May 2025 Newsletter

Download as a pdf: Newsletter May 2025

Congratulations to the new World Team Champions – USCA

The USA team played superbly throughout and had a well deserved win in the recent World Team Championships. Their squad of five players included the last 3 Singles GC World Championships, Ben Rothman (captain), Matthew Essick and Blake Fields, AC semi-finalist Tom Balding and  rising star Stephen Morgan.

For full details, visit: 2025 GC PFC Mallets World Team Championship Report

Our Under 21 rising stars competed this April in Florida

Congratulations to new Under 21 World Champion, Levi Franks from New Zealand.

Levi's play improved day on day and the final, against Fawzy Helmy from Egypt, showcased some excellent croquet.

Well done to all the young players, the stars of the future.

For full details, visit: 2025 GC Under 21 Championship Report

 

The WCF intends to become an Incorporated organisation

Ever since it started in the late 1980’s the WCF has been run as an unincorporated organisation.

It has no separate legal personality of its own.  The WCF Statutes control how we are organised and managed on a day-to-day basis. The Management Committee (MC) in accordance with the Statutes and the various other WCF Regulations and Policies, run the WCF and ask the WCF Council, made up of individuals from each Member Country, to vote on any topics that involve change or spend which is not budgeted.

Incorporation was included as a key objective in the WCF 2024-2027 WCF Business Plan.

Why does the WCF need to Incorporate?

The main advantage of incorporation is that the incorporated entity has its own separate legal personality and acts in its own name. An incorporated entity will benefit from limited liability for its members, perpetual succession, the ability to enter into contractual obligations, and enter into and execute documents in the name of the incorporated entity.

An incorporated structure typically benefits from stronger global recognition, making it more visible and credible to external stakeholders than an unincorporated model.

Specifically, there are various reasons why the MC are proposing incorporation:

      • To facilitate easier banking
      • To provide easier access to funding, such as sponsorship deals and potential grants
      • To facilitate getting insurance cover
      • To remove personal liability from the MC

We will become a Company Limited by Guarantee
After reviewing the options, the Management Committee have recommended to the WCF Council that we become a Company Limited by Guarantee.

The MC are in the process of asking Members to approve a spend of approximately £8,000 for the appointment of legal consultants to help us with the required company set-up.

We need help to write the Articles of Association and the Memorandum of Association for the new company. The aim is that these will reflect as closely as is possible the existing WCF Statutes and Administration Regulations, so that the WCF may continue to operate, on a day-to-day basis, as it does today.

Can you help with the legal work required?

Do you have the expertise to be our Legal Consultant for the new company set-up? If you are willing to help us pro-bono we would very much like to hear from you. The WCF is not a wealthy organisation, and the spend required to make this change, will eat into our reserves. These reserves can be better spent on developing our sport.

Please get in touch by Sunday 11th May at the latest if you can help. After that date if the spend is approved we will go ahead and engage consultants.

Spotlight on ....  Action for AC

The recent growth in Golf Croquet has not always been reflected with matching growth in Association Croquet. We know that many clubs around the world are increasingly introducing new players only to GC. Over the past 5 years, the number of AC players in the rankings has declined by 11%. This decline amongst top players is likely to be reflected in an even larger drop at grassroots level amongst beginners and high handicaps. There is a risk that some clubs may soon not have enough players and coaches able to pass on their AC skills.

Do you have best practice to share?
Has your club found a way to retain or introduce both codes effectively?

If you have success stories to share, please email us with your stories. Using the WCF Facebook page, we'll share your thoughts with others, who can hopefully make use of your great work in their own clubs.

Send your stories to the WCF at: secretary@worldcroquet.org

WCF Appointments for 2026

Something to start thinking about….
Would you like to help run the WCF from January 2026 onward?

The Management Committee serve 4-year terms ending on 31st December. At the end of this year 5 of the committee reach the end of their terms. Some may choose to stand again, but even if they do, there will be elections to select from those who wish to stand.

Debbie Lines, the current Secretary-General, also reaches the end of her term at the end of this year. Debbie has indicated she will not be available to serve a second term, so we will need a new S-G.

The MC will be formally requesting nominations in due course, but for now, if you’d like to know more about what is involved, please ask.

Upcoming Events

European Championship 2025 GC Championship 15-18 May Budleigh, England
World Championship 2025 GC World Team Championships – Tiers 2 & 3 5 to 10 August Sussex, England
European Championship 2025 U21 Championship 17-20 August Telč, Czech Republic
World
Championship		 2025 AC World Championship 18 to 26 October National Croquet Centre, Florida, USA

There will be a qualifier starting on 14 October.