February 2016 Newsletter

WCF February 2016 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.  Your 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

Topic 50: Consultation on Statutes 107.3 and 107.4 which deal with the operation of the WCF Golf Croquet Rules Committee.  This closed on 6 March 2016 and the results will be published shortly. 

Topic 51: The Italian Croquet Federation has applied to change its status from Associate to Observer.  This closes on 20 March 2016.

What has happened in January and February?

Gordon Smith (NZE) has retired as chairman of the WCF GC Rules Committee and Tim King (ENG) has been elected as his successor.  Croquet New Zealand has appointed Brian Boutel as its representative in Gordon’s place and the United States Croquet Association has appointed Jeff Hill to succeed Mohamed Kamal.  We thank Gordon and Mohamed for their many years of service on the committee.  The Official Rulings on the 2013 Golf Croquet Rules have been updated.

Several development initiatives have been launched.  The second Croquet Coaching Academy for WCF Members was announced in January.  It will be held at Sussex County CC, England from 3 to 6 May 2016.  The WCF is also supporting a coach training week in South Africa to be led by Dave Kibble and has organised a one-day AC coaching course immediately before the ACWC in West Palm Beach.  This is for the benefit of local US players keen to improve their AC play and will be run by Colin Irwin.

The MC approved a request for a capital grant of £1,500 from the Scottish Croquet Association to support its Balgreen Club project in Edinburgh.  The SCA has an opportunity to take over disused bowling greens and create a new club.  The WCF grant is conditional on the SCA succeeding in receiving a £10,000 grant from the National Lottery.

Forthcoming WCF championships

2016 Association Croquet World Championship

This will be held at the National Croquet Centre, West Palm Beach, Florida from Saturday, 16 April to Sunday, 24 April 2016.  The Qualifying Tournament will be held from Monday, 11 April to Thursday, 14 April 2016.  The current entry list is available on the WCF website together with a link to the event website.

2016 Golf Croquet World Team Championship

Tier 1 will be held at the Surbiton Croquet Club in south-west London from Sunday, 15 May to Saturday, 21 May 2016.  The competing teams are Egypt (holders), England, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa, Sweden, Wales and USA.

Tier 2 will be shared between the Bath Croquet Club and the Camerton & Peasdown Croquet Club from Sunday, 15 May to Friday, 20 May 2016 with the intention that players from teams in both tiers can meet for a combined championship celebration on Friday, 20 May 2016.  The competing teams are Australia, Belgium, Czech-Moravian Republic, Germany, Latvia, Scotland, Spain and Switzerland.

Tier 3 will be held at the Guildford & Godalming Croquet Club from Wednesday, 18 May to Friday 20 May 2016.  The competing teams are Georgia, Norway, Portugal and Russia.

2017 Golf Croquet World Championship and Under 21 GC World Championship

Both events will be held at the Victorian Croquet Association headquarters at Cairnlea, in the western suburbs of Melbourne.  The Under 21 will run from Saturday 18 to Wednesday 22 February 2017 and the Qualifying Tournament from Monday 20 to Wednesday 22 February 2017.  The main event will begin on Saturday 25 February 2017 and end on Sunday 5 March 2017.  The Invitation Date is expected to be in April 2016.

2017 Association Croquet World Team Championship

Tier 1, the MacRobertson Shield, will be held at Mission Hills Country Club, Palm Springs, California from 18 April 2017 to 4 May 2017.  Tiers 2.1, Tiers 2.2 and 3 will be held at Sussex County Croquet Club in England from 17 to 22 July 2017.  The Invitation Date for the lower tiers is expected to be in October 2016.

Membership enquiries

There are none to report.

MC Topics recently completed or closed

MC 330:           WCF GC Rules Committee

MC 333:           Format of Qualifying Tournaments

MC 334:           Colour Vision Deficiency

MC 335:           2016 Business Plan

MC 336:           2016 Budget and Treasurer’s Report

MC 337:           Election of Independent Examiner

MC 338:           GC Rulings

MC 340:           Italy membership category

MC 341:           Development – AC coaching at West Palm Beach

MC 342:           Development – coach training trip to South Africa

MC 343:           Development – SCA capital grant application

Topics open, pending or under administration on 29 February 16

MC 291:           Appointment of GC Ranking Officer and Assistant Ranking Officers

MC 295:           2016 AC World Championship, April 2016

MC 313:           2016 GC World Team Championship, May 2016

MC 318:           2017 GCWC and Under 21 GCWC, February 2017

MC 324:           2017 AC World Team Championship, April 2017

MC 326:           WCF Event Income

MC 328:           Membership status of France

MC 331:           International Laws Committee

MC 339:           WCF Event and Sports Regulations

MC 344:           Development – further projects in 2016

Outlook for March

The main focus will be on final preparations for the ACWC and GC WTC and continuing with the Statute review.

Stephen Mulliner

Secretary-General 4 March 2016