WATFORD CROQUET CLUB HOSTS TWO HEATS OF THE GC EUROPEAN LEAGUE
By Kevin Currie, Watford (Cassiobury) Croquet Club
Towards the end of 2025 Watford (Cassiobury) Croquet Club was asked to hold one of the qualifying matches for the European Clubs GC league run by the World Croquet Federation. Subsequently in early 2026 the club was asked to hold a further heat which resulted in all four lawns being used for the weekend of the 20th and 21st June 2026. This is a two day golf croquet match event and clubs from any European country whose national governing body is a member of the WCF could enter. This year other heats will be held in Czechia, Germany, Greece (for the first time), Ireland, Latvia, Scotland and Spain. The heat format is an all-play-all block of four teams who each play a 4-a-side match against each of the other 3 club teams. Each match comprises 2 doubles games and 8 singles, all level play. Two points are awarded for each match won, or one point for a drawn match. A club team may have 4 to 6 players, with a team of 4 selected for each match. Prior to the event being held a great deal of planning was required to hold these two heats on our lawns. Simon Hathrell was the brains behind setting up the order of play, on what was a complicated spreadsheet with a team instruction booklet handed out to all team captains at the start of play. On the Thursday before the event, the club welcomed players from El Tiro for practice for informal games with a number of Watford club members. Friday was the official practice day for visiting teams and the Spanish teams were joined by an advanced party of Jean and Derek Ryan from Reigate Priory. Eight teams arrived on a bright sunny Saturday morning to be briefed on the order of play. We welcomed two teams from Spain, El Tiro and Real de Golf Pedrena, both of which turned up in smart club blazers! We also welcomed Croquet VS ‘B’ from Switzerland, Reigate Priory, Hove Beach ‘B’, Phyllis Court ‘D’, who were last-minute replacements for Forte de Touro a team from Portugal who were unable to travel. Two teams from the host club also took part and a total of 41 competitors were present for the weekend,
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