Let’s start with official age and also whether or not this will be every one’s first appearance in MacRobertson Shield competition?
Ben: I am 26 years old and this will be my first MacRobertson Shield competition. Paddy: I’m 22 years old and this will be my second MacRobertson Shield. Robert: Hi Everyone, age – 16 years. I turn 17 on the 29th of July. Yes it is my first Mac.
So Paddy, since you have some experience with the competition, do you have any advice you can pass along to Ben and Robert?
Paddy: Well perhaps I shouldn’t give too much advice since Robert and Ben are on the other teams! But ... I must say that the Mac is really an endurance test – there is nowhere else where you would be expected to play 15 days of croquet. The mental exhaustion that croquet can cause will add to the physical exhaustion – by the final week, everyone will be tired and the fittest players will come out on top. There is no better feeling in croquet than playing the MacRob.
Interesting, I had wondered if fatigue was a factor. (For everyone) From a logistics standpoint, how do you fund travelling to a three-week tournament like this? Do you have sponsors or do your respective associations cover any of the costs?
my purse tournament wins to carry me through. No sponsors yet. Robert: Croquet Australia pays for 40% of the return airfare and all the accommodations during the Mac. Other than that there are no sponsors.
Ben: We were able to enter a new domain with a fully supported team. The USCA’s Lee Olsen fund has been around for many years to help fund US team competition; it covered some housing in Australia for the last Mac. This year we were able to raise over 20k through auctions, cocktail parties, and many generous donations. The fund will be able to cover travel and lodging. For everything else, I am relying on my earnings this winter as a Croquet pro in Palm Springs, CA, as well as
10 | august / september |
croquetnetwork.com Paddy Chapman / Photo provided by Paddy
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