Raymond Terrace Bowling Club’s Natasha Van Eldik is on cloud nine this week after being named among World Bowls’ first-ever Hall of Fame inductees.

The Maitland-born superstar joins Mark Casey OAM, Lynsey Clarke, Kelsey Cottrell, Rex Johnston OAM, Karen Murphy AM, Aron Sherriff, Dorothy Roche OAM, Rebecca Van Asch and Brett Wilkie as one of 10 Australians to be afforded such an honour.

It’s understood most of the 31 bowlers, representing nine nations, are set to attend a special ceremony during the inaugural World Cup in Kuala Lumpur from 4 to 8 November.

“The establishment of the Hall of Fame marks an important and overdue step in celebrating the sport’s elite,” former Bowls New Zealand CEO Kerry Clark said.

“The athletes who are being inducted have all achieved outstanding results across World Bowls pinnacle events (World Championships and Commonwealth Games) as well the World Champion of Champions, World Indoor, Atlantic Championships, Asia/Pacific Championships, WIBC/IIBC World Indoor and World Bowls Tour Open Singles.

“But, above all, the inductees are a credit to the sport and their countries.

“This will be the first of several Hall of Fame inductions.”

Van Eldik boasts an incredible run of success over the past decade and a half.

The 34-year-old won gold in the 2012 World Championships triples, in addition to the team event.

In 2016, she was part of the fours outfit, with Van Asch, Carla Krizanic and Cottrell, who prevailed at the World Championships in Christchurch.

If that wasn’t enough, she backed up to claim the triples crown with Van Asch and Krizanic.

To cap it off, Van Eldik snared a third gold in the team event, too.

She was also part of the Australian squad for the 2018 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast.

There, she captured two more golds in the fours and triples.

In 2022, Van Eldik competed in the same disciplines at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.

She’s picked up five medals at the Asia Pacific Bowls Championships as well.

Two of those were gold, the latest at the 2019 edition in Queensland.

Meanwhile, Van Eldik’s recognition will further fuel the reputation of Raymond Terrace as a powerhouse bowling club.

That strength has been highlighted in 2025 with the organisation’s teams acquiring the region’s Open titles in men’s and women’s triples, men’s pairs and women’s singles.

In an incredible feat, both the men’s triples and women’s singles finals were contested solely by Raymond Terrace members.

If that wasn’t enough, the club’s three three’s side outlasted almost 50 combatants to upstage the highly-fancied and previously unbeaten East Maitland to hold aloft the trophy in that competition.

Outside of the local arena, legendary Raymond Terrace player Lee Schraner continues to dominate, too.

Before leaving for Scotland with the Australian team, he skipped a fours outfit for his third win in the $150,000 City of Dubbo International Invitational Fours.

He previously took out the event in 2022 and 2023; and finished runner-up in 2024.

The 43-year-old is the only player in history to have clinched the Australian Champion of Champions singles gold medal four times, going on to win the World Champion of Champions (2024 and 2019) and bronze in 2022 and 2018.

Schraner recently celebrated his 350th NSW cap and many believe he will be Raymond Terrace’s next inductee into the World Bowls Hall of Fame.

Natasha Van Eldik’s illustrious career

International playing achievements:

• 2025 Trans Tasman – Overall Team/Overall Women’s Champion
• 2024 Trans Tasman – Overall Team/Overall Women’s Champion
• 2023 Multi Nations – Gold – Fours
• 2022 Trans Tasman – Overall Team/Overall Women’s Champion
• 2019 Trans Tasman – Overall Team/Overall Women’s Champion
• 2019 Multi-Nations – Overall Team/Overall Women’s Champion
• 2019 Multi-Nations – Gold – Fours
• 2019 Multi-Nations – Silver – Triples
• 2019 Asia Pacific Championships – Overall Team/Overall Women’s Champion
• 2019 Asia Pacific Championships – Gold – Triples
• 2019 Asia Pacific Championships – Bronze – Fours
• 2018 Hong Kong International – Gold – Pairs
• 2018 Commonwealth Games – Gold – Triples
• 2018 Commonwealth Games – Gold – Fours
• 2017 Gold Coast Multi-Nations – Gold – Triples
• 2016 World Bowls Championships – Gold – Triples
• 2016 World Bowls Championships – Gold – Fours
• 2016 World Champion of Champion
• 2016 Six Nations International – Gold – Triples
• 2015 Asia Pacific Championships- Gold – Fours
• 2015 Asia Pacific Championships- Silver – Triples
• 2012 World Championships – Gold – Triples
• 2012 SA International Series – Silver – Fours
• 2012 SA International Series – Silver – Pairs
• 2012 SA International Series – Overall Team Champion
• 2011 Asia Pacific Championships – Overall Women’s Champion
• 2011 Asia Pacific Championships – Silver – Fours
• 2011 Asia Pacific Championships – Bronze – Pairs
• 2010 Delhi Eight Nation Test Event – Silver
• 2010 Moama International representative
• 2008, 2009 Trans-Tasman Under-18 team

National playing achievements:

• 2023 Australian Open – Gold – Pairs
• 2022 Australian Sides Championships – Gold – women’s team
• 2022 Australian Sides Championships – Gold – Overall state
• 2021 Australian Open – Gold – Singles
• 2020 Australian Championships – Gold – Triples
• 2020 Australian Championships – Gold – Pairs
• 2019 Australian Open – Gold – Singles
• 2016 Australian Indoor Championships – Gold
• 2016 Australian Open – Gold – Singles
• 2016 Australian Open – Player of the Tournament
• 2015 Australian Open – Gold – Fours
• 2015 Australian Champion of Champions – Gold – Singles
• 2014/15, 2015/16 Bowls Australia Female Bowler of the Year
• 2011 Australian Champion of Champions – Gold – Pairs
• 2009 QLD Open – Gold – Triples
• 2009 QLD Open Silver – Singles
• 2009 NSW Open – Gold – Fours

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• Tough Mudder returns to the Hunter Valley

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