Who is Darren Burnett and what did he say about retiring from international bowls?
DISTINGUISHED multi-award-winning bowls player Darren Burnett announced his retirement from international outdoor matches in June 2023.
However, he's still going strong indoors and is competing at the World Indoor Bowls Championship in 2025.
Revealing his decision to step down from the outdoor sport, the Scot told the BBC: "The timing just felt right; it's something I've been mulling on for some time now."
Burnett cited a lack of progress in the sport as his reason for stepping down after twenty years of competing for Scotland.
He also expressed his disappointment at losing his head coach, David Gourlay, in the lead-up to the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.
Burnett said: "We need to continue developing.
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"Over the last 18 months we have scuttered about a bit if I am being honest.
"I think we really need to take a close look at where we are going and try and get back down that path because there is one thing for sure, other countries will keep progressing so we need to do the same."
But despite stepping away from the outdoor arena, the Arbroath native has shown no signs of stopping playing in the indoor scene as he continues to participate internationally for the 2025 Wold Indoor Bowls Championships.
Burnett and bowls
Born May 27, 1976, in Arbroath, Darren started to pick up the sport at the age of eight through his family.
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His late father was a former Scottish international and it's no surprise that the apple didn't fall far from the tree.
With great precision and phenomenal tactics, Darren won titles in the local Dundee area from a young age, making his debut in the Scotland Junior International (Under 25) at the age of 17 in 1993.
Global debuts quickly followed for the young talented bowler, quickly cementing his place as one of Scotland’s top players in the late 90s and early 2000s.
International and beyond: An incoming legacy
The rising star went on to win four medals at the World Outdoor Championship between 2008-2016.
Darren won gold in the 2012 Adelaide Men's triples and also took home a silver in 2008, and two bronze medals in 2012 and 2016.
Ex-bowls Scotland chief executive Alan McMillan praised Burnett's "incredible international career".
The now-retired veteran also went on to play in the Commonwealth Games, where he gained a fair amount of recognition for his unwavering talents.
Burnett seized a gold medal in the men's singles after defeating Canada's highly accomplished bowler Ryan Bester at the 2014 Games.
The Bester vs. Burnett showdown saw Bester taking an early lead, but Burnett swiftly obtained momentum, gaining a massive advantage and winning with a score of 21-9 in the final.
This is just one of many nail-biting finales that Burnett dominated.
He won another Commonwealth gold four years later in the men's triples at the Gold Coast games.
Now returning to the well-known scene of indoor bowls, the Scottish superstar intends to expand his medal collection upon his return to the 2025 World Indoor Bowls Championships.
He last won the singles title in 2014.
Darren beat Blake Nairn in a 2-0 round one of the men's singles, and is expected to play Robert Paxton on Tuesday, January 21.
The super-star bowler, alongside his partner Stewart Anderson, won the open pairs title at the 2024 championships, a feat they achieved in 2016 and 2022 as well.
However in 2025 the pair lost their round one match to Po Ting Hei and Jason Choi.
Personal life beyond the bowls
Apart from being a champion in the world of bowls, Darren works as a policeman in Arbroath, where he is married to wife Linsey.
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They have two daughters, Isla and Evie, who he says have supported him throughout his competitive journey.
He stated, "I've had the support of my wife and daughters, who have been present and contributed to the longevity and success I have achieved."
