Lawn bowlers Hadyn Evans, Phil Jones and Ryan Dixon saw off Canada 19-16 for bronze in the men's triples, with an assist perhaps coming from a supporter who could not be there on the day.

"We were leaving the Village and heading to watch the men in the triples," said Sheryl Yelavich, Norfolk Island's Chef de Mission for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.

"Shooting was on at the same time and our President was giving medals, so he had to travel up to Brisbane.

"We got into the car with our driver, and we were heading down to the bowls green at Broadbeach.

"We approached some traffic lights and suddenly this rainbow appeared, and there was a car in front of us and it stopped...

"On the number plate of this car was the word 'SAR'.

"Sar was the nickname of a very special dedicated community member on the island.

"She was a very good friend and her dad was also a lawn bowler and a member of the bowls club.

"Sar had passed away just a few months earlier, but the fact we had the rainbow and we had this number plate with her name on, it felt like it was a good omen, like she was there.

"Lo and behold the team came out with the bronze."

Norfolk Island is only eight by five square kilometres in size so people like Sar, whose name was Vanessa Magri, are vital to the community.

The external territory of Australia lies around 1,400km to the east of the New South Wales coast, and was historically a penal settlement for British convicts.

In 1856, a year after the last prisoners had been removed, descendants of HMS Bounty mutineers arrived after outgrowing the Pitcairn Islands.

Norfolk Island sent 18 athletes to Gold Coast 2018 - in two sports - but their team in Birmingham will be smaller as shooting has been removed from the programme.

All 10 athletes heading to the English city are lawn bowlers - five men and five women.

The triples bronze in Australia was the second medal in Norfolk Island's Commonwealth Games history, after Carmen Anderson came third in the women's singles in Victoria in 1994.

"It was very special, it was much needed," said Yelavich on the Gold Coast performance, which also included a 19-18 win over England in the quarter-finals.

"The community was very excited at the time.

"Everyone was behind them, they had a big welcome home.

"When an islander wins a medal, people are very proud.

"Bowls is a strong sport here on the island. 

"The club has been there for many years, and they play all year round. 

"We have competitions here, people come from Australia, and pre-COVID from New Zealand. We have quite strong competition."

Norfolk Island has sent players to World Bowls events and first competed at the Commonwealth Games in 1986. 

The island has been ever-present since then, with the event the grandest stage athletes can hope to compete on in island colours.

There is no Olympic team, but the appropriately named Malcolm Champion was born on Norfolk Island in 1882.

A swimmer, he won a gold medal for the Australasia team in the 4x200m freestyle relay at the Stockholm 1912 Games.

Another major event is the Pacific Games, and Norfolk Island won two golds last time out in Samoa in 2019, both in lawn bowls.

"The Commonwealth Games is great for the youth to aspire to, to be up to that level," said Yelavich.

"Before the team goes, we usually do a parade through town with the flag and uniform."

The Norfolk Island team will be based at the University of Warwick during Birmingham 2022, as bowls will be played a short distance away in Royal Leamington Spa's Victoria Park.

Despite its small size, a number of sports are on offer for people on the island.

This includes the Creaky ol' Convicts rugby union club, with its name a nod to the territory's past.

"Considering we're a tiny island, eight by five square kilometres, we have a lot of sports available," said Yelavich. 

"We have squash courts, tennis courts. We have a pistol range and clay target as well - they have their own facilities side by side. 

"We have netball courts. Netball is very strong with the juniors coming through. 

"We've got the junior rugby league and football grounds, and we have touch football as well. 

"We have outrigging and an amazing golf course down near the beaches in Kingston. 

"There is triathlon and athletics."

People need to give up their time to make sure the clubs in Norfolk Island can keep running.

"Most of our sporting associations are organised and run by volunteers," Yelavich said.

"It's unpaid but it's really good that everyone bands together and makes sure that sports in those clubs continues. 

"They dedicate their weekends or their afternoons. 

"A lot of it is about the youth, because you want them coming through. 

"There's a great selection of sports here." 

The pine tree is the symbol of Norfolk Island and appears on the flag.

When flying into the island, the Norfolk Pines are clearly visible from the air.

Tourism is the main industry but flights were impacted during the COVID-19 pandemic, with only residents allowed in at one stage.

Coronavirus also had an impact on sport with athletes unable to leave for competitions.

In March, the Queen's Baton Relay arrived in Norfolk Island and visited sports clubs, schools and the hospital.

Yelavich said she thought Birmingham 2022 would be a good event.

"I think it will be a success," she said.

"Some of the Oceania nations like us haven't been able to go to events, so they will really be looking forward to the Games."