OLYMPIC curling gold medallist Rhona Howie MBE has been appointed to lead Bowls Scotland's High Performance Programme.

The 48-year-old, then competing under her married name of Rhona Martin, became a household name when emerging victorious in the Salt Lake City Games in 2002 and will begin her new role next week after turning her back on her own sport last year.

Howie will become the first-ever High Performance Manager at the governing body for outdoor bowls in Scotland with Welshman John Price, former world champion and two-time Commonwealth Games silver medallist, taking over as High Performance Coach.

David Gourlay, the current Head Coach, is stepping down after three successful years at the helm.

"Scotland's bowlers are doing really well, so I'm looking forward to being involved," said Howie, who left her previous position as British Curling's Head Women's Coach last May.

"Where bowls is now is where curling was a decade ago. David Gourlay has started to implement the high performance side to the sport and I look forward to continuing this process to help deliver medals on the world stage, but introducing high performance bowling is a long-term process so my challenge will be bringing it in, implementing the change, not quickly but at the right time, and making sure there is a clear performance pathway for the bowlers to progress.

"I was involved in the sport of curling during the time when we introduced high performance programmes, so I have the experience of the changes the sport went through when implementing a high performance plan.

"It's going to be a new challenge for me, which is really exciting."

Howie and Price's posts are both fully funded by sportscotland and they have an encouraging platform to build from.

Team Scotland won three golds and a silver medal in last summer's Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. At the 2012 Adelaide World Championships, they secured three golds and six medals in total.

Price, former world indoor champion, will plan, deliver and evaluate identified male and female coaching, training, selection processes and competition programmes. He will also develop activities and an education programme for coaches who will assist and deliver the High Performance Plan.

"It's a big honour to be given the opportunity by Bowls Scotland to work with the high performance squad," said Price, who worked previously with the Welsh Bowls Federation as National Development Director.

He will move to Scotland from his home in Port Talbot in June.

"In football terms, this is like getting the Real Madrid or Barcelona job. It's the biggest thing you can get in bowls.

"It's a big responsibility and I'm really looking forward to the challenge.

"There has always been a good depth of talent in Scotland in both men's and ladies'

bowls and, in recent years, the team have been successful at the World Championships and Commonwealth Games.

"It will be very important to keep that momentum going. I'm all about preparing professionally and I'm sure all the players benefitted from David Gourlay's approach to preparation.

"Rhona and I are going to take that on to make sure that Scotland will be very well prepared going into major championships.

"The two big events to come are the 2016 Worlds in Christchurch and, then, the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games. Both should be tremendous events and will be two more challenges for the team going overseas to compete."