AUSTRALIAN Jackaroos stalwart Karen Murphy, who is a Shoalhaven Heads product, has announced her international retirement, effective at the end of the year.
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Murphy, 44, made her debut for Australia as a 23-year-old at the 1997 Asia Pacific Championships in Warilla, before going on to amass a record 646 caps across 23 years for her country - making her the most capped bowler to ever represent the green and gold.
The Bomaderry High School alumna made the announcement at Bowls Australia's 2019 Hall of Fame and Awards Night on the Gold Coast, while also confirming she would fulfil her selection in the Australian squads for the 2019 Multi-Nations (November 18-24) and World Bowls Challenge (November 29-30).
Murphy is widely regarded as one of the country's finest ever bowlers, having represented Australia at five Commonwealth Games (including two on home soil, Melbourne and Gold Coast) and five World Championships.
She is a former Commonwealth Games gold medallist and a four-time World Championship gold medallist, including securing the women's singles gold in back to back Championships (2012 and 2016).
Currently of the Cabramatta Bowling Club in NSW, Murphy has spent time at St John's Park and formerly Shoalhaven Heads, where she first took up the sport aged 11.
One of Murphy's more memorable achievements in recent years came at the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games, where she was asked to read the Athlete's Oath at the event's opening ceremony.
