The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Angus bowler ready to begin his bid to defend Commonwealth Games title on the Gold Coast... with his very own ‘spy in the camp’
Defending his Commonwealth title on Australian turf will be the ultimate challenge for Arbroath bowler Darren Burnett. But even though the 2014 gold medallist doesn’t know every blade of grass at the Gold Coast venue like he did at Kelvingrove, he knows a man who does. His brother.
“Ryan actually plays for Broadbeach Bowls Club, where the event will be held,” said Burnett.
“In Glasgow we played on every rink and had a log-book of everything you could think of. It’s the sort of advantage only a home country can get.
“To have him there is definitely a big help. To have someone who can help you with expert knowledge on aspects of certain rinks can only be a good thing and used to our advantage.
“He’s definitely under the Scottish banner still so maybe you could call him a spy in the camp.”
It won’t be possible this time around but the prospect of competing alongside his brother at a Commonwealth Games could help drive Burnett on for four more years.
“Not everybody gets the chance to play with a relative in their own sport,” he said ahead of Games number five.
“To get to do it at the Commonwealth Games – our biggest event by far – would be a great thing.
“We’ve come close. Myself, Paul Foster, Alex Marshall and my brother won the Australian Open Fours, which is a massive event. To do that with your brother was a special moment that I’ll look back on.”
Even though Glasgow may never be topped, Burnett isn’t lacking motivation for this Games. In pure sporting terms, claiming gold again would arguably be a better achievement.
“Not much would come close to winning a gold at your home Games,” he admitted.
“But to do that and to win a gold in Australia – which is the benchmark in bowls in terms of their professionalism – is another thing entirely.
“It’s going to be really hard but we’re positive about it. I’m defending my gold medal in the singles and skipping the triples. There’s definitely a medal there for us if we play well.
“We’ve played a lot out there – the last World Championships were in Adelaide in 2012 and we got a gold medal in the triples. I’ve always performed well in Australia.
“Conditions will be tough. We’ve been out there but we can’t practise every week obviously. That will bring its own difficulties.
“You have to play shots that you wouldn’t over here. It’s a really high quality squad that’s been picked, though. Hopefully our experience will be important.”
The community police officer took “three or four weeks” to decide whether to embark on another four-year Commonwealth games cycle.
“There are huge commitments,” he pointed out.
“That’s the case no matter what sport you play. For something like a Commonwealth Games there’s a lot of family time you have to sacrifice. In my sport I’m still relatively young, though. The likes of Alex Marshall and Paul Foster are older than me. I know that I’ve got years ahead of me if I want them.
“My form has been good and I’ve done well in most of the major events so I think I’ve still got the potential to medal.
“The balance between work, family and bowls hasn’t got harder but it hasn’t got any easier either. You do get good at it.”
Burnett – and his gold medal - have got plenty of attention in Angus over the last few years. “I’m in and out of the schools,” he said. “I’ve done many a talk and brought the medal out at the end.
“It’s certainly been round a few primary schools. That’s been really good. Arbroath is a smallish town so I’m pretty well known anyway. The gold medal just took it to another level.
“They say it’s life-changing. It’s not changed mine too dramatically but you certainly get more noticed. You can hear people behind you in the street saying ‘that’s the bowling boy.’”
Has the Glasgow Games and Scotland’s success in it made bowls more fashionable?
“More schools are back into it, I think,” said Burnett. “Glasgow has helped that.
“In Arbroath we have a big hub and most of the schools go to a bowling club – usually on a Friday afternoon. We certainly needed something to give us a boost.”
Darren was introduced to bowls via his family with his late father Willie representing Scotland.
Since the Games in Glasgow the Angus bowling ace has been competing in both the World Indoor and Outdoor Bowling Championships, winning double gold at the 2016 World Indoor Championships in the men’s and mixed pairs and a bronze medal at the 2016 World Outdoor Championships in New Zealand.
He has represented Scotland five times at the Commonwealths, competing at every Games since Manchester 2002.
● Bowling at the Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast, Australia, begins on Thursday (Wednesday 11pm UK time) with the preliminary rounds of the men’s triples and women’s singles.
“Not much would come close to winning a gold at your home Games. But to do that and to win a gold in Australia – the benchmark in bowls in terms of their professionalism – is another thing entirely. It’s going to be really hard but we’re positive about it