Bowls SA appoint Nel as Proteas women’s coach

CHERYL WATERMAN

Since relocating from Gauteng to the KwaZulu-Natal coast in 2021, Susan Nel has brought with her not only a wealth of experience, but a deep passion for the game of lawn bowls – leaving an indelible mark on the development of the sport in her new district.

Her presence within Port Natal Bowls has already made a significant and positive impact, both on and off the green.

Susan’s career as a bowler is nothing short of extraordinary.

She first caught the national spotlight in 2001 when she was runner-up to Lorna Smith (née Trigwell) in the national singles.

Her breakthrough came in 2005 when she clinched the prestigious South African Masters title – an achievement that earned her national colours from Bowls South Africa.

From that point on, Susan represented South Africa with distinction.

Her international career took her to Namibia, the African States and further afield to Atlantic Rim Tournaments, Commonwealth Games and World Bowls Championships.

Along the way, she amassed an enviable collection of accolades, including 12 international gold medals, and cemented her place as one of the country’s finest bowlers.

Among her many personal highlights, she fondly recalls the 2010 Commonwealth Games in India, where she skipped the South African women’s trips side to gold.

She repeated that golden performance in Glasgow in 2014, this time skipping the fours to victory and the trips to a hard-fought bronze.

These triumphs, she says, were made even more meaningful by the unspoken connection that developed between her and her teammates – Santjie Olivier (Steyn), Sylvia Burns and Colleen Piketh – a testament to the power of teamwork and mutual understanding at the highest level.

In Christchurch in 2016, after 11 years at the pinnacle of international competition, Susan gracefully stepped back to make way for emerging talent, redirecting her passion toward nurturing the next generation.

She joined forces with Jessica Henderson as national coach, and later served as a national selector, continuing to shape the sport from behind the scenes.

Stepping back, however, has not meant stepping away. Susan remains a formidable presence on the competitive greens, regularly competing at district, provincial and national levels.

She holds one of the skip positions in the PNB Women’s Open team, and is a consistent contender in the PNB Women’s Masters Championship – claiming the title in 2022 and securing silver in 2024.

Today, Susan leads the PNB Academy for both men and women – a structured programme designed to identify and nurture consistency and skill in aspiring bowlers.

After each Academy session, Nel calculates the average score for each participant, and shares the results with the PNB selectors for their consideration.

Recently, Bowls South Africa announced Susan’s appointment as the coach/team manager of the Proteas women’s team set to compete at the World Cup in Hong Kong this November – a fitting honour for a bowler and leader who has given so much to the sport, both at home and on the international stage.