bowls

Outdoor and indoor game popular in Commonwealth countries. The outdoor game is played on a finely cut grassed area called a rink, with bowls (called ‘woods’) 13 cm/5 in in diameter. It is played as either singles, pairs, triples, or fours. The object is to get one's bowl (or bowls) as near as possible to the jack (target).

The sport's major international events include the World Outdoor Championship first held in 1966 for men and in 1969 for women, and the World Indoor Championship first held in 1979 for men and in 1988 for women

It has been played in Britain since the 13th century and was popularized by Francis Drake, who is reputed to have played bowls on Plymouth Hoe as the Spanish Armada approached in 1588.