July 2015 Newsletter

WCF July 2015 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

Council approved amendments to the Equipment Regulations on 21 July 2015 by 47-0 (Topic 44) and amendments to the Event, Refereeing and Sports Regulations on the same date by 46-2 (Topic 45).  The new versions are available on the WCF website.

What has happened in June and July?

The main event was the very successful holding of the Women’s Association Croquet World Championship at Nottingham.  36 players took part and Miranda Chapman, representing England, defeated Gabrielle Higgins, also representing England, in five games (-10, +4, -23, +26, +26tp) became the new champion.  Many congratulations to both players and to the club and its organising committee for putting on such an enjoyable, efficient and well-publicised event.

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 Invitation Date was Sunday, 28 June 2015 and the Response Date is Sunday, 30 August 2015.  More details are available on the WCF 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.  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.  The Invitation Date will be in August 2015 and more details will be available on the WCF website in due course.

2017 Golf Croquet World Championship and Under 21 GC World Championship

The Management Committee has accepted the ACA bid to host both events 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.  Interest in holding Tiers 2.1, Tiers 2.2 and 3 has been expressed by two venues in England.

MC Topics recently completed or closed

MC 323:           Membership enquiry from Pakistan

MC 325:           Membership enquiry from Greece

Topics open, pending or under administration on 31 May 2015

MC 283:           2015 Women’s Association Croquet World Championship, July 2015

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

MC 295:           2016 Association Croquet World Championship, April 2016

MC 313:           2016 GC World Team Championship, May 2016

MC 314:           Women’s GC World Team Championship

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

MC 319:           WCF Event Regulations

MC 320:           WCF Equipment Regulations

MC 321:           WCF Refereeing Regulations

MC 322:           WCF Sports Regulations

MC 324:           2017 AC World Team Championship

Outlook for August and September

The main activity will be completing a set of minor improvements to the WCF Equipment and Event Regulations and submitting them to the WCF Council under the “dot release” procedure.  On the World Championship front, the 2016 ACWC Response Date will occur on 30 August and lead to the publication of the Ranking and Wild Card Places shortly after 14 September.  The formal Invitation Date for the 2016 GC World Team Championship will also be published in this period although there have already been extensive discussions with the teams expected to take part.

Stephen Mulliner

Secretary-General 14 August 2015