Debbie Lines, Author at World Croquet Federation

2023 retraVision GC Over 50’s Championship Player List updated 20th September

Updated 20th September 2023

Following a Ranking place withdrawal on 20th September, please find attached the latest list of players and the Replacement list (rankings still as at 25.8.23).

Please note, as the cut-off date for this event has now passed, this withdrawal means there are now 5 places available from the West Coast qualifer event.

20.9.23 Over50s Breakdown of Players and Player List

Updated 12th September 2023

Following a Ranking place withdrawal on 12th September, please find attached the latest list of players and the Replacement list (rankings still as at 25.8.23).

Please note, as the cut-off date for this event has now passed, this withdrawal means there are now 4 places available from the West Coast qualifer event.

12.9.23 Over50s Breakdown of Players and Player List

Updated 11th September 2023

Following a Ranking place withdrawal on 10th September, please find attached the latest list of players and the Replacement list (rankings as at 25.8.23).

Please note, as the cut-off date for this event has now passed, this withdrawal means there are now 3 places available from the West Coast qualifer event.

11.9.23 Over50s Breakdown of Players and Player List

Updated 4th September 2023

Following a Member place withdrawal on 25th August, please find attached the latest list of players and the Replacement list (rankings as at 25.8.23)

4.9.23 retraVision GC Over50s Breakdown of Players and Player List

Updated 10th July 2023

Following a Member place withdrawal, please find attached the latest list of players and the Replacement list (rankings as at 7.7.23)

Breakdown of Places and Player List and Replacement List at 10.7.23

Updated 19th June 2023

Following a Member withdrawal and a Replacement Withdrawal, please see updated player lists.

19.6.23 Over50s Breakdown of Players and Player List and Replacement Ranking List

Update 13th June 2023

Following 3 further withdrawals the player list and Replacement Ranking List has been updated.

13.6.23 Over50s Breakdown of Players and Player List and Replacement Ranking List

Update 22nd May 2023

Matt Griffith, USA has accepted the Replacement Ranking Place available.

Over 50's Breakdown by Country, Player List and RRL as at 22.5.23

12th May 2023

The 2023 GC Over 50's World Championship is due to be held in Western Australia between Saturday 14^th October 2023 to Saturday 21^st October 2023.

The closing date for Members to nominate players for their Membership places was end of 12th May 2023 (UK time).

At the closing date Sweden did not provide a nominee for one of their member places. This place has therefore been released and is currently on offer to the highest ranked player on the Replacement Ranking List.

The file below shows the complete list of current players in receipt of either a Membership Place (23 players) or Ranking Place (20). It also includes the Replacement Ranking list as at end 12^th May 2023.

Over 50's Breakdown by Country, Player List and RRL as at 12.5.23

Age Restriction
Members and Players are reminded that there is an Age Restriction for this event. Entrants must be 50 or over on the start date of the event. “Sports Regulations - Clause 5.1.6. A player may compete in an Event subject to a minimum age limit if they have attained the minimum age on the first day of the Event.”

Any players on the list who don’t meet this requirement should immediately notify their Member and the Secretary-General of their ineligibility and withdrawal.

Qualification Events
There are four places remaining which will be awarded to the qualifiers from the two Qualification Events. These will take place in 1) Western Australia, Cambridge Croquet Club, Sunday 8th October to Wednesday 11th October 2023; and 2) Eastern Australia ,Cairnlea Victoria, Tuesday 26th to Thursday 28th September 2023. If extra places for the main event become available after the main cut-off date of 27th August, then these will all come from the West Coast qualifier.

Those interested in playing in either of the qualifiers should enter via the ACA website which is due to go live shortly.

Entry Fees are now due
The entry fee of £136 per entrant is now requested and must be paid by 12^th June 2023.

Per WCF Sports Regulations Appendix 2, clause 6, players who fail to pay by the due date will lose their place. The relevant sections of the regulation are below for your information:

6.1 Subject to paragraph 6.2, failure to pay the entry fee by the due date will lead to automatic disqualification and the place will be filled in accordance with paragraph 7.
6.2 Before disqualifying a player for failing to pay their entry fee on time, at least two reminders must have been sent to the Member which nominated the player and all reasonable efforts must have been made to contact the player directly.

Players will be emailed our bank details via their Member and are requested to pay by this method if at all possible as PayPal incurs costly fees. Please ensure that 4 or 5 days are allowed for the payment to work its way through the banking system. Per the Regulations, the money needs to have arrived in our bank account by the due date.

If unable to pay in this way, you can pay by PayPal, details for which can be found on this link: https://worldcroquet.org/2023-gc-over-50s-world-championship-entry-fees/

Player Information

The following information is required from all the above competing players by 10^th June 2023 (or sooner please if available).

A recent well-lit and good quality photograph (ideally headshot)
150-250 words of biographical details
Contact email and mobile phone numbers for during the event (for use by the Tournament Manager

Please send this information online via Google Forms. Please click on this link: https://worldcroquet.org/2023-gc-over-50s-world-championship-player-information/

Please note that at other recent events some of the photos received have been out of focus, poor resolution or with poor content. Please can all players send a good photo first time as this will avoid the event organisers needing to revert back to request better.

Please note, the photo and bio may be published on the event website and on the WCF website. Players should expect some live streaming and the press may be present taking photographs. Players should note that their results will be published on Croquet Scores. The contact details will be held by the WCF S-G and Tournament Manager for use during the event.

Withdrawals

If for any reason a player cannot now take up their place, please notify me as soon as possible so that a replacement can be found. Per the Sports Regulations, the following process is followed in the event of a withdrawal:

Players who have received a Membership Place: when a player withdraws, the Member has 14 days to nominate a replacement; if no player is nominated a Replacement Ranking Place is awarded. If the 14 days expires before the West Coast Qualifier closing date of 23^rd September 2023, the place becomes an extra qualifier from the Qualification tournament.

Withdrawal by a player who received a Ranking place: when a player withdraws, if this is before the cut-off date of 27^th August 2023, then the next most highly ranked player on the Replacement Ranking list at the end of that day will be offered the place. After the cut-off date, the place becomes an extra qualifier from the Qualification tournament.

After the Qualifier Closing date, all withdrawals from the main event become extra qualifiers from the Qualification tournament.

September 2023 Newsletter

Congratulations to Robert Fulford - 2023 AC World Champion

2023 AC World Champion Robert Fulford with the Wimbledon Cup.

The 2023 WCF AC World Championship was held between 15^th and 23^rd July 2023. The event was sponsored by Rockwell Hurlingham Waterfront developments, Howard Sosin and the Hurlingham Club. 18 countries were represented, coincidentally matching the 18^th time this event has been held. There were 9 competitors who had played in the first Championship in 1989, also based at Hurlingham, a testament to the evergreen qualities of croquet players.

For the 18^th event, it was good to see it return to London where the first championship was held back in 1989.

The 2023 final saw a repeat of the 2022 Golf Croquet final with Matthew Essick versus Robert Fulford. That these players reached the final in both codes is a testament to their skill and commitment to the sport. This time Robert Fulford was triumphant and won the Wimbledon Cup for the 6^th time.

Congratulations also go to James Death, winner of the Shield, Debbie Lines, winner of the Bowl, Robin Brown, who won the Plate and Sandy Greig, who won the Manager's Invitational.

The WCF would like to thank all the organisations, clubs and volunteers who helped to make this event run so smoothly.

Jamie Gumbrell is the 2023 GC Women’s World Champion

Thank you to Mary Berry, our Guest of Honour at the Opening Ceremony

The 6^th Women’s Golf Croquet World Championship was held in Brighton, England in early August. Competitors from 16 countries competed. After the traditional parade of flags and welcome speeches, the event was formally opened by celebrity Mary Berry with the cutting of a special ‘croquet and flag’ themed cake.

Jamie Gumbrell from Australia beat Rachel Gee (2011 Champion) in the final, with a display of technical excellence. Her shooting and hoop running was almost faultless throughout the match. Commiserations to Rachel on a hard fought tournament, and congratulations to Jamie.

Congratulations also to Perihan Elwy, winner of the Shield, Judith Hanekom winner of the Bowl and Jessica Bullen who won the Plate.

Thank you to all those who helped to run this event, the WCF appreciate that without the tireless efforts of Clubs and their volunteers, we could not run these events.

Coming up soon!

The 2023 retraVision GC Over 50’s World Championship will take place in Bunbury, Western Australia, between 14-21 October. Keep an eye out on both the WCF Website and the Event website for more information about the players, the draw and of course, live-streaming!

We are pleased to announce that the Australian Croquet Association have secured retraVision as main sponsors for this event.

This will be the last Over 50’s event following a recent decision that in future the minimum age will increase to 60.

2023 Hall of Fame Nominations – due by 30th September

Nominations to the 2023 WCF Hall of Fame are due by Saturday 30th September.

So far, a total of 51 individuals have been inducted into the Hall of Fame since 2006. They include some of the greatest players in the history of the game and people who have made other significant contributions to the development and enjoyment of Croquet as administrators, coaches or benefactors. Many Members have served the game in more than one capacity.

Please send your nominations to Debbie Lines, the Secretary-General. Nominations may be made by individuals or through Member countries. Please include a citation of not less than 500 words outlining your nominee's croquet achievements. Please also send a good quality photo or two that can be used on the website, should their nomination prove successful.

Further information regarding the process, the regulations and existing members of the Hall of Fame can be found on the WCF website at the following links:

Hall of Fame

Hall of Fame Members

New WCF President – nominations due by 31^st October

Ian Burridge, our current President, will finish his four-year term at the end of this year. Ian has indicated that he does not intend to stand for a second term. The Management Committee would like to take this opportunity to thank him for his hard work over the past few years. His time in office has been strongly influenced by the epidemic and the need to delay and reschedule all our Championships, and he helped to guide us through these difficult times extremely well.

We are therefore inviting nominations. The WCF President is the outward, most senior face, of the WCF. The President is responsible for helping to set the forward Business Plan and then in steering the Management Committee towards its delivery. He or she chairs our meetings and leads our strategic and policy discussions. Presidents are elected for a four-year term and may stand for a second term if they wish.

Nominations are open now and will close on 31^st October. If on that date, we have more than one candidate, we will move to a Member vote.

Two positions on Management Committee – nominations due by 31^st October

As well as a new President, two members of the Management Committee finish their terms at the end of this year: Samir Patel and Hal Denton. They may choose to stand again, however, we would encourage new candidates to make themselves available.

The Nomination Process

All nominations, whether for President or the Management Committee, must be made via the Member Organising body to the Secretary-General and may be submitted by Full or Associate Members. Nominees may come from a Recognised Croquet Organisation (RCO) but must be nominated by a Member.

All nominations for these positions must be authorised in writing or by email by the candidate and by an appropriate officer of the nominating Member. Nominations must be accompanied by a brief résumé of the candidate’s personal details and their objectives as President or MC Member. They must be received by the Secretary-General no later than the 31^st October 2023. A headshot photo would also be appreciated.

Note: Election – if there are more candidates than open positions, there will be a Council Election. The process for this will be circulated should it become necessary.

Nominations for President should also indicate whether the person wishes to stand for election to the Management Committee, should they be unsuccessful as President.

For more information, please contact the Secretary-General or ask any of the existing Management Committee.

Ranking Systems

The GC and AC ranking systems are run by volunteers and I am sure you will join me in thanking the Ranking Officers for their hard work. The GC system in particular involves several Assistant Ranking Officers (AROs) ensuring that the results from their part of the world are properly entered into the rankings.

We are always looking for people to support the existing AROs and to get trained up on how to do this important work. If you think you have the skills and time to support croquet in this way, please get in touch.

England win the European Teams Championship.

2023 European Team Championship: the England team

9 countries gathered at Cheltenham, England for 4 days of mixed AC and GC matches. Each team had one AC player and 2 GC players in a format designed to test both versions of our sport.

Thank you to the Cheltenham Club for hosting and to all the volunteers and officials who organised the event. Congratulations to the English team, comprising Euan Burridge, Aston Wade and Stuart Smith, who beat Wales 3:0 in the Final.

European Golf Croquet Club League

This exciting new event is designed to give club players throughout Europe the opportunity to play abroad and also to find the Champion club team in Europe.

Three further heats have now been held, these being at Ikskile in Latvia, CERN in Switzerland and Dulwich in England. For tournament reports and results, visit the event webpage: European GC Club League Page

Dulwich, Ealing, Roehampton (ENG), Ikskile (LAT), CERN (CHE) and Sherry (ESP) compete in the 'Grand Final' to be held at the prestigious Roehampton Club, London (England) 13-15^th October 2023.

retraVision to sponsor the GC Over 50’s Championship

retraVision: top Aussie Company to Sponsor World Croquet Championship in Bunbury

The ACA have recently announced a new major sponsorship deal with retraVision.

Croquet has entered the big league with famous Australian Retailer Retravision throwing its weight behind the sport down under. It’s a real coup for the sport in Australia and Western Australia to have a sponsor with the reputation of Retravision coming onboard. The Award Winning electrics appliance company is not only famous for its retail success, but its community minded approach to business. It has sponsored and linked with numerous organizations through the years. Now croquet is set to benefit from the company’s generosity.

2023 European GC Under 21 Championship: Winner Aston Wade

The 2023 GC Under 21 European Championship will be held between 17 - 20 August 2023 at the Ikskile Croquet Club (main venue with 3 courts) and Sigulda Croquet Club (one court) in Latvia.

Main Event
The event capacity is 28 players. There is no entry fee for the Under 21 players.

Format
Block play: 4 blocks of 7 players playing single games over two days. The top 4 in each block will qualify for the Knock-Out Stage.

Knock-Out: The Knock-Out Stage will comprise 16 players. Seeding will be Position-Based Seeding in accordance with Appendix 7 Section B of the WCF Sports Regulations. Knock-Out will consist of matches of best-of-three games.

Plate: Entry will be open to those that do not qualify for the Championship Knock-Out Stage. It will consist of block play and matches will be single games. It will be followed by a knock-out stage.

Bowl: Entry will be open to the first-round losers in the Knock-Out Stage. It will be a knock-out event and matches will be best-of-three games.

Shield: Entry will be open to the second-round losers in the Knock-Out Stage. It will be a knock-out event and matches will be best-of-three games.

Use of double banking: The Manager will have the right to double bank as necessary in order to ensure the tournament stays on schedule.

Age Limit
This event is only open to players who are Under 21 on 31st December 2022. The criteria are defined in the Sports Regulations: 5.1.5 A player may compete in an Event subject to a maximum age limit if their age does not exceed the limit on the preceding 31st December.

So, anybody who is 20 or younger on 31st December 2022 may compete. Anyone who turns 21 prior to that date, may not.

Entry Method
Players should submit their availability to their Member Governing Body in accordance with their published entry method. Any applicants from non-Member countries should email their availability, by the response date, to erc@worldcroquet.org.

Allocation Process
Allocation shall be done according to the WCF Sports Regulations taking into account specific Variations to the WCF Regulations to be used in all ERC events, version 1.1 published on the WCF webpage Europe.

The Member Place Limit for this event is 5.

Player Information
Successful entrants should note that contact details, a photograph and a short bio for the programme, must be provided to the ERC as per the published timetable.

Further information about the event, including local accommodation and attractions, the event timetable and any other relevant information, will be published nearer the start date.

Key Dates
Invitation Date	20/12/2022	This is the date that Members will be formally invited to send players to participate in this event.
Response Date	26/02/2023	This is the date by which Member nominations for Ranking and Wild Card places must have been received by the WCF Management Committee. Members must also specify the number of Membership Places they wish to take up and RCO's should advise if they would like to request a Membership Place.
Allocation Date	12/03/2023	The World Ranking List to be used to determine the initial allocation of Ranking Places is that published at the end of the Allocation Date.
Announcement Date	19/03/2023	Announcement of the players who have been awarded Ranking Places and eventual Wild Card Places.
Closing Date	23/04/2023	This is the last date Members can nominate players for their Membership Places. Within 1 to 2 days the ERC will announce recipients of Membership Places and Replacement Ranking Places.
Player Contact Details & Bios	07/05/2023	This is the date by which players are asked to provide their contact details, bio's and a headshot photo

Key Personnel
Tournament Director	Roberts Stafeckis
Tournament Manager	tba
WCF Event Lead	Begona Elzaburu
Tournament Referee	Viktors Harlinskis

John Prince – livestream of Memorial Service now available

Croquet New Zealand have shared details of the Memoral Service as follows:

Memorial Service: Saturday 26th August at 11.30am (NZ time)

Venue: Stonehaven, CHB Funeral Services, 10 Peel Street, Waipukurau, New Zealand.

For those unable to attend but who would like to follow the service there will be a video stream of the service, which can be accessed here:

John Prince Memorial Service – Video Stream

2023 Women’s GC Championship Ranking Places & Wild Cards – updated 26.2.23

Note: Replacement Ranking List updated 26.2.23 - see end of post

The 2023 GC Women’s World Championship is due to be held 7-14 August 2023 at the Sussex County Croquet Club in England.

The Allocation date for this Championship was 21^st January 2023. The Management Committee have agreed the following allocation of places for this 56 person event:

24 Full Member Places
4 Associate Member Places
4 RCO Places
2 Wild Cards
4 Qualifier Places
18 Ranking Places

For a breakdown of places by country, please see this file: Breakdown of Places by Country

Ranking Places: The 18 Ranking Places have been awarded to the players in the file below, based on the Initial Ranking List dated end of 21st January 2023. This is based on their Max DG ranking over 12 months as per Sports Regulations Appendix 2, clause 2.3.

As at 21.1.23 - Ranking Places List

Wild Cards: The WCF Management Committee have awarded two wildcards to Ellie Ross and Jessica Bullen, both from New Zealand.

Entry Fees: Players are advised that the entry fee of £136 should be paid by 16th April 2023 at the latest. Details of how and when to pay will be emailed out to players via their Members after the Closing date of 14th March, once the Member Places have also been allocated.

Player Information and Bio’s: these will be due on 14th April 2023. Information on how to send this will be provided after the Closing Date.

Member Places notification: Members should send the Secretary-General the names of players to be nominated for their Member Places by 14th March 2023 at the latest. Some Members have already notified the names of their nominees - please note that these can be changed up to the above deadline.

Withdrawals: The cut-off date for this event is 22nd June 2023. If players with a Member Place drop out before this date, Members have 14 days to nominate a replacement. After this, the place reverts to a Replacement Ranking Place. If players with a Ranking Place drop out before this date, the highest ranked player on the Replacement Ranking list will be awarded the place. After the 22nd June 2023, any places returned will result in additional places awarded through the Qualifying Event.

Replacement Ranking List: updated 26.2.23

The full Replacement Ranking list has been requested. This list is applicable should any player already awarded a place (Ranking or Wild Card) withdraws: WGCWC Replacement Ranking List 26.2.23

Basic Croquet Terms Translated Updated 16th August 2023

2023 Hall of Fame Nominations – due by 30th September

Nominations to the 2023 WCF Hall of Fame are due by Saturday 30th September.

Please send your nominations to the Secretary-General. Nominations may be made by individuals or through Member countries. Please include a citation of not less than 500 words out-lining your nominees croquet achievements. Please also send a decent photo or two that can be used on the website, should their nomination prove successful.

Further information regarding the process, the regulations and existing members of the Hall of Fame can be found on the WCF website at the following links:

Hall of Fame

Hall of Fame Members

2023 Women’s Golf Croquet World Championship – Winner: Jamie Gumbrell, Australia

The 2023 WCF GC Women’s World Championship was held at the Sussex County Croquet Club, near Brighton England, between 7^th and 14^th August 2023.

Jamie Gumbrell - 2023 GC Women's Champion (taken by Chris Roberts)

Congratulations to Jamie Gumbrell, our 2023 GC Women’s World Champion.

For the full scores please go to Croquet Scores

To see the recorded live-streaming, all day every day, please go to the WCF YouTube channel GC Women’s Playlist

A huge thank you to everyone at the Sussex County Croquet Club for their hard work before and during the event. Everything ran smoothly and seamlessly as always when we visit Southwick. Thank you to the groundsmen, cooks, barbequers, bar staff, admin people, registration staff, car park attendants, shirt organisers, ball-boys, referees, and everyone else who contributed to making the players and officials feel so welcome. Specific thanks go to Mike Town for giving up so much time to manage the event, to Tim King as Director, to Alison Maugham who masterminded a whole week of live-streaming, to Jonathan Isaacs as Chair of the Organising Committee and to Ian Cobbold as the Tournament Referee.

The WCF is really appreciative of the time and effort by so many that went into making this event so enjoyable. We could not run these events without the time contributed by this host of volunteers. Well done and thank you.

17 countries were represented, with several countries sending competitors for the first time. The 56 players were divided into 8 blocks of 7 with 4 going through the blocks into a last 32 knock-out stage. Monday morning saw the start of the block play. The lawns at the club had been well prepared and were newly set with challenging Quadway hoops.

Qualifying Tournament

Thank you to the Compton Croquet Club in Eastbourne for hosting this event for us in the week prior to the Championship. Thank you to the Manager, John Low, the many referees and the club volunteers who helped maintain the lawns and feed the players.

Congratulations to the 4 qualifiers, who made it into the Championship: Bev Cardo (USA), Paz Gonzalez de Aguillar (Spain), Liz Drury (England) and Lynn Pearcy (England).

Liz Drury England qualifier in play, photo by Sarah Patton

Mary Berry cuts the croquet flag themed cake to Open the Championship

Opening Ceremony
The Opening Ceremony went very smoothly with the flags duly positioned at the north end of Lawn 1, the John Solomon lawn. They looked great there for the rest of the week. A huge thank you to Mary Berry, our Guest of Honour, who came, cut a themed croquet cake decorated with flags from each country, and then stayed to mingle with the players.

Helen Covington leads the USCA team at the flag parade

The New Zealand team (photo Sarah Patton)

Mexico compete for the first time. Flag carried by lone player Vanesa Fernandez

The Knock-Out

Well done to Egypt for getting 10 of their 13 players through to the last 32 knock-out stage, and also to the 9 out of 11 from England who made it through, by far the best result from England so far in this event. Spanish players also did well with 4 of their 5 players making it through. This reflects the growing strength in depth in all these countries. Overall, players from 7 different countries were represented in the knock-out.

There were no major surprises in the first round of the knock-out with the best ranked players winning through as expected.

In the second round, Virgina Arney, Australia, had a great win, to beat the 2019 Silver Medallist Manal Khodeir. Other tight matches were Jayne Stevens vs Jamie Gumbrell – Jayne took the first but Jamie then stepped up a gear to win the next two games fairly easily. Debbie Lines took the second game against Rachel Gee, the 2011 Champion, and it was 5:5 in the third before Rachel’s superior hitting and hoop strokes won the day.

Susana Romero, Spain (photo by Sarah Patton)

Gerda Lambeck and Virgina Arney, representing Australia (photo by Sarah Patton)

In the Quarter-finals, which were best of 5 matches, both Rachel and Jamie played superbly winning both their matches in 3 games. A tight 5 game match between Maram Nabil and Pouline Salib was enjoyed by the crowds watching on lawn 5. Well done to Maram for winning the crucial 13^th ‘Golden’ hoop in the 5^th.

Jamie went on to beat Maram in 3 games the following day in the semi-finals. However, the livestream and spectators were treated to some excitement in the other semi-final between Rachel Gee and Soha Moustafa.

Soha was the defending Champion from 2019 and had been playing brilliantly throughout. Rachel won the first two games before Soha switched up a gear. In the next 3 hours, during games 3 and 4, she didn’t miss a shot and took the match to the 5^th game. It seemed to be going well for Soha. Rachel missed a couple of roquets and a longish jump shot early in the game but then made a come back before Soha went into a 6:4 lead. Rachel dug deep and fought back, winning the last 3 hoops with some great long clearances and positional play.

Soha Mostafa during the semi-final (photo by Sarah Patton)

The Championship Final: Rachel Gee versus Jamie Gumbrell

Jamie controlled throughout, with a display of technical excellence. Her centre ball clearances, long hoops and good jump shots, were consistent through the 4 games.

Rachel Gee during the 2023 GC Women's final

Rachel fought back after going two down, but in the 4^th game Jamie didn’t miss anything and won 7:2. Commiserations to Rachel who played brilliantly throughout the week. This is only the second time Rachel has competed and she now has a silver to add to her previous gold medal.

Well done to Jamie Gumbrell, who at her first appearance, is our new GC Women’s World Champion.

The Plate

Jessica Bullen carries the flag for New Zealand at the Opening Ceremony (Photo by Sarah Patton)

The plate was won by Jessica Bullen from New Zealand who beat Cheryl Bromley, USA, 2:1 in the final. Jessica was the youngest play in the event at 18 years old and her play was excellent all week. She narrowly failed to get through to the knock-out. I am sure we will see her again in the future.

Managers Invitational Doubles

Instead of a 'Z' the Manager ran an Invitational Doubles for those out of all other events. Congratulations to Silvia Short and Vanesa Fernandez on their win.

The Bowl
Judith Hanekom, the 2016 Champion, played Kate McLoughlin from Australia. Judith went 5:1 down in the first game but held her nerve to take the Bowl.

The Shield

Perihan Elwy lost the first game to Debbie Lines who cleared better in the first game. However, Perihan’s consistency and straight shooting, especially under pressure over the last two or three hoops in each game, was excellent, and she came through to win the second and third games, both on the golden hoop.

Qualifying Competition
A Qualifying Tournament will be held from 3^rd August to 5^th August 2023 at Eastbourne, Sussex.

Director: Richard Bilton
Manager: John Low
Format: tba after closing date 9th July

~~How to enter~~ * Now Closed*
The qualifier can be entered via the English CA's Online Tournament Entry System, which is found on the Compete page of the CA Website. To enter you must first register for (or renew) a Reciprocal Rights Account. If you have any problems, you can contact the CA Office (caoffice.org.uk) for assistance. Once submitted, the office should take approximately one working day to provide the necessary access so that you may enter online.

Main Event Format

The 56 players will form 8 blocks of 7 players each generated in accordance with WCF Sports Regulations Appendix 4. All matches will be best-of-3 13-point games. Matches will generally be single-banked, with double banking only used if scheduling so requires. Except in emergency conditions, games will be played without time limits.

Qualification for Knock-Out Stage: the top 4 players from each block will qualify for the WGCWC Knock-Out Stage. Ties on match wins for qualifying places will be resolved in accordance with WCF Sports Regulations Appendix 6. Non-qualifiers will be eligible for the Plate Event.

Knock-Out Stage: the Knock-Out stage will be drawn and seeded conforming to the WCF Sports Regulations Appendix 7 Section B. It will be single-banked, except in emergency conditions, and played without time limits. Knock-Out Round 1, 2 and quarter-final matches will be best-of-3 13-point games. Semi-final and Final will be best-of-5 13-point games.

The Plate: this will be played in accordance with WCF Sports Regulations Appendix 8 paragraph 2 and will consist of block play followed by a knock-out stage.

The Bowl: this event is open to all players who lose in the first round of the Knock-Out Stage and will be played in accordance with WCF Sports Regulations Appendix 8 paragraph 4.

The Shield: this event is open to all players who lose in the second round of the Knock-Out Stage and will be played in accordance with WCF Sports Regulations Appendix 8 paragraph 5.

Z Event: the TM or a deputy will manage a Z Event for all players who have been eliminated from all other events but wish to continue to play.

Hours of play: players should be available to start play at 9.30 am each day. There are no floodlights at the club but at this time of year the light will be good enough to play until at least 8.00 pm.

Practice: players will be able to practice from 9.15 am each day on their allocated court and for 5 minutes before the first game of each match.

Lawns: SCCC has 11 full size croquet courts available. A speed in the range 10-12 Plummers is anticipated assuming normal weather conditions.

Hoops: the hoops used will be ~~Aldridge Competition~~ Quadway hoops [6.3.23 please note change to hoop type that will be used], set as specified in the WCF Sports Regulations (as close as possible to, but not less than, 1/32” clearance). Hoop alignments, widths and firmness will be checked prior to the start of play and at the beginning of main event matches. Players themselves will be permitted to firm up the hoops by gently tapping with a suitable mallet before playing a hoop stroke.

Balls: Dawson balls will be used.

Practice: players wishing to practise before the event starts will be welcome at SCCC between 11 am and 2.30 pm on Sunday, 6^th August, though some lawns may be unavailable at times for maintenance and hoops will not be set to tournament standards.

Opening Ceremony: A formal opening ceremony will be held at SCCC on Sunday 6^th August with a light finger buffet.

Accommodation and Travel: SCCC is easily accessible by train or car from London or Gatwick Airport. SCCC is close to Brighton and Worthing which are large urban areas with a wide range of hotels bed and breakfast and rental properties. A list will be put on the event website with contact details. The area attracts a lot of visitors in the summer. Players should be aware that early booking of accommodation is essential.

We anticipate that most players will stay in accommodation in the Brighton to Worthing area and so will be able to reach SCCC by public transport if they have not hired cars. It is suggested that players find accommodation within 20 miles (32 km) of SCCC.

Catering and Social: SCCC, has a long-established tradition of providing good quality home cooked lunches with kitchen facilities in the club house and a team of volunteers who cater throughout the season.
Morning coffee, lunch and afternoon tea would be available for sale to all players at all venues. SCCC also has a bar that will be staffed throughout the Event.

Internet, publicity and Communications
Wireless internet connections will be available. Live streaming is expected to be arranged on some days. A dedicated website for the event will be available a few months before the event starts.

Main Event Key Dates
Invitation Date	07/11/2022	This is the date that Members will be formally invited to send players to participate in this event.
Response Date	07/01/2023	This is the date by which Member nominations for Ranking and Wild Card places must have been received by the WCF Management Committee. Members must also specify the number of Membership Places they wish to take up and RCO's should advise if they would like to request a Membership Place.
Allocation Date	21/01/2023	The World Ranking List to be used to determine the initial allocation of Ranking Places is that published at the end of the Allocation Date.
Announcement Date	04/02/2023	By this date the breakdown of places will be advised and players awarded an Initial Ranking Place or Wild Card will be announced.
Closing Date	14/03/2023	This is the last date Members can nominate players for their Membership Places. Within 1 to 2 days the MC will announce recipients of Membership Places and Replacement Ranking Places.
Player Contact Details & Bios	14/04/2023	This is the date by which players are asked to provide their contact details, bio's and a headshot photo.
Entry Fee Due Date	16/04/2023	Per Sports Regn Appendix 2 6.1. Any players awarded a place on the Announcement Date will lose their place if they have not paid by this date.
Main Event Cut-off Date	22/06/2023	This is the date after which returned places are generally filled by creating extra Qualifier Places instead of Replacement Ranking Places.

Qualifier Key Dates
Qualifier Entries open	na	Entries will open upon publication of the CA Fixtures Book (on-line and in print)
Qualifier Allocation Date	01/06/2023	Entries received by this date will be accepted in ranking position order as shown in the Qualifier Ranking List.
Qualifier Closing Date	19/07/2023	Last date any players will be accepted into this event.

Key Personnel
Chairman of Organising Committee	Jonathan Isaacs
Tournament Director	Tim King
Tournament Manager	Mike Town
WCF Event Lead	Debbie Lines
CA Event Lead	Ian Lines
Tournament Referee	Ian Cobbold
Webmaster	John Low

WORLD CROQUET FEDERATION

Author: Debbie Lines

2023 retraVision GC Over 50’s Championship Player List updated 20th September

September 2023 Newsletter

EUROPE NEWS

retraVision to sponsor the GC Over 50’s Championship

2023 European GC Under 21 Championship: Winner Aston Wade

Congratulations to Aston Wade
European U21 GC Champion

PRE-EVENT INFORMATION

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