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May 2017 Newsletter

WCF May 2017 Newsletter

The newsletter provides a summary for WCF Members of what the Management Committee has been doing recently and what is on the agenda in the near future.  Comments are always very welcome.  It is also made available to all on the WCF web-site and via the Nottingham list and other croquet bulletin boards.

Council debates and decisions

There have been none so far this year although a Members’ consultation has just been launched seeking views on the future arrangements for the Under 21 GC World Championship.

What has happened since February?

The WCF Golf Croquet Rules Committee (“GCRC”) has been working since January on a draft 5th Edition of the GC Rules.  The new WCF Association Croquet Laws Committee met in person during the MacRobertson Shield and discussed plans for a new edition of the AC Laws and areas where common wording with the GC Rules should be sought.  Brian Boutel. Jeff Hill and Stephen Mulliner also attended on behalf of the GCRC.

The the MacRobertson Shield was held from 18 April to 3 May at Mission Hills Country Club, Rancho Mirage in the Californian desert.  This was the 22nd holding in its 92 year history and Australia finally ended its own 82 year drought by recording a convincing and well-deserved victory, defeating England 12-9, New Zealand 14-7 and USA 14-7.

Although Australia came close to victory in 1982, they had to look back to 1935 for their last success in Association Croquet’s premier contest.  Their success was due to a well-balanced team effort and included three Fletcher brothers, the first time half of a MacRobertson side has been provided by one family.  Australia will also be the next hosts in 2021.

Forthcoming WCF championships

2017 Association Croquet World Team Championship

Tiers 2.1, Tiers 2.2 and 3 will be held at Sussex County Croquet Club in England from Monday, 17 to Saturday, 22 July 2017.  Tier 2.1 will be contested by teams representing Ireland (holders), Scotland, Spain and Wales.  Tier 2.2 and 3 will be played as a merged event between teams representing Canada, the Czech Republic, Germany, South Africa and Sweden.

2018 Association Croquet World Championship

This will be held in Wellington, New Zealand from Saturday, 3 to Sunday, 11 February 2018.  The formal invitations to participate have been issued and the Response Date is Sunday, 30 July 2017.  Players who wish to be considered for Ranking Places should inform their WCF Member of their availability.

2018 Over 50 Golf Croquet World Championship

Egypt has been confirmed as the Event Host for October 2018.

2019 Women’s Golf Croquet World Championship

New Zealand has been confirmed as the Event Host for January/February 2019.

Membership enquiries

Expressions of interest have been received from Greece, Iran and Pakistan.

MC Topics recently completed or closed

MC 318:          2017 GCWC and Under 21 GCWC

MC 359:          UK Corporation Tax

MC 360:          AC Laws Committee and GC Rules Committee

MC Topics currently open

MC 324:          2017 AC World Team Championship

MC 352:          10-year World Championship schedule

MC 362:          2019 Golf Croquet World Championship

MC Topics currently under administration or pending

MC 353:          Golf Croquet Ranking Review Working Group

MC 354:          2018 Association Croquet World Championship

MC 361:          Development

MC 364:          U21 GCWC future arrangements consultation

MC 365:          Hall of Fame nominations

MC 366:          Banking arrangements

Outlook for June and beyond

The MC will focus on the completion of the 10-year World Championship schedule and processing arrangements for the 2018 ACWC in Wellington, the 2018 Over-50 GCWC in Egypt and the 2019 Women’s GCWC in New Zealand.

Stephen Mulliner

Secretary-General

20 June 2017

MacRobertson Shield – Australia wins for first time since 1935

In the opening Tests of the 2017 MacRobertson Shield contest at Mission Hills Country Club, California, Australia beat England 12-9 and New Zealand inched past USA by 11-10.

Australia led England by 2-1, 5-4 and 7-5 after each of the first three days but, by mid-afternoon on Friday, the scoreline was 8-7 to them but England led in two of the remaining three singles and were 1-1 in the third.  However, the Australians came through all three as winners and recorded their first full victory over England in 82 years – since 1935!

USA made an excellent start against New Zealand but were gradually pegged back so that, on Friday evening, New Zealand led 8-7.  However, with four of the last six singles played, USA had won three and taken a 10-9 lead in temperatures of 100 degrees F.  Fortunes swayed one way and then the other in both of the remaining matches but, eventually, New Zealand clinched both to record a very tense victory.

The second Tests pitched Australia against New Zealand and England against USA.  Australia and England both recorded 14-7 wins.  USA led England 7-6 early on day 9 but then conceded five singles and three doubles matches.

The final Tests saw Australia facing USA and England against the current holders, New Zealand.  England enjoyed a decisive 15-4 victory with two matches on day 15 abandoned because of the heat which had reached over 40 degrees C (104 degrees F) on occasion during the final week.  This gave England a mathematical hope of victory based on the possibility of USA overturning the form book and defeating Australia.  In fact, Australia led 2-1, 6-3 and 8-4 after day 13 and the honour fell to 24-year old Malcolm Fletcher, the youngest member of the Australian team, to score the decisive eleventh point on day 14 and hence ensure that the MacRobertson Shield trophy would return after a gap of 82 years to the homeland of its original donor.

 

 

2017 Under 21 GC World Championship – Winner: Felix Webby (NZL)

The 4th WCF Under 21 Golf Croquet World Championship
Venue: Victorian Croquet Centre, Melbourne, Australia
Dates: 18 to 22 February 2017

Champion: Felix Webby

Finalist: George Coulter (New Zealand)

Felix Webby, winner U21 2017

In an all-New Zealand final, Felix Webby, 16, defeated George Coulter 7-3, 7-6, 7-5 at the Victorian Croquet Centre, Melbourne on 22 February 2017.

In the semi-finals, Webby defeated Edward Wilson (AUS) 7-5, 7-5, 7-4 and Coulter beat the defending champion, Joshua Freeth (NZL), by 7-4, 7-5, 4-7, 7-6.

Full results are available at https://croquetscores.com/2017/gc/wcf-gcwc-u21s

 

2017 Golf Croquet World Championship – Winner Reg Bamford (ZAF)

The 12th WCF Golf Croquet World Championship
Venue: Victorian Croquet Centre, Melbourne, Australia
Dates: 25 February to 5 March 2017

Champion: Reg Bamford (South Africa)

Finalist: Ahmed Nasr (Egypt)

Full results are available at https://croquetscores.com/2017/gc/wcf-gcwc-main-event

Reg Bamford wins 2017 GCWC

Reg Bamford (ZAF) defeated Ahmed Nasr, Egypt's strongest player and a former GC World Champion in 2004 and 2008, in the 2017 Golf Croquet World Championship final at the Victorian Croquet Centre, Melbourne on 5 March.  Bamford won 7-6, 5-7, 7-4, 3-7, 7-4 in a gripping final to regain the title he won in Cairo in 2013, also against Nasr who had beaten him in the 2008 final in Cape Town.

In the semi-finals, Bamford defeated Hamy Erian (EGY), the 2015 runner-up, by 7-4, 5-7, 7-6, 7-6 and Nasr defeated Felix Webby, NZL, the recently-crowned Under 21 GC World Champion, by 5-7, 7-2, 7-4, 6-7, 7-4.

February 2017 Newsletter

WCF February 2017 Newsletter

The newsletter provides a summary for WCF Members of what the Management Committee has been doing recently and what is on the agenda in the near future.  Comments are always very welcome.  It is also made available to all on the WCF web-site and via the Nottingham list and other croquet bulletin boards.

Council debates and decisions

There were the usual end of year reporting topics and two decisions on the WCF Statutes and the Finance Regulations.  Version 12.0 of the WCF Statutes was approved by Members by Topic 57 on 25 December 2016.  Christian Carter was elected at Independent Examiner for 2017 by Topic 58, also on 25 December 2016.  The 2017 Budget and Business Plan were approved by Topics 59 and 60 on 1 January 2017.  Version 1.3 of the Finance Regulations was approved by Topic 61, also on 1 January 2017.

What happened since November?

As referred to above, the formal reporting to Members was completed and updates to the Finance Regulations and the WCF Statutes were approved by Members.

One of the important elements in the Statutes was the formation of a new WCF Association Croquet Laws Committee which has taken over the functions of the International Laws Committee.  The first voting members of the ACLC are those of the former ILC, namely Elizabeth Fleming (AUS), Graeme Roberts (NZL), Martyn Selman (USA) and Ian Vincent (ENG, chairman).  The GC Rules Committee now contained seven members, namely Brian Boutel (NZL, chairman), Georg Dej (CAN), Luis de Gortazar (ESP), Jeffrey Hill (USA), Gordon Matthews (AUS), Stephen Mulliner (ENG) and Amir Ramsis (EGY).

The 2017 Under 21 GCWC and the main GCWC were held at the Victorian Croquet Centre in Melbourne in February and March.  The standard of play in the Under 21 event reached new heights and Felix Webby, 16, from New Zealand became the new world champion, defeating compatriot George Coulter in the final by 7-3, 7-6, 7-5.

The GCWC entry of 80 contained 19 players aged below 30, of whom 14 qualified for the knock-out stage.  Three of these, Hamy Erian (EGY), Mohammed Karem (EGY) and Felix Webby (NZL), reached the quarter-finals and Erian and Webby went on to the semi-finals.  However, former World Champions Reg Bamford (ZAF, 2013) and Ahmed Nasr (EGY, 2004 and 2008) squared off in the final for a third such meeting, the predecessors being 2008 in Cape Town and 2013 in Cairo.  Perhaps inevitably the match went to the fifth game and Reg Bamford emerged the winner 7-6, 5-7, 7-4, 3-7, 7-4 to regain the title.

The match contained several extraordinary shots but the two that stand out belong to Bamford.  Having been behind for all of game 1, he squared the game at 6-6 but seemed to have blown any chance of saving it when an attempted cut rush to hoop 13 went awry.  However, he hit twice from near 12 and then ran the hoop from near corner 3.  Game 4, although taken decisively by Nasr, contained Bamford’s extraordinary feat of scoring hoop 2 by jumping hoop 1 on the full from the south boundary!

Forthcoming WCF championships

2017 Association Croquet World Team Championship

Tier 1, the MacRobertson Shield, will be held at Mission Hills Country Club, Palm Springs, California from Monday, 17 April 2017 to Friday, 4 May 2017.

Tiers 2.1, Tiers 2.2 and 3 will be held at Sussex County Croquet Club in England from Monday, 17 to Saturday, 22 July 2017.  Tier 2.1 will be contested by teams representing Ireland (holders), Scotland, Spain and Wales.  Tier 2.2 and 3 will be played as a merged event between teams representing Canada, the Czech Republic, Germany, South Africa and Sweden.

2018 Association Croquet World Championship

This will be held in Wellington, New Zealand from Saturday, 3 to Sunday, 11 February 2018.

Membership enquiries

None other than the proposed Greek Croquet Association.

MC Topics recently completed or closed

MC 331:          International Laws Committee

MC 346:          WCF Statutes revision project

MC 348:          WCF trophies – repairs and flight box

MC 355:          New signatories for WCF accounts

MC 356:          Finance Regulation amendments

MC 357:          Election of Treasurer

MC 358:          Formal Q4 business.

MC Topics open, pending or under administration on 28 February 2017

MC 318:          2017 GCWC and Under 21 GCWC

MC 324:          2017 AC World Team Championship

MC 352:          10-year World Championship schedule

MC 353:          Golf Croquet Ranking Review Working Group

MC 354:          2018 Association Croquet World Championship

MC 359:          UK Corporation Tax

MC 360:          AC Laws Committee and GC Rules Committee

Outlook for March and April

The ACLC and GCRC have begun working towards new editions of the AC Laws and GC Rules and the ACLC intends to meet in person during the MacRobertson Shield event in April.  The MC will focus on the completion of the 10-year World Championship schedule and the finalisation of arrangements for the 2017 AC World Team Championship in England in July.

Stephen Mulliner

Secretary-General

9 March 2017

Reg Bamford wins his second Golf Croquet World Championship

Reg Bamford (ZAF) defeated Ahmed Nasr, Egypt’s strongest player and a former GC World Champion in 2004 and 2008, in the 2017 Golf Croquet World Championship final at the Victorian Croquet Centre, Melbourne on 5 March.  Bamford won 7-6, 5-7, 7-4, 3-7, 7-4 in a gripping final to regain the title he won in Cairo in 2013, also against Nasr who had beaten him in the 2008 final in Cape Town.

In the semi-finals, Bamford defeated Hamy Erian (EGY), the 2015 runner-up, by 7-4, 5-7, 7-6, 7-6 and Nasr defeated Felix Webby, NZL, the recently-crowned Under 21 GC World Champion, by 5-7, 7-2, 7-4, 6-7, 7-4.

2017 AC World Teams – Canada/Sweden share Tier 2.2 and Germany wins Tier 3

Tiers 2.2 and Tier 3 2017 AC WTC

The lawns at Renzel, Germany

Tiers 2.2 and 3 of the 2017 Association Croquet World Team Championship were played in two stages over six days from Monday, 17 to Saturday, 22 July at Sussex County Croquet Club.  Tier 2.2 consisted of Canada, South Africa and Sweden and Tier 3 of the Czech Republic and Germany.

Stage 1 was played over the first four days and involved all five teams playing each other in a "Jamboree" format.  At the end of this stage, Canada and Sweden took first and second places and qualified to contest the Tier 2.2 final and the Czech Republic, Germany and South Africa qualified to contested the Tier 3 final with a three-team "Jamboree" format.

24 of the scheduled 30 games had been completed on Friday and Saturday morning when the weather took a hand with a torrrential downpour that rendered the courts unplayable. At this point, Germany led South Africa by 5-3 and the Czech Republic by 7-1 while South Africa led the Czech Republic by 6-2.  Sufficient matches had been completed in all the three Test Matches to permit the results to be recognised in accordance with the Playing Regulations.

Tier 3 salver was therefore presented to Germany with South Africa as runners-up.

Full results are available at  https://croquetscores.com/2017/ac/wtc-tier-2

Tier 2.2

Venue: Sussex County Croquet Club, Southwick, England

Dates: 17–22 July 2017

Co-Champions

Canada (Brian Cumming, Nick Mitchell, Bill Rowat, Jim Wright)

Sweden (Simon Carlsson, Joi Elebo, Joakim Norback, Lewis Palmer)

3rd: South Africa (Peter Dreyer, Silvia Dreyer, Christine Wakeham, Christopher Wakeham)

 

Tier 3

Southwick, UK - Dates: 17–22 July 2017

Champion:  Germany (Bruno Hess, John Swabey, Wolfgang Usbeck, Carlos Vieira)

Second: Czech Republic (Jan Cihak, Vaclav Doskocil, Miroslav Havlik, Jan Kral, Anna Kralova)

 

New Statutes come into effect

Version 12.0 of the WCF Statutes came into effect on 1 January 2017 following their approval by the WCF Council on 25 December 2016.

The main features of the new Statutes include a re-organisation of content to improve logic and accessibility, deletion of redundant provisions relating to physical meetings and the establishment of an Association Croquet Laws Committee to perform an analagous role to that of the Golf Croquet Rules Committee.  The ACLC replaces the International Laws Committee which has had responsibility for the administration of the AC Laws since 2001. 

 

AC Laws Committee

AC LAWS COMMITTEE

The Association Croquet Laws Committee ("ACLC") was established with effect from 1 January 2017 to replace the International Laws Committee ("ILC").

The ILC was established in 2001 to have general responsibility for the administration of the Laws of Association Croquet and to make rulings with the approval and on behalf of the governing bodies of croquet in Australia, England, New Zealand and the United States of America ('the Four Governing Bodies' or '4GB').   Such rulings are published in the Official Rulings on the Laws of Croquet ("ORLC").

The ACLC consists of four voting members each of whom is nominated by one of the 4GB and a non-voting member appointed by the WCF Management Committee.

Its terms of reference are set out in Statute 132.

The current members of the ACLC were elected on 31 December 2020 and are:

Australia:         Liz Fleming

England:          Ian Vincent (Chairman)

New Zealand:   Graeme Roberts

USA:               Martyn Selman (tbc)

In addition, the WCF MC is entitled to appoint a non-voting member.
WFC MC: Stephen Mulliner (until his retirement on 31st August 2021).