Rebecca Van Asch steps back from representative bowls
Rebecca Van Asch has shocked the Tasmanian lawn bowls community this week with the announcement that she is stepping back from representative bowls, effective immediately and for the foreseeable future.
Affectionately known as “Bec” throughout the bowls community, Van Asch has enjoyed an extraordinary career spanning more than two decades and has established herself as one of Tasmania’s and Australia’s most accomplished lawn bowlers.
Van Asch (née Quail) first took up lawn bowls in 1998 at the age of 10, and it was not long before her exceptional talent became evident. She progressed rapidly through the junior ranks, earning selection in the Tasmanian Women’s Open team in 2004. That same year, she proudly represented Australia for the first time at junior level, before making her open international debut in 2011 as Australian cap number 79.
A member of the Invermay Bowls and Community Club, Van Asch went on to build an outstanding international career, representing Australia in 302 capped matches before retiring from international competition in 2022.
Among her many achievements, Van Asch holds a unique place in the history of the sport, having completed the remarkable “double double” — winning both World Bowls Championship and Commonwealth Games titles in both the triples and fours disciplines.
Perhaps one of her proudest achievements, however, was her decision to remain based in Tasmania throughout her international career. While this meant taking the more challenging path at times, Van Asch was determined to remain true to her Tasmanian roots and demonstrate to the next generation that it is possible to represent Australia at the highest level while continuing to live and play in Tasmania.
Her record in Tasmania is equally impressive. Van Asch has won four Tasmanian Junior Championships and an incredible nineteen Tasmanian Open Championships. She also claimed the Queensland Women’s Open Singles Championship in 2009 and was named Bowls Tasmania Women’s Bowler of the Year in 2005, 2014 and 2015.
Until this week’s announcement, Van Asch continued to compete at the highest level in Tasmania. She played an instrumental role in establishing the Tasmania Tridents franchise and was one of its inaugural players, becoming a valued member of the team in Bowls Australia’s premier domestic competition, the Bowls Premier League.
Van Asch has represented Tasmania on 238 occasions at Open level and is the most-capped female representative in the state’s history.
She is also Tasmania’s only lawn bowler to have won medals at both the World Bowls Championships and the Commonwealth Games.
Beyond her remarkable achievements on the green, Van Asch has made an equally significant contribution to the sport off it. A former Chief Executive Officer of Bowls Tasmania, she now plays an important role in shaping the future of Australian bowls as Bowls Australia’s High-Performance Manager, supporting and developing the nation’s elite athletes. Following the resignation of Gary Willis, Van Asch has just been appointed Bowls Australia’s Acting Performance Director.
For more than 25 years, Van Asch has represented Tasmania and Australia with distinction, while remaining a passionate and committed member of the Tasmanian lawn bowls community.
On behalf of Bowls Tasmania and everyone across Tasmania, thank you, Bec, for everything you have done for lawn bowls in Tasmania. Your dedication, passion and outstanding contribution to our sport have been truly appreciated, and your legacy will continue to inspire generations of Tasmanian bowlers to come.
