Golf croquet stars arrive in Waikato
New Zealand’s top secondary school golf croquet players are on their way to the Waikato to find out who is the best in the sport.
Croquet Waikato–King Country is hosting the New Zealand National Secondary School Golf Croquet tournament on September 23 and 24.
The tournament will be held at three venues including Hamilton East Croquet Club, Claudelands Croquet Club and the Morrinsville Croquet Club.
Play will commence at 8.30am each day culminating with the Sunday final scheduled for 1.30pm at Claudelands in Hamilton.
There will be 39 doubles teams taking part representing 24 schools from across the country.
Three teams from Matamata College and one team from Hamilton Boys’ High School will represent the Waikato region.
Tournament controller Seddon Polglase said there would be plenty of young talented players from the Waikato competing.
It included Nico Concha and Reuben Kemp, Naomi Turner and Caleb McDonnell, Fletcher Lambert and Joel Wary from Matamata College, as well as Jayden Yeoman and Cameron Main from Hamilton Boys’ High School.
‘‘I have been coaching Jayden and Cameron,’’ Polglase said.
‘‘The weather has not helped our preparation but I am confident they will not be easy beats. They are both Year 12 students and the experience they will gain will serve them well for next year.’’
He said Hamilton Boys’ High School include croquet in its PE programme, so with the help of the Hamilton East Croquet Club, many boys have the chance to try the sport and learn how challenging it is.
Polglase hoped the tournament would offer an incentive for more people to try the sport.
‘‘It is my hope that other schools will want to offer croquet as bonafide school sport and will come down and watch New Zealand’s top players in action.’’
Notable players from around the country competing included Grace Mohi, New Plymouth Girls’ High School, runner-up in this year’s National Open Golf Croquet Doubles tournament, Edmund Fordyce, Mt Hutt College, Methven, the current National Open Golf Croquet Champion and Felix Webby, Francis Douglas High School, the current U-21 World Golf Croquet Champion.