Rainbowlers
Toronto’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Lawn Bowling Society
Join us for a summer of fun on the greens
If it’s Wednesday, we’re bowling
We play at 7 pm on Wednesday evenings, from mid-May through early September at Cosburn Park Lawn Bowling Club in East York. After the game, join us for a post-bowls drink on the patio at Sophie’s, the neighbourhood pub.
Special events
Along with our regular bowls games, we host open houses for new bowlers, a Pride Week event, and an end-of-season dinner. Rainbowlers members also play in-club and outside tournaments, and we’re always up for one of Cosburn’s holiday Monday events.
Who we are
Rainbowlers, The Toronto LGBT Lawn Bowling Society, is a recreational league for lesbian, gay, bi, and trans lawn bowlers.
We welcome players of all stripes and skill levels, and you can join at any time during the bowling season.
Flip-Flop 2019
Toronto Rainbowlers hosts Flip-Flop, an invitational pairs tournament for LGBT lawn bowlers. This full-day event is the first—and only—LGBT lawn bowls tournament in North America. Join us on Saturday, September 14 for Flip-Flop 2019.
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What’s included when you join Rainbowlers?
1. Rainbowlers membership
• “Jitney” style games every Wednesday evening—you’ll never have to put a team together or find spares. (What’s a jitney?)
• Post-game socializing at Sophie’s, the pub down the street.
• Enter the Flip-Flop Rainbowlers Tournament, North America’s first and finest LGBT lawn bowling tournament.
• More special events through the summer.
2. Cosburn Park Lawn Bowling Club membership
• Rainbowlers are full members of Cosburn Park Lawn Bowling Club.
• Feel like a game this Tuesday? You can bowl in any of the club’s jitneys—and there are games every day, except Sunday.
• Practise on the greens whenever you like.
• Enter in-club tournaments.
• Come out for special events, including holiday Monday jitneys and potlucks throughout the summer, and the end-of-season President’s Dinner.
3. Ontario Lawn Bowling Association membership
• Rainbowlers are OLBA members.
• You can enter OLBA-sanctioned tournaments at clubs across the province. Some of our favourites include the Royal Canadian Yacht Club’s open triples tournament in July, Milton’s bowl and curl tournament at the end of September, and any tournament at Balmy Beach.
4. Skills development
• New bowlers, you get comprehensive (but fun!) training sessions to help you progress quickly on the green.
• If you need a few pointers or some help improving your skills at any time, club-level coaches are available every Wednesday.
• Cosburn offers several free workshops with certified lawn-bowling coaches throughout the summer.
Not interested in being coached? Don’t worry; we strongly discourage uninvited coaching during Wednesday games. We know many people are just here for the fun of it.
and more!
2019 season membership
$150
Bowls rental
$25*
* FREE for first-year bowlers!
(And players who own bowls, of course.)
Not ready to commit?
We get it. Come to one of our free open houses, and we’ll give you an introduction to the game. No obligation, no pressure, no charge.
And even if it’s not an open house night, you can try the game on any Wednesday evening. Just contact us in advance.
Lawn bowling takes a minute to learn and a lifetime to master. I’ve met so many great people at Rainbowlers!
Bradley H.
As a child, I dreamt of going to the moon. While I never got a chance, lawn bowling is a close second.
Liz H.
Socializing with a lovely group of people, drinks at a great dive bar, dirty jokes about the weight of your bowls.
Joe L.