| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | 22 February 1995 (1995-02-22) (age 30) Christchurch, New Zealand |
| Height | 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in) |
| Weight | 72 kg (159 lb) |
| Sport | |
| Country | New Zealand |
| Sport | Lawn bowls |
| Club | Burnside Bowling Club |
| Achievements and titles | |
| National finals | Singles champion (2022) Pairs champion (2023) Fours champion (2017, 2020) |
| Highest world ranking | 2 (August 2024)[1] |
Medal record | |
Tayla Bruce (born 22 February 1995) is a New Zealand internationallawn bowls player. She reached a career high ranking of world number 2 in August 2024.[2]
Born inChristchurch in 1995, Bruce plays for the Burnside Bowling Club.[3] She won the 2017 national women's fours title, in a team withJo Edwards,Val Smith, andKirsten Edwards.[4][5] At the annual Canterbury awards, she was named as sportswoman of the year and young player of the year.[6]
She was selected as part of theNew Zealand team for the2018 Commonwealth Games on theGold Coast inQueensland.[7]
A second national fours title was secured in 2020, playing alongsideSandra Keith,Clare Hendra, andSelina Smith.[8] During the same year she was selected for the2020 World Outdoor Bowls Championship in Australia but the event was cancelled due to theCOVID-19 pandemic.[9]
In 2022, she won her third national title after securing the singles crown.[10] Also in 2022, she competed in thewomen's triples and thewomen's fours at the2022 Commonwealth Games.[11] She won double bronze; in the triples playing withNicole Toomey and Val Smith and in the fours, playing withSelina Goddard, Toomey and Smith.[12] In November 2022, she won the gold medal at theWorld Singles Champion of Champions in Wellington, New Zealand.[13]
In January 2023, Bruce won theNew Zealand National Bowls Championships women's pairs title with Clare Hendra.[14]
Also in 2023, she was selected again as part of the team to represent New Zealand at the2023 World Outdoor Bowls Championship.[15] She participated in thewomen's singles and thewomen's triples events.[16][17] In the singles, Bruce won her group undefeated before reaching the semi-final, where she beatEllen Ryan to set up a final againstKelly McKerihen. In the final, Bruce defeated McKerihen, 21–18.[18] In the triples (partnering Val Smith andLeeane Poulson), the team won the group undefeated before winning a tense quarter final against Malaysia and a semi final against Canada. In the final they met Australia, losing 16–9 but claiming the silver medal.
After winning the 2024 New Zealand national indoor singles she subsequently won the bronze medal at the2025 World Bowls Indoor Championships in Aberdeen.[19]
