Robert Weale

Not to be confused with Bobby Weale.

Robert Weale

Personal information
Nationality	British (Welsh)
Born	(1963-04-03) 3 April 1963 (age 61)
Sport
Club	Presteigne BC
Medal record Representing  Wales Commonwealth Games 1986 Edinburgh Men's fours 1998 Kuala Lumpur Men's pairs 1994 Victoria Men's pairs 2002 Manchester Men's singles 2006 Melbourne Men's singles 2010 Delhi Men's singles World Outdoor Championships 2004 Ayr Men's pairs World Indoor Bowls Championships 2000 Yarmouth Singles Atlantic Bowls Championships 2009 Johannesburg pairs 2009 Johannesburg fours 2015 Paphos triples British Isles Championships 1993 fours 1997 fours 2001 singles 2011 fours 2017 fours

Robert Arthur Weale (born in Hereford on 3 April 1963), is a Welsh international lawn and indoor bowls player.^[1] Weale is originally from Presteigne and was educated at John Beddoes School, but now lives in Hereford. In 2022, he was inducted into the Welsh Sports Hall of fame.^[1]

Bowls career

Weale made his international debut in 1982. He was the youngest competitor in the 1984 World Outdoor Bowls Championship in Aberdeen, where he competed in the triples event.^[2]

World Titles

Weale's career-best performance came in January 2000, when he won the 2000 World Indoor Bowls Championship singles title at Potters.^[3] Just a few months later, Weale won the men's fours title at the 2000 World Outdoor Bowls Championship, in April 2000.^[4]

Commonwealth Games

Weale has won six Commonwealth Games medals achieved from eight successive games, a record. The achievement of winning medals over eight games is a record for a lawn bowls player and equals the record for a competitor across all sports. Weale was given the honour of carrying the Welsh flag & led the Welsh team out at the 1998 opening ceremony and he carried the Welsh flag during the 2010 closing ceremony.^[5]

1986 Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh

Gold Medal in the men's fours; with Jim Morgan, Hafod Thomas, and Will Thomas

1994 Commonwealth Games in Victoria

silver medal in the men's pairs; with John Price

1998 Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur

silver medal in the men's pairs; with Will Thomas

2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester

bronze medal in the men's singles

2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne

silver medal in the men's singles

2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi

gold medal in the men's singles. Weale defeated Australian, Leif Selby

Welsh Titles

Weale won his first Welsh National Bowls Championships singles in 2000 and subsequently won the singles at the British Isles Bowls Championships in 2001.^[6] He won his second Welsh singles title in 2005 before winning a third in August 2012, defeating Paul Taylor of Bridgend 21-11. He also skipped the Weale family quartet to the Welsh outdoor fours title, on eight occasions.^[7] The Weale bowling family includes his three brothers (all former national champions) Brian, David and Stuart, sister-in-law Joanna Weale and daughter Rhiannon.^[8]

He has also won the Welsh Indoor singles on three occasions.^[2] In August 2005, he created a record by becoming the only man to hold both titles simultaneously.

References

1. "Welsh Sports Hall of fame: Kevin Ratcliffe, Georgia Davies and Helen Jenkins inducted". BBC Sport. Retrieved 25 November 2022.
2. Sullivan, Patrick (1986). Guinness Bowls Records. Guinness Superlatives Ltd. ISBN 0-85112-414-3.
3. "For the Record, Times [London, England] 24 Jan 2000". The Times. 24 January 2000. p. 47.
4. "World Bowls Championships" (PDF). worldbowls.com. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 February 2015. Retrieved 7 March 2015.
5. "Robert Weale". Commonwealth Games Federation. Retrieved 25 November 2022.
6. "Previous Winners". British Isles Bowls Council. 30 July 2013.
7. "WBA Handbook" (PDF). Welsh Bowls.
8. "Presteigne Bowling Club Honours". Presteigne Bowling Club.