Croquet King
Posted: Sat Sep 19, 2015 12:43 am
Robert Fletcher was 20 years old when he won the 'Association Croquet World Championship' in 2013. Puts paid to the argument that Croquet is a game for old farts that can't play golf anymore.
Association Croquet is as far from the Backyard Croquet (9-hoop) you grew up playing as 'Horse' is from NBA Basketball. There are other forms of Croquet - Golf Croquet and American Rules and so forth. While we are on a Croquet to Basketball analogy, Golf Croquet would be like High School Basketball, and American Rules like NCAA or maybe International rules, as far as complications and 'degree of seriousness' (bad term, but maybe you figure out what I am saying. American Rules is quite close to Association Rules, but its really not an international game. Association is THE peak international form of the game. There is also an international World Cup for Golf Croquet - a faster, more 'powerful' game, where the Egyptians dominate but that domination is under threat from South Africa, Australia, and the UK. Association is dominated by the UK, with Australia and South Africa biting at their heels.
Here is a (rather poor) video - and a fun song about Croquet - of Robert in action in the Championship Game, which not only made him the youngest World Champion, but also the youngest number one ranked player in history. Robert's brothers and his father are also highly ranked elite Australian players.
Here's part one of a video in four parts where South African Reg Bamford won the world championship in 2004; his opponent get 3 swings at the ball.
Association Croquet is as far from the Backyard Croquet (9-hoop) you grew up playing as 'Horse' is from NBA Basketball. There are other forms of Croquet - Golf Croquet and American Rules and so forth. While we are on a Croquet to Basketball analogy, Golf Croquet would be like High School Basketball, and American Rules like NCAA or maybe International rules, as far as complications and 'degree of seriousness' (bad term, but maybe you figure out what I am saying. American Rules is quite close to Association Rules, but its really not an international game. Association is THE peak international form of the game. There is also an international World Cup for Golf Croquet - a faster, more 'powerful' game, where the Egyptians dominate but that domination is under threat from South Africa, Australia, and the UK. Association is dominated by the UK, with Australia and South Africa biting at their heels.
Here is a (rather poor) video - and a fun song about Croquet - of Robert in action in the Championship Game, which not only made him the youngest World Champion, but also the youngest number one ranked player in history. Robert's brothers and his father are also highly ranked elite Australian players.
Here's part one of a video in four parts where South African Reg Bamford won the world championship in 2004; his opponent get 3 swings at the ball.