Author: Debbie Lines

November 2022 Newsletter

Congratulations Matthew Essick - 2022 Golf Croquet World Champion
Congratulations to Scotland - winners of Tier 2.1
Congratulations to Canada - winners of Tier 2.2 and promoted into 2.1 for next time!
Congratulations to the South African team, winner of Tier 3
Well done Mexico - 2020 Tier 3 Golf Croquet World Team Champions

Congratulations to our Champions!

2022 GC World Champion: Matthew Essick

2020 GC Tier 3 World Team Champions: Mexico

2022 AC WTC Champions Tier 2.1: Scotland

2022 AC WTC Champions Tier 2.2: Canada

2022 AC WTC Champions Tier 3: South Africa

The Player Surveys for these events can now be found on the WCF Website:  Championship Player Surveys

Thank you
The WCF wish to thank all the clubs that hosted events for the WCF in England earlier this year. To everyone at the clubs for releasing their lawns, and to all the volunteers where ever you are, your hard work ensures these events are a success, and we thank you.

    • The Guildford & Godalming Club for the GC Tier 3
    • The Sussex County Croquet Club for the GC World Championship
    • Budleigh Salterton for the AC World Teams Tiers 2.1, 2.2 and 3.

 

Coming up soon!

The 2022 AC World Team Championship Tier 1 (The MacRobertson Shield) is to be held at Cairnlea, Victoria, Australia, from 12-29th November 2022.

Teams of six elite croquet players will compete over 2 weeks in a series of test matches. Australia are defending champions - can they retain the title or will England, New Zealand or the USA claim the shield?

A busy live-streaming schedule is planned, providing croquet enthusiasts around the world to watch some top class croquet. To find out more go to the event website and Facebook page by clicking on the images.

We wish all the players success. Let the best team win!

Click the image to go to the dedicated event FACEBOOK page
Click the image to go to the MacRobertson Shield website

2023 Women’s AC World Championship
This will take place between 7-14 January in Canterbury, New Zealand. To find out more visit WCF Event Page: 2023 AC Women's Championship and also the Event Website Croquet New Zealand Event website

Players can still enter the Qualifier, to be held in Waikanae (North of Wellington) from 3-5 January 2023, with four places in the World Championship available. If you are eligible and interested in entering please go to the CNZ tournament page to enter. AC Women's Qualifier  The allocation date is 3rd November 2022, but if not full on that date entries will remain open until 19th December 2022.

Who will be the new AC Women's Champion?
Can Jenny Clarke, champion in 2012, retake the trophy?

2023 Under 21 World Championship
This will be held between 8 - 12 February 2023 at two clubs in Bay of Plenty, North Island, New Zealand.  The host clubs are Croquet Mount Maunganui, 45 Kawaka Street Mount Maunganui (head-quarters), and Tauranga Croquet Club, The Domain, Cameron Road Tauranga.

Blake Fields, playing at the 2022 GC World Championship (credit: Sarah Patton)

 

Aston Wade: 2022 European Open Champion. Can he follow this with success at the U21 Championship?

Other 2023 Events (click the event name to learn more).

The 2023 AC World Championship will take place in London, England between 15-23 July.

The 2023 GC Women’s World Championship will take place in Sussex, England between 7 -14 August.

The 2023 GC Over 50’s World Championship will take place in Bunbury, Western Australia, between 14-21 October. This will be the last Over 50’s event following a recent decision that in future the minimum age will change to 60.

Hosts wanted for future events
The forward calendar for the next 12 years was published a couple of months ago. Clubs interested in hosting any of our events should make their interest known via their Governing Body.

Regulations
On 30th September 2022, the WCF Council voted to adopt new Event and Sports Regulations.These can now be viewed on the WCF Website page: WCF Statutes & Regulations

European Regional Committee (ERC) - update
The ERC Forward Calendar can now be found on the WCF European Regional Committee page of the website. Hosts are sought for some of these events. Please contact Roberts Stafeckis, chair of the ERC, if interested.

Want to watch some Croquet from home?
If so, you could take a look at the WCF YouTube Channel. It showcases some of the very best videos of top class, international croquet from around the world, as well as a few How To videos explaining the game. Use our Playlists to be taken straight to videos created by WCF Members and International croquet players. See World Championship footage, as well as National Championships from around the globe.

 

2023 GC Under 21 Championship Player List

Following some withdrawals, the updated list of players for this event is:

Under 21 Player List 26Oct22

Ranking Places = 15
Membership Places = 12
Replacement Ranking Places = 5

As at 26th October 2022, there is now only one player on the Replacement Ranking list. This is Fran Wright from Australia.

Withdrawals:
Any players who needs to withdraw should notify Debbie Lines, the WCF Secretary-General immediately, either directly or via their Member assocation.

2023 Under 21 GC World Championship – Balls

The WCF and the hosts, CNZ, have been liaising regarding what balls to use at this event, given the current interruption in the supply of new Dawson Balls.

The decision is that we will use old Dawson balls, as closely matched as possible in condition and age.

The WCF are liaising with Paul Manwaring, owner of Dawson Balls. His current production problems have been caused by the banning of a substance previously used in the recipe. He is testing alternatives and hopes to have balls within specification soon.

At this time there are no other approved balls available. The SunShiny ball approval expired in 2020. The manufacturers in Taiwan have advised that balls are on their way to the CA for testing, so we hope to be able to re-approve these soon.

2023 GC Under 21 Championship Player List

The Closing Date for the 2023 Under 21 GC Championship was 22nd October 2022.

Twelve Membership Places have been allocated. Egypt has released one Membership Place unused and has also notified a withdrawal by a player previously given a Ranking Place. England had two Membership Places but has not nominated anyone for these, so these are also both released. This means the current breakdown of spaces is:

Ranking Places = 16
Membership Places = 12
Replacement Ranking Places = 4

The top four players on the Replacement Ranking list at the closing date, who have been offered a place, are below.
As at 23rd October 2022, we wait confirmation of their acceptance.

    • Curtis Mead – Australia
    • Ethan Gumbrell – Australia
    • Ethan McDonald – New Zealand
    • Ashton Sharp – New Zealand

The current list of players is: Under 21 Player List 23rd Octoboer 22

Withdrawals:
Any players who needs to withdraw should notify Debbie Lines, the WCF Secretary-General immediately, either directly or via their Member assocation.

There are 3 people left on the wait list (Replacement Ranking List). In current ranking order these are Jamie Fleming (Australia), Fran Wright (Australia) and Robbie Spooner (New Zealand, note: no games played in the qualifying period). This order may change if games are played altering the rankings before a withdrawal occurs.

GC Country Rankings as at 30th September 2022

The latest GC Team Rankings (as at 30 September 2022) are:

Position

Country

Average

Players

1

Egypt

2,548

6

2

England

2,463

6

3

USA

2,371

6

4

New Zealand

2310

6

5

Spain

2,267

6

6

Australia

2,261

6

7

South Africa

2,214

6

8

Wales

2,182

6

9

Canada

2,122

6

10

Sweden

2,031

6

11

Germany

2,030

6

12

Ireland

2,022

6

13

Switzerland

1,992

6

14

Scotland

1,959

6

15

Latvia

1,935

6

16

Czech Republic

1,876

6

17

Norway

1,837

6

18

Finland

1,703

5

19

Mexico

1,744

4

20

Austria

2,064

3

21

Portugal

1,671

2

22

Belgium

2,230

1

23

Uruguay

1,732

1

AC Country Rankings as at 30th September 2022

The latest AC Team Rankings (as at 30 September 2022) are:

Position

Country

Average Grade

Players

1

England

2514

6

2

Australia

2496

6

3

New Zealand

2455

6

4

USA

2404

6

5

Scotland

2156

6

6

Wales

2156

6

7

Ireland

2130

6

8

South Africa

1949

6

9

Canada

1884

6

10

Sweden

1689

6

11

Germany

1551

6

12

Austria

1489

6

13

Czech Republic

1310

6

14

Switzerland

1772

3

15

Spain

1758

3

16

Latvia

1352

3

17

Iran

2150

1

18

Jersey

2120

1

19

Luxembourg

1975

1

20

Mexico

1539

1