Ireland captain Ashleigh Rainey has positive feeling ahead of World Championships

Rainey will play in the pairs with Sarah Kelly while the Ewarts club bowler will also share the rink will Kelly and fellow Birmingham Commonwealth Games participants Chole Wilson and Shauna O’Neill in the fours.

The team is made up by Sophie McIntrye, who is competing in the singles and triples with Wilson and O’Neill.

After narrowly missing out on the medals in Birmingham with Team NI last summer, Rainey is confident the Irish Ladies can put on a show Down Under.

“I’ve been a captain now for a good couple of years but every time it still gives you that we goal,” enthused Rainey. “I’m really proud to represent my country, but to do it as captain as well means a lot.

“I’ve been very lucky over the last number of years to get support from Sport NI and we were in Australia in November and March.

"The conditions are obviously completely different to what we are playing in here.

“It is great to get that experience under our belt and I think it is going to be something that is really positive for us going forward.”

Wilson and O’Neill, along with Irish men’s players Gary Kelly and Adam McKeown, are currently playing their club bowls in Australia.

“It is a massive positive for us them being out there,” added Rainey. “They are learning the greens and all the tricks of the trade and hopefully they can pass them on to Sarah, Sophie and myself.

“The experience we have had over the last couple of years has been really good for us.

"We are going out now with these countries and we are competing with them and getting good results which is always a positive for us looking forward.

“I have got a good feeling going away. I’m going away with great girls, and it is all positive, everybody in the squad works really well together so it is something to really look forward to.”

Rainey is hoping her long partnership with Kelly will paid dividends in the pairs.

“Me and Sarah go way back,” she said. “We used to play in the internationals together and we get on really well.

“Originally we were meant to be in the pairs in 2020 (which was cancelled due to Covid), so it has been a long time coming for us.

“We have been prepping really well.

“Just knowing each other is a real benefit for our squad. The girls here at the minute all know each other’s strength and weaknesses.

“When you are playing it is really good to back your team-mate and sort of say this is going to be the shot and I back you 100%.

"That is something that we have worked on over the last couple of years and I can really see it in our play that we kind of know what way each other wants to play now.

“I always say you can have the best bowlers, but you have to have team-mates that can work well for each other and that is something that we definitely have now.

“I’m really looking forward to the fours, but we have a tough group, and the draw hasn’t been very kind to us but you are going to have to play all the big teams at some stage.

“When we went out in March the fours went really well, we all know each other, and I have a good feeling about it.”

The aim is to bring home a long overdue medal.

“It would be amazing,” said Rainey. “I think the last time we medalled was 2008 so it would be a long time coming for us.

“The conditions are completely different to what we are used to.

"You have to change how you deliver, your stance and all of that but with the girls being out there and working hard back here with all the support we have had, it would be amazing to win a medal.”