THE WOMEN’S GAME By Alison Maugham
Since Lily Gower paved the way for Women in Croquet by winning the Champion Cup (now President's Cup) in 1904, then the 25th Association Croquet Open Championship in 1905, the Women’s game has continued to progress to new heights. Rumour has it, the chaps got so fed up with the Women winning, they introduced the Men’s only events, but that of course is just a rumour. There are now three women-only events in the Croquet England fixtures calendar, two of them teamed with the opportunity of playing in a mixed doubles event alongside. The Association Croquet Peel Memorials The Peel Memorials is one of the oldest tournaments in the Croquet England Calendar and one of the few national tournaments for handicap play. The trophies, which date back to 1898, are very fine with some famous croquet names on them. This is an Association Croquet handicap tournament and is ideal for players who would like to dip their toes into a national event for the first time, as well as those with plenty of experience. The Golf Croquet Women's Open Championship A relatively new event which hit the Croquet Scene in 2021, the GC Women’s Open Championship attracts croquet players who range from handicap 6 to the minus numbers. I had the privilege to play in the event last year, and by some miracle won too, but only just about, finding myself battling for the last hoop of the second game of the match.
2025 GC Women's Open Championship Plate winner Rose Gebhardt, with Frances Colman (for CqE). photo by Chris Roberts
Sadly the Women’s title has eluded me, but I will be fighting for it this year. I would urge all of our women players, of all abilities, to come and join me for this one. Although it’s level advanced Association Croquet, rather than handicap, it’s a great place to start competing in the advanced game. Similar to the Golf Croquet Women’s Open, the handicap range can be from high single figures through to minus players, so there’s always great matches to play and an opportunity to play against some of the best Women players in the world. I might also mention that there is a consolation event with possibly the fanciest trophy I have ever seen, the Du Pre. This is your chance to play against some of the men, as the consolation event is for everyone knocked out from their main events. And of course, you can team up with one of the Men and join us in the Mixed Doubles Championship. I’ll be there trying very hard to do exactly what Dave tells me to do. He tells me often I am ‘trying’, but he still partners me, so it can’t be that bad!
Having played in several Golf Croquet Championship events and often being one of a very few number of women, I was shocked to find an entire contingent of women players with such outstanding performances. I still wonder why they are not seen in the other Championship events, but I am glad I found them at the Women’s Open. Fierce, focussed and friendly, three words which sum up this tournament for me. The Association Croquet Men’s, Women’s and Mixed Doubles’ Championships This tournament is a combination of various tournaments: the Women's Championship dates from 1869 (with a gap in the 1880s), the Mixed Doubles from 1899, and the Men's from 1925. Two other tournaments, the Gold Medals and the Gold Caskets, were incorporated into this event from 1936. This is a prestigious tournament, and
many of the greatest names in croquet have won these titles.
www.croquetengland.org.uk | 16
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