Croquet - Championships & Champions
As we know Croquet is considered as a socializing game, but serious Croquet is seen in championships held by the World Croquet Federation. The two major championships held are −
The National Inter-Club championships include six championships. They are −
The Inter-Club Championship (Association Croquet)
The Golf Croquet Inter-Club Championship (Golf Croquet)
The Mary Rose Inter-Club Trophy (Association Croquet)
The Golf Croquet Inter-Club Shield (The Murphy Shield) (Golf Croquet)
The Longman Club Team Cup (Association Croquet)
The Secretary's Shield (Association Croquet)
Champions
Robert Fulford
Robert Fulford is a Croquet player from England who was born in Colchester and started playing croquet at the age of 15 at his local school. He often travelled to the cheap hotels or homes of local croquet players but could not earn much. In 1990, he won World Championship for the Hurlingham Club in England.
Two years later, he won a World Championship in the US. In 1994, he again won the World Championship held in Carden Park in England. Next World Championship win came to him in 1997 for Moorabinda Croquet Club. The last World Championship that he won was held in 2002 in Wellington in New Zealand.
Chris Clarke
Chris Clarke is a croquet player who previously represented England but now represents New Zealand. Clarke started playing Croquet at the age of 13. In 1995, he won a World Championship in Association Croquet. In 2008 also, he won the World Championship in which he attained the position of World Number One player.
In 2008, he also reached the semi-finals of WCF Golf Croquet World Championships and the finals of the 2009 European Championships. He could not play Croquet due to back injury but he came back in 2012 and won ten matches in order to improve his world rankings. Due to some controversy, he switched to New Zealand and was the member of 2014 winner team MacRobertson Shield team.
Reginald Bamford
Reginald Bamford is a croquet player from South Africa. He won Association Croquet World Cup four times. Besides this, he also took part in many other championships. He participated in Open Championships and won ten times.
He also participated in Men’s Championships and won it six times. Currently, he is a businessman and a qualified chartered accountant. He is also the World Champion in Croquet Golf.
Ben Rothman
Ben Rothman is a croquet player from North America. He started his career in 2007 and in 2009 and 2010, he was the player number one in US Croquet Association. In 2009, he reached the finals of WCF World Championships but was defeated by Reg Bamford. He took part in many other competitions and won them.
In 2008, he took part in North American Open Championships and won it. In 2009, he took part in three championships which include National Singles and Doubles Championships, Selection Eights Championships, and Open Championships. In 2010, he won three championship titles.
Miranda Chapman
Miranda Chapman is a croquet player from New Zealand who represented Victoria in Interstate Cup. In 2012, she represented Australia in World Championships.
In 2009, she was the winner of Australian Doubles Titles whereas in 2010, she was the winner of Australian Women’s Title. She now works as a Prosthetist where she makes artificial limbs for the people whose limbs are amputated.
