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2014 Business Plan

Introduction

The purpose of this Business Plan is to highlight major items for attention in the year ahead.  We re-state our vision, review our strengths and weaknesses, and identify realistic actions which will enable the WCF and croquet to move forward.

Vision

The WCF’s vision, set out in WCF Statutes 103.1 remains valid, namely “to make Croquet a well-known, well-understood, well-respected and well-supported sport in countries throughout the world”.

Assessment of the WCF’s current situation

Strengths

    • Steadily growing Membership
    • Vibrant events schedule
    • Strong demand from players
    • Growing popularity of Golf Croquet
    • Strong financial reserves
    • Ready commitment from Members to host events
    • Active volunteer workforce

Weaknesses

    • Several Members have small and static playing populations
    • Very limited representation in some regions (Central and South America, parts of Africa and Asia
    • WCF events require considerable volunteer input, and this can be difficult to muster for some Members

Opportunities

    • Continue improving relationship with Members
    • Find ways to ramp up development in smaller Members
    • Take the sport to a wider audience through TV
    • Growing “over 50” world population may expand pool of potential recruits
    • Promote GC as a way to increase the number of young players
    • Attract new Members in regions where there is some form of croquet played
    • Attaining 40 Members is now feasible - may unlock World Games, etc.

Threats

    • Will the growth in internet gaming reduce the number of young people interested in a sport like croquet?
    • Impact of GC on other codes
    • Gateball may compete for attention and limit our growth
    • Recovery from the Global Financial Crisis is modest and obtaining significant event sponsorship remains very difficult

Activities

The work of the WCF falls into four main categories, namely:

    • World Championships
    • Development
    • Communication with Members
    • Administration and finance

1.       WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

Completed goals

    • Held a successful GCWC and ACWC in 2013
    • Obtained preferred bidders for all tiers/divisions of 2014 AC WTC
    • Confirmed allocation of teams to tiers/division of World Team Championships
    • Continued regular updating of 10 Year Schedule
    • Completed ‘best practice’ guidance for event hosts.

Continuing goals

    • Confirm new allocation procedure for World Championships
    • Re-run the annual bid process through to 2018
    • Hold successful AC WTC, Over-50s GCWC and Women’s GCWC in 2014
    • Mark the WCF’s 25th Anniversary in 2014.

2.       DEVELOPMENT

The main requirements for this important area are:

Members coming forward with viable capital grant projects or other development concepts requiring funding assistance

    • Volunteers willing to undertake coaching trips
    • Available budget.

Completed goals

    • A coaching trip to India took place in January 2013
    • An international coaching training course was held in England in April/ May 2013
    • Coaching trips were organised to Austria, Germany and Latvia
    • A high-quality film of the 2012 GCWTC is now available.

Continuing goals

    • Assess demand for translations of Laws, Rules and Commentary and undertake pilot of matched-funding as demand requires
    • Encourage viable projects to build the first 4-court venue in a Member’s country, with WCF capital grant assistance
    • Hold another international coaching training course
    • Arrange a further three coaching trips to smaller European members
    • Investigate significant sponsorship opportunities.

3.       COMMUNICATION WITH MEMBERS

A healthy organization ensures that its Members are always fully informed about its activities and plans and, in the case of the WCF, of the current state of the future World Championship programme.

Completed goals

    • The new WCF web-site has been fully implemented
    • The monthly newsletter to Members has become embedded
    • The 10 year Schedule of Events has been updated to 2018.

Continuing goals

    • Implementing reliable webmaster support for the WCF web-site.

4.       ADMINISTRATION AND FINANCE

The MC and Council have refreshed how they operate.  The new trial Council decision-making process is aimed at empowering WCF Members, to make them more engaged, better informed and more in control.  The following does not include the business-as-usual activities such as arranging events, accepting entries, financial management and so on.

The WCF has good financial reserves but the recent reduction in event sponsorship has led to a re-examination of the funding the WCF derives from events.

Completed goals

    • 2013 Financial Review approved and implemented with consequential amendments to Event Regulations, Finance Regulations and Investment Policy.

Continuing goals

    • Work with Australia, England, New Zealand and USA to align AC International Laws Committee and WCF GC Rules Committee
    • Learn from the trial Council decision-making trial and consider improvements if necessary
    • Observe and analyse effects of new four-year cycle budgeting
    • Ensure adequate and reliable support for WCF web-site.

The Management Committee

December 2013

John Solomon has died at 82

John Solomon has died at 82

John Solomon, one of croquet’s all-time greats, died last week at 82. He will be remembered as the first croquet “superstar” who, as a young man, provided a desperately needed publicity boost to the game in the fifties when croquet could have shrunk almost to nothing. His international reputation in the sixties was instrumental in encouraging the first competitive croquet between England and the USA.

Despite his huge success in championship and international play, he was ambitious in playing terms, never content just to rely on what he knew would win matches. He is credited with the first ever three-ball triple and the first one-player doubles win at the British Open. Put simply, John Solomon was one of the greatest players ever to hold a mallet. The game owes him a very considerable debt.

2014 AC WTC Tier 2.2 – Champion Spain

The Tier 2.2/3 Association Croquet World Team Championship competition was held at Sussex County Croquet Club near Brighton, England from 11 to 16 May 2014. Seven teams competed, namely Austria, Canada, Czech Republic, Germany, Norway, Spain and Sweden.

Spain, with the youngest team headed for five days of the six by Jose Riva, were installed as the starting favourites and largely justified that status, winning five of their six Tests by 7-3 or more. However, the Austrians also showed excellent form and took Spain to the wire on the final afternoon. Spain finally claimed victory against the Tier 3 team by 6-4 and so completed a clean sweep of six Test victories and became the second winners of the Tier 2.2 competition.

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Warp Framework

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2015 GCWC – Qualifying Tournament

2015 Golf Croquet World Championship Qualifying Tournament

  • Dates: Tuesday, 3 to Thursday 5 February 2015
  • Venues: Morrinsville Croquet Club and Claudelands (Hamilton) Croquet Club
  • Headquarters: Morrinsville Croquet Club

    Manager:         Joan Jenkin, 110A Studholme St, Morrinsville, New Zealand

                            Tel: (07) 889 6789

                            E-mail: joanjenkin@gmail.com

 

        Asst. Mgr:      Geoff Young, 202A Tower Rd, Matamata, New Zealand

                               Tel: (07) 888 4995

                              E-mail: geoffyoung@xnet.co.nz

Entries may be sent to either the Manager or Assistant Manager Entry Fee: NZ$60

Conditions

  1. Entries close with the Managers on Monday 19th January 2015.
  2. Places may be limited. Entries will be accepted in grade order up to 7th December 2014 and thereafter in order of application.
  3. Overseas players may pay entry on arrival at tournament.
  4. The top four players will be awarded places in the Golf Croquet World Championship.

2014 AC WTC Tier 2.1 – Champion Ireland

The 2nd WCF Association Croquet Team Championship - Tier 2.1
Venue: Carrickmines, Dublin, Ireland
Dates: 12-17 May 2014

Champion: Ireland (Simon Williams, Patsy Fitzgerald, Danny Johnston, Nathaniel Healy, Evan Newell)

Second: Wales (Ian Burridge, David Walters, Chris Williams, Garry McElwain)

3rd: Scotland (Duncan Reeve, David Magee, Campbell Morrison, Andrew Hope)

4th: South Africa (Reg Bamford, Nick Harvey, Judith Hanekom, Victor Dladla)

Tier 2.1 of the Association Croquet World Team Championship was played at Carrickmines Croquet and Lawn Tennis Club, near Dublin, from 12 to 17 May 2014. The four teams were Wales (the holders), Ireland, Scotland and South Africa.

In a genuinely thrilling final match, Evan Newell (Ireland) defeated Garry McElwain (Wales) -12, +2, +13(t) to give Ireland a fourth point, victory over the holders, Wales, and outright victory in Tier 2.1 with three Test wins out of three.

Scotland and South Africa were tied at 3-3 but Scotland won the tie-break 2-1 and so were deemed to win the Test 4-3 and so come third overall.

Results
Results can be found on the Croquet Records Website: 2014 World Teams 2.1

The Rules of Golf Croquet

The Rules of Golf Croquet

Now out of date – do not use this post. 

 

The Rules of Golf Croquet are published by the WCF Golf Croquet Rules Committee under the auspices of the WCF Council which has the final responsibility for approving changes in the Rules under WCF Statute 107.3.  The terms of reference of the GCRC are set out in WCF Statute 107.4.

The GCRC consists of a representative of each of the five largest GC playing countries and an additional member whi is appointed by the other WCF Members.

The GCRC expects to publish a new edition of the Rules every three or four years.  The current edition is the 4th Edition which the WCF voted to adopted with effect from 23 November 2013.

Members of the WCF Golf Croquet Rules Committee:

 Gordon Smith (chairman)  New Zealand
 Gordon Matthews  Australia
 Georg Dej  Canada (and other WCF Members)
 Amir Ramsis  Egypt
 Tim King  England
 Mohamed Kamal  USA

Introduction to the 2013 Golf Croquet Rules

This follows two years of deliberations by the WCF Golf Croquet Rules Committee on possible changes to the Rules. The prime intention has been to clarify the wording throughout and to produce changes where players have shown concern about some of the Rules. Naturally, not all of the Committee and our advisors have felt the same way about all of the Rules discussed, but we have probably considered nearly every possible variation that would make any sense. It has not been easy, given the wide range of player skill, physical ability and determination, the differences in cultures and the age range of players for whom we are providing an environment. We have arrived at a set of Rules that we believe will be acceptable to most players, without being totally unacceptable to any. We appreciate the efforts made by those of our respondents who contributed suggestions for improvements to the draft Rules.

The 2013 Rules of Golf Croquet can be found at 2013 Golf Croquet Rules

A commentary on the changes in the 2013 Edition can be found at 2013 Golf Croquet Rules – commentary on changes

The 2015 Official Rulings to be applied to the 2013 Rules can be found at 2013 Golf Croquet Rules – current Official Rulings

 

2014 AC WTC Tier 3 – Champion Austria

Austria wins 2014 AC WTC Tier 3

The 2nd WCF Association Croquet Team Championship - Tier 3
Venue: Sussex County Croquet Club, Southwick, England
Dates: 11-16 May 2014

Champion: Austria (Klaus Gollhofer, Martin Guentner, Leopold Walderdorff, Max Walderdorff)

Second: Germany (Wolfgang Usbeck, Bruno Hess, Thomas Magin, Carlos Vieira)

Third: Norway (Roar Michalsen, Birger Stene, Steinar Olsen, Viggo Olsen)

Full results are available at https://croquetscores.com/2014/ac/wtc-tier-2-2-3

The Tier 2.2/3 Association Croquet World Team Championship competition was held at Sussex County Croquet Club near Brighton, England from 11 to 16 May 2014. Seven teams competed, namely Austria, Canada, Czech Republic, Germany, Norway, Spain and Sweden.

Spain, with the youngest team headed for five days of the six by Jose Riva, were installed as the starting favourites and largely justified that status, winning five of their six Tests by 7-3 or more. However, the Austrians also showed excellent form and took Spain to the wire on the final afternoon. Spain finally claimed victory against the Tier 3 team by 6-4 and so completed a clean sweep of six Test victories and became the second winners of the Tier 2.2 competition.

Austria, together with Germany and Norway, were also competing for the Tier 3 trophy but, with five wins out of six, finished comfortably clear of Germany, who had three wins, and thereby finished very worthy winners of the Tier 3 trophy.