group undfeated but then lost to Iain McLean at the quarter final stage.

## National Achievements

[edit]

He has won eight National Championship titles, including six singles titles.[22][23] He bowls outdoors for Kings BC, who have won the Top Club championship four years running from 2016 to 2019.[24]

National titles

* 2007 Bowls England National Championships (Men's Champion of Champions)
* 2008 Bowls England National Championships (Men's Singles Four Wood)
* 2016 Bowls England National Championships (Men's Pairs)
* 2016 Bowls England National Championships (Men's Singles Two Wood)
* 2019 Bowls England National Championships (Men's Champion of Champions)
* 2021 Bowls England National Championships (Men's Singles Four Wood)
* 2021 Bowls England National Championships (Men's Singles Two Wood)
* 2022 Bowls England National Championships (Men's Singles Two Wood)

## Personal life and family

[edit]

Tolchard is the brother of England international bowler Sophie Tolchard.[25] His father, Ray Tolchard, played cricket for Devon and was a first-class cricket umpire, and his uncle Roger Tolchard played Test cricket for England and county cricket for Leicestershire. Another uncle, Jeffrey Tolchard, also played cricket for Leicestershire and played football for Torquay United and Exeter City.[26]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Male rankings". World Bowls Series. Retrieved 28 June 2024.
2. ^ "Profile". Henselite.
3. ^ "Tolchard wins first global title". BBC Sport. Retrieved 25 November 2022.
4. ^ "Male rankings". World Bowls Series. Retrieved 9 March 2025.
5. ^ "2009 Atlantic Championships". World Bowls Ltd. Archived from the original on 14 March 2010. Retrieved 21 May 2021.
6. ^ "Bowls". The Times. 18 May 2009. p. 61. Retrieved 21 May 2021 – via The Times Digital Archive.
7. ^ "HK Classic winners Men Pairs". HKLBA. Retrieved 7 June 2021.
8. ^ "Glasgow 2014: Sam Tolchard aims to banish 2010 bowls nightmare". BBC News. 12 June 2014. Retrieved 10 May 2015.
9. ^ "Glasgow 2014 profile". Archived from the original on 14 September 2014. Retrieved 14 September 2014.
10. ^ "Tolchard makes up for his Delhi dismay with bronze in men's pairs". Western Morning News. 28 July 2014. Retrieved 10 May 2015.
11. ^ "2018 Commonwealth Games team". Team England.
12. ^ "Fours results". CG2018.
13. ^ "Commonwealth Games: Scotland's Alex Marshall wins record fifth gold as women take bronze in bowls". BBC Sport.
14. ^ "2019 Atlantic Championships". World Bowls. Retrieved 15 May 2021.
15. ^ "SELECTION: 2020 WORLD BOWLS CHAMPIONSHIPS". Bowls England. 6 January 2020.
16. ^ "Official Games profile". 2022 Commonwealth Games. Retrieved 2 August 2022.
17. ^ "Wales beat England to win gold". BBC. Retrieved 2 August 2022.
18. ^ "Tolchard crowned World Champion of Champions champion". England Bowls. Retrieved 25 November 2022.
19. ^ "COMPETITORS CONFIRMED: WORLD BOWLS OUTDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS 2023". Bowls International. 5 June 2023. Retrieved 2 September 2023.
20. ^ "Events and Results, World Championships 2023 Gold Coast, Australia". World Bowls. Retrieved 2 September 2023.
21. ^ "SCHEDULE & DRAWS". Bowls Australia. Retrieved 2 September 2023.
22. ^ "Bowls England National Finals 2021". Bowls England. Retrieved 22 August 2021.
23. ^ "DOUBLE TWO BOWL DELIGHT FOR TOLCHARD ON DAY 14". Bowls England. Retrieved 8 September 2022.
24. ^ "KINGS SECURE FOURTH SUCCESSIVE MEN'S TOP CLUB TITLE". Bowls England. 15 September 2019.
25. ^ "News". Torquay United Indoor Bowling Club.
26. ^ "Sam Tolchard". Team England. Retrieved 3 August 2022.

## External links

[edit]

* Sam Tolchard at Team England
* Sam Tolchard at the Commonwealth Games Federation (archived)  (2010–2014)
* Sam Tolchard at the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games (archived)
* Samuel Tolchard at the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games (archived)
* Sam Tolchard at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games