The annual Bowls World Cup returns to Warilla for a record 10th straight year from Tuesday with Warilla's Jeremy Henry and Shell Cove's Karen Murphy to represent Australia for a third straight year.

With Henry the back-to-back defending men's champion, Australia has a second player in the men's draw in Tony Wood, while Murphy will be Australia's representative in the women's draw for a record sixth time.

The nine-day tournament from April 8-6 features 24 nations and is a huge economic boost for the region.

While Northern Ireland international Henry gets a chance to again represent Australia on his home, world-class indoor facility, Murphy will again be looking to upstage defending champion, New Zealand superstar Jo Edwards, who has won a record four World Cups.

Edwards clinched a fourth title in five years in 2013 by beating the defending champion, Guernsey's Alison Merrien, in a thrilling tie-break.

Murphy has won just about every major tournament except the World Cup and she again won the Cup qualifying tournament the Australian Indoor for a sixth time.

Wood won the men's Australian Indoor to book his Australian spot alongside Henry.

In the men's singles, Henry believes Scotland's Stewart Anderson, the reigning world indoor champion, will be a player to watch.

The round-robin phase of the World Cup begins on Tuesday, through to Sunday, April 13.

The men's and women's playoffs begin on Monday April 14, with finals day April 16.

Henry takes on Singapore's Christian Huang in his opening sectional round match at 8.30am on Tuesday , while Murphy faces Dee McSparran of the US at 10.30am.

Wood makes his Cup debut against Neil Furman from the US at 8.30am on Tuesday.

Entry is free to Warilla Bowling Club.

Murphy honoured as female bowler of 2013

Karen Murphy’s exceptional performances in 2013 have been recognised with her named Female Bowler of the Year at the Bowls Australia awards night in Burnie, Tasmania.0

 Just a few days after she was confirmed for her fourth Commonwealth Games – in Scotland in July – Murphy made it back-to-back Female Bowler of the Year awards.

 The Shell Cove-based Murphy’s 2013 season  included claiming her sixth Australian Indoor Championship at Tweed Heads, plus runner-up  in the Australian Open singles and Super 6 pairs.

 Murphy also won the World Champion of Champions event in New Zealand and next week will attempt to claim her third world title inside 12 months by representing Australia in the women’s singles at the World Cup hosted by Warilla Bowling Club.

Murphy will be Australia’s most experienced player at the Glasgow  Games.

After  her Games debut in 1998, when she won silver in the fours, Murphy won the gold medal in pairs at the  2006 Melbourne Games, plus silver in the singles in 2002.

Meanwhile, Ettalong Memorial’s Aron Sherriff took out Bowls Australia’s  major accolade as the International Bowler of the Year for a third consecutive year. 

 The 28-year-old  Sherriff contributed to Australia’s title defence of the  trans-Tasman silverware against New Zealand and won gold at  Australia’s pre-Commonwealth Games preparatory events at the Welsh four-nations and eight-nation Commonwealth Games Invitational.