Rebecca Rixon (right) with her sister at the 2022 Commonwealth Games (Photo by In Vitrio)
Rebecca Rixon made an unbeaten start to her return to the Champion of Champions at cluBarham, winning all three matches and all six sets in Women’s Section 1.
The Malta international finished the day on nine game points, with 43 shots scored and 25 conceded.
With three women’s sections and four men’s sections, the opening day looked slightly different across the field. Women’s Sections 1 and 2 completed three rounds, while Section 3 played two. The men completed two rounds across all four sections.
By the end of the day, Malta’s Rebecca Rixon and Australia’s Natalie Lewis had each collected three wins, while Ysie White of Wales and Canada’s Joanna Cooper opened with two wins from two in Women’s Section 3.
In the men’s competition, ten players finished their opening two matches unbeaten.
Rixon competed in Barham 12 months ago and returns with plenty of international experience. Her record includes a Commonwealth Games bronze medal and the 2024 World Bowls Junior Indoor women’s singles title.
Behind her, former champion Anne Nunes and England’s Stef Branfield both collected six game points.
Their meeting on Tuesday revisited a match from the 2024 Champion of Champions, when Nunes had the better of Branfield.
This time Branfield reversed the result, with the match going to a deciding tiebreak.
Nunes, the 2023 Champion of Champions winner and 2024 runner-up, finished Day 1 with two wins from three. Branfield recorded two wins from her two matches played, alongside a bye.
Fiji’s Elizabeth Mere Ledua Moceiwai also finished with two wins from three.
Lewis unbeaten for the host nation
Australia’s Natalie Lewis also finished the opening day with three wins from three in Women’s Section 2.
It was not a straightforward route to nine game points, with two of her matches requiring deciding tiebreaks.
Lewis earned her place at the world event by winning the 2025 Australian Champion of Champions and now holds the early lead in her section.
Hong Kong, China’s Helen Cheung also remains unbeaten, recording two wins alongside a bye and finishing the day with a +18 shot difference.
Malaysia’s Ain Nurnajwa collected two wins from three, while South Africa’s Sue Tarr, Cook Islands representative Tiare Jim, Sweden’s Ilona Laskai, Switzerland’s Marianne Kuenzle and Namibia’s Amanda Steenkamp each recorded one victory.
White and Cooper unbeaten in Section 3
Women’s Section 3 completed two rounds on Tuesday, with Ysie White of Wales and Canada’s Joanna Cooper both emerging unbeaten.
White won all four of her sets, scoring 44 shots and conceding 14 to lead the section on shot difference.
Cooper is alongside her on six game points, with three sets won and a +19 shot difference.
The Canadian arrived in Barham after winning the 2025 Canadian outdoor singles title, adding to an international record which includes a World Championships triples bronze medal.
Philippines representative Vilma Greenlees and India’s Bangita Hazarika sit behind the leading pair with one win each.
Nyoka and Sonowal set the early pace
Botswana’s Edwin Nyoka and India’s Putul Sonowal both completed the opening day with two wins from two in Men’s Section 1.
Nyoka holds the early section lead after winning all four sets, scoring 37 shots and conceding 13.
The Botswana national singles champion is part of a new generation representing the country on the international stage.
Sonowal joins him on six game points after winning his opening two matches.
The Indian returns to Barham after reaching the quarter-finals of the 2025 Champion of Champions, where his campaign was eventually ended by tournament winner David Copeland in a tiebreak.
Since then, Sonowal has added the 2026 Asian men’s singles title to his record.
New Zealand’s Rohan Ware sits third after splitting his opening two matches. Ware arrived at the event after winning his first New Zealand national singles title earlier this year.
Jenner and Yuen start two from two
England’s Isaac Jenner and Singapore’s Harriman Yuen both began their Men’s Section 2 campaigns with two victories.
Jenner won all four of his sets, scoring 24 shots and conceding six.
The England national singles champion is joined on six game points by Yuen, who also finished Day 1 unbeaten.
Yuen comes into the event as Singapore’s national singles champion and following singles and pairs medals at the Asian Championships earlier this year.
Namibia’s Gordon Damster, Guernsey’s Todd Priaulx, Philippines representative Hommer Mercado and Fiji’s Ramesh Chand each finished Tuesday with one win.
Three unbeaten in Section 3
There is little separation at the top of Men’s Section 3, with Cyprus’ Bob Manson, Australia’s Max Kleinig and Malta’s Jason Borg all recording two wins from two.
Manson holds the early lead after winning all four sets.
Kleinig, who earned his place in Barham by winning the 2025 Australian Champion of Champions, is also on six game points with three sets won and 3.5 set points.
Borg completes the unbeaten trio and finished the day with a +21 shot difference.
Malaysia’s Izzat Shameer Dzulkeple sits on one win and one loss. The former World No.1 and 2022 Champion of Champions silver medallist arrived in Barham following his singles silver medal at the 2026 Commonwealth Games.
McLean begins another title bid
Men’s Section 4 also has three players unbeaten after two rounds.
USA’s Charlie Herbert holds the early lead after winning all four sets and recording a +26 shot difference.
Scotland’s Iain McLean is also four sets from four, with 32 shots scored and 13 conceded.
McLean has a long history with the Champion of Champions. He won the title in 2014 before returning to the podium with bronze in Barham last year.
The Scot has already collected one World Bowls singles title in Australia this year, winning the 2026 World Bowls Indoor Championship.
Hong Kong, China’s Chadwick Chen is the third unbeaten player in the section, joining Herbert and McLean on six game points.
With three players level on wins, there is plenty still to be decided as section play continues.
