FROM NICK DOWNING (GCCC): Mallet News
T he GCCC (The Greyton Country Croquet Club) has plundered some silverware, following its successful escapades at the Western Cape Croquet Association Championships. Pedro Martin (the team’s new Central Pivot) won the Handicap Singles and together with Pen- ny McRobert, they also scooped up the Handicap Doubles trophy. There is a famous story of Sir Francis Drake, who was playing bowls in Ports- mouth when the Spanish Armada was sighted in the British Channel, but it might just as well have been croquet. So focused on the game, he said: “There is plenty of time to win this game and thrash the Spanish too!” His subsequent victory burnished his reputation as a pri - vateer and plunderer of Spanish treasure. Congratulations to our team for holding up his reputation. The GCCC’s story formally began in 2012 when the club was constituted with six inaugural members. Croquet used to be played in the late Mike Goulding’s garden and for a while on the Uitkyk school sports fields before the club was invit- ed in 2019 to share the facilities of the Country Village bowling lawn. Looking to the future, we have leased land from the municipality alongside the bowls club, for the purpose of constructing additional lawns. The land is below the flood line and therefore cannot be built on, but it is suitable for croquet lawns. It also has the added advantage of being next to the bowling club with obvious synergy. The club’ vision includes a clear mod - ernising agenda for the sport: Promoting
the sport amongst children; An inclusive approach; Supporting the expansion of rec - reational facilities locally and contrib - uting to the local tourism economy. In the meantime, the club goes from strength to strength, eager
James Remington-Hobbs, Luc Jansens, Nick Downing (President of GCCC, Penny McRobert, Pedro Martin and Graham Goosen (Captain of GCCC).
Indeed, the biggest trophies are reserved for active japery. Croquet is above all a social game, to be enjoyed by families, by men and women and youngsters of all ages.
to climb the ranks of the Robinson Cup league, as we do battle with False Bay, Helderberg Village, Rondebosch, Kelvin Grove, and the two Somerset West teams, the Eagles and the Falcons. There is a large contingent which travels every year to compete nationally at the Port Alfred Classic. Our esteemed captain Graham Goosen is quite the champion winning the level singles (2023), the
Our club welcomes you. Visit us on the lawns at the Greyton Country Village. www.gccc-Greyton.co.za
handicap singles and runner up in the Level singles (2024). But it’s not too serious or overly competitive. There is a keen social element to the club. One can only speculate where the Country Village’s bar sales would be without the keen influence of the GCCC.
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