The kids at Isleworth Primary School in the Christchurch suburb of Bishopdale were busting to see their teacher Tayla Bruce back at school again.
Not only because they hadn’t seen Tayla since before the last school holidays. And not only because Tayla would have some wonderful stories to tell about the Commonwealth Games and her month in Birmingham. And not only because they’d also want to hear the ins and outs of Tayla’s COVID infection she picked up on her trip home to Christchurch.
But because they would be able to see, feel and even try on Tayla’s new ‘rose gold’ medals (as Tayla lovingly describes her bronzes) … something that many of them would be thrilled to do for the first time.
They’re medals that have contributed to the many accolades Tayla has earned. And which have resulted in her being named Bowls of New Zealand’s Female Player of the Year for 2022.
Brimingham was Tayla’s second Commonwealth Games ... she had been at the Gold Coast in 2018 where as a member of the Women’s Triples and the Women’s Fours they were placed a creditable 5th out of 18 and 5th out of 19. But 5th isn’t a medal. So understandably she’s tickled pink about these Games.
“Birmingham was an incredible experience,” she says. “It was a very special time ... the crowds were really supportive … the volunteers were so helpful … and the whole organisation was outstanding. And of course, the girls were great ... I miss them so much being back at home.”
“In fact, I miss the whole bowls team,” she adds, “We spent every day for 10 days in the lead-up to competition with both the men and paras acquainting ourselves with the northern hemisphere greens. We’d been training on croquet greens for over a year ... we expected the English greens to be a lot “trackier” ... maybe a bit bumpier … and to hold or straighten a bit more than they did. They ended up being more consistent than we expected. They were excellent.”
“But what made Birmingham really special is that we laughed a lot … and even had time to fit in celebrating some special occasions: Val (Smith), Selina (Goddard) and Mike (Kernaghan) all had birthdays.”
That says a lot about the way Tayla plays life
At the age of just 27, Tayla has already found a work-life balance that’s the envy of people twice her age.
She’s cut her teaching hours down at Isleworth School so she can spend more time on the bowling green. And she makes sure she has plenty of time with her partner Steven. “We’ve just bought a house together in Belfast … he moved our stuff in while I was away in Australia at the Trans Tasmans.”
Tayla took up bowls after the World Bowls Championship were headquartered at the Burnside Bowling Club in Christchurch in 2008.
“Dad played bowls at Burnside and took me along to watch the games. I loved it. I found it exciting, and loved how competitive it was.”
It didn’t take Tayla long until she was doing really well at the sport … winning her first National Women’s Fours title with Burnside in 2017, and the same year being named Canterbury Sportswoman of the Year and Canterbury Young Player of the Year.
The following year she represented New Zealand at the Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast.
And in 2020 she won her second National Fours title, and was also selected to represent New Zealand in the World Bowls Championships in Australia, but they were cancelled because of COVID.
As if that wasn’t enough, 2022 has been another spectacular year for Tayla.
She won the Bowls Canterbury Champ of Champs Singles. She was in the team that won the Bowls Canterbury Mixed Pairs and the Bowls Canterbury Women’s Fours. She was named Canterbury Player of the Year.
But more than that, this year she won the Bowls New Zealand National Women’s Singles title. And even came runner-up in the Pairs.
They’re formidable credentials.
But the most formidable credential is that Tayla is an unabashedly lovely person. She’s loyal and passionate. She loves her family, her bowls colleagues, her friends and her kids at school. She loves teaching and loves bowls.
And we all love her back.
Congratulations Tayla. We couldn’t think of a nicer person to be Player of the Year.
