accomplishment). You can’t just go out and expect to win against these top guys. It’s a battle every time.
Robert: What I’m most looking forward to would be playing in the ultimate croquet tournament in the world, playing with my fellow Australians, and playing world-class opponents for 15 days.
Okay, let’s talk a little bit more specifically about this year’s event. The British team has won the last six events and has a core group of three players (Maugham, Fulford and Clarke) that have been around since the start of that streak. That’s a lot of experience — can this team from Great Britain be taken down?
Paddy: This GB team can definitely be taken down. GB has selected those three core players for the last five or six MacRobs, and while it has certainly strengthened their team
no-end, it has also given the other teams the incentive needed to get better. I think this is the year that the other teams will show just how much they have improved.
•
GB’s 2010 Mac team has a combined total • experience of 22 previous MacRobs • NZ has 11 (6 of those are Paul’s!) • Australia has 6 USA has 5
I suppose what I’m trying to say is that GB doesn’t have any surprises – we know they are good, and we know what we need to do to beat them.
Ben: It is widely believed that they are the favorites (favourites, if you must), but while croquet test matches are reliable (the better player/team usually wins) they are not a foregone conclusion. This is why we play. I don’t know about young Mr. Fletcher, but I never expected to go so far in last year’s World Championships. Anything can happen when you have so many players of this caliber. To beat the big three (or maybe just two of them if Chris’ back keeps him out) a team must play at or near the pinnacle of their abilities. Most Mac players have won a game on the
fifth turn triple; many have a history of sextupling and tpo-ing. It becomes a matter of adjusting to the court conditions and choosing the highest level of play that can be executed with a good success rate. Anyone can win any game or match. Timing is everything. Hitting in helps.
Each of you have experienced dramatic success in croquet at a young age in what is sometimes considered an “older person’s sport.” In the drive to promote the sport across the world, you each provide that young star quality that the croquet world so desperately needs. Does that add pressure for you guys — sort of carrying the weight of the future of the sport on your shoulders?
Robert: No. I’ll try my best to promote the sport, but it’s no use worrying. Because the more you worry the worse you play. Any excuse to promote the sport is good whoever they might use.
Paddy: I don’t feel any pressure, or that I am carrying the future of the sport on my shoulders. If I’m all the sport has got then it’s in trouble! I never enjoyed being known as the "young player," because I think people used to give me extra attention because of it. It is something I never wanted; I just wanted to get on and play some more croquet, and play against my opponents as anyone else would.
14 | august / september |
croquetnetwork.com Rothman as tourney director
Photo by Genie Hendry
up through the ranks in NZ at the moment – the future of the sport there at least is in good hands.
There are quite a few young ones coming
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