Regional croquet events build momentum in the lead up to state championships

REGIONAL competition has drawn strong participation, with winners crowned across a range of divisions in the Northern Rivers Area Golf Croquet Championships.

The program featured women’s singles, handicap events and doubles competitions, providing players of all levels with the opportunity to compete locally without the need to travel long distances.

Cherry Street Croquet Club secretary David Scott said the Northern Rivers calendar has been deliberately structured to support both competitive play and accessibility for local players.

“There’s been a combination of events, a women’s singles, some doubles handicap events in Casino, and they’ve attracted a decent field,” Scott said.

“In Casino there were probably 12 pairs to start with, so around 24 players.”

He said Lismore also hosted a major Association Best Event doubles competition that drew strong numbers across the region, while Byron Bay featured both women’s and handicap singles events open to a broad field of competitors.

Tournament coordination across the region has been led by Ray Chapman, who has overseen daily operations across multiple venues while also competing.

Scott said the regional events play an important role in keeping the sport accessible.

“Probably only about 10 per cent of players go on to state level events,” he said.

 

“A lot of people either can’t afford or aren’t interested in travelling, so this gives them the opportunity to play competitive croquet without going too far.”

Attention now turns to the NSW Advantage Golf Croquet Doubles and Singles Championships, which will be staged across Ballina, Byron Bay and Lismore from 8–12 July.

The doubles competition will run on 8–9 July, followed by the singles from 10–12 July, with finals to be played on the Ballina lawns.

The event marks the sixth consecutive year the Northern Rivers has hosted a major state croquet championship.

Scott said the region is well prepared to host the returning state event, with strong entry numbers reflecting continued growth in the sport.

The spread of venues across the region helps showcase local clubs while sharing the workload of hosting.

“We’ve got good numbers this year, 16 pairs in the doubles, so around 32 players, and 24 players in the singles,” Scott said.

“Most of them are visiting from outside the area, including Queensland, the ACT and metropolitan Sydney.”