International bowls star Lorraine Kuhler credits the sport with giving her lifelong friendships and is encouraging others to give it a go.

The 33-year-old from Worthing makes the trip up to Oxford to play alongside close friend Katherine Hawes-Watts.

It is just a small sacrifice Kuhler makes in order to get as much enjoyment out of the game as possible.

“I play with my friend Katherine Hawes-Watts, who is a fellow international,” Kuhler said ahead of Bowls Big Weekend which takes place this bank holiday weekend.

“We joined up a few years ago and I travel there to play with her in national events. 

“Playing with your friends is such a big thing with bowls, you enjoy it so much more if you are out there if you are competing with people you care for, so that for me makes that journey worthwhile.

“You play sometimes after the working day and if you are rushing around to play after work you want it to be something that you enjoy doing. 

“To have an opportunity to achieve things with people you care about it gives you more hunger.”

Kuhler first took up bowls aged 11 with her parents already involved in the sport at Hollingbury Park Bowls Club in Brighton.

The local government worker now represents England on the global stage and is giving her time back on Bowls Big Weekend to help encourage others into the sport.

She will be at Tarring Priory Bowls Club to welcome newcomers looking to give bowls a try.

Kuhler adKuhler added: “As an international player, we go out and help clubs when it comes to the recruitment side of bowls and it is about us giving back to clubs really and being able to demonstrate how much you can get out of bowls at every level. 

“I think it is nice to have somebody there who has started in it and progressed their bowls career and been able to enjoy the sport at all levels.

“I like to go there and help people get on the green and give it a go because it is such an addictive sport that people get the flavour for it and come back.

“20% of new bowlers join the sport on the back of open weekends so I want to help support clubs and attract new players because we want as many people playing bowls as possible.

“It is a real shame that it has got that stigma attached to it around it being a sport for older people because it is a sport for all ages.

“Some of my favourite memories in the sport are when I played under-25s because I made some amazing friends, friends for life, two of my best friends are people I met at under-25s bowls.”

To find your nearest participating club and sign up for a free session go to bowlsbigweekend.com