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z sport Anyone for croquet?


If you imagine it as a game for toffs, whiling away sultry summer afternoons on some beautifully manicured country house lawn - or even that crazy game in Alice in Wonderland - think again. Local player Ruth Hill explains the rules


C


roquet is a sport for those who like a challenge. It is played on lawns using mallets and coloured balls. The object of the game is to run your ball through a set of hoops in a set


order. There are two forms of croquet – Association


Croquet, which is a highly skilled game that usually takes a long time, and golf croquet, which is a much shorter game and very easy to pick up. Several games of golf croquet can be played in a session. The following is a description of golf croquet. The only requisite to play croquet is to be mobile. You don’t need to be able to run, jump or bend as in some other sports. It is a sport for all ages. There are quite a few members in their 80s as well as many very much younger. It is also one of the few sports where men and women, old and young can play together on equal terms. Golf croquet is played as singles or doubles. Using four coloured balls the blue and black compete against the red and yellow. In doubles the object is to protect and help your partner whilst trying to destroy the aspirations of the opposition. Balls are played in a set sequence, each turn being a single stroke. The aim is to get one of your balls through the hoop before the opposition and thus claim the point for that hoop. Then everyone goes on to the next hoop. The first side to win seven hoops is the winner. In this area there are clubs in Bury St Edmunds, (who play on the Victory Ground) Thurston and Sudbury. All are friendly and welcome newcomers. Ruth, a Bury player, points out the game is also fought out at county and international level. She says: “A couple of years ago a local man, David


Impressive setting: Summer croquet being played at Ickworth under the Rotunda


Crawford, represented England in Egypt. I gather that the Egyptians are very keen on the game. Also in 1900 croquet was played at the Olympic Games in Paris. The French apparently took all the gold medals - it has not been included in the Olympics since.” “Golf Croquet is a very sociable sport and should you be interested to try this sport each club has a website where you can find details of location and a person to contact.” And as for the Alice in Wonderland version of the game Ruth adds: “We no longer play with flamingos and hedgehogs – I don’t think the RSPCA would like it!”


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