EXECUTIVE CIRCULAR - NO 2 2004
Trans-Tasman Test Series, and more
Drugs in Sport
Changes to the Championships
Changes to the ACA Gold Medal event
Golf Croquet - New Rules
Laws of Croquet - new help
Australian Handicapping System
Rankings List
Future Program
The result of the recent Trans-Tasman Test Series on 21-28 February is by now well known. We have to thank our team of Bruce Fleming (Captain), Trevor Bassett, Stephen Forster, Simon Hockey, Helene Thurston, Creina Dawson, Shirley Carr and Margaret Melville, coach George Latham and manager Gary Fox, for the excellent result. It was a very near thing, with 2 of the 2 day Tests drawn and the 3rd Test ceasing play when NZ achieved a 7 to 3 lead, enough to ensure that the Test was won.
We have taken up correspondence with New Zealand on the possibility of establishing a second tier international match with them in the years when there is neither a MacRobertson nor a Trans-Tasman contest. If all goes well this may be able to start in the early part of 2005. This will be for players who have not previously represented their county in either of these two competitions.
As time progresses the importance and severity of the measures taken to combat drugs in sport intensifies. The new World Anti-doping Agency prohibited substances list came into effect on 1 January 2004. There are some significant changes and these apply to our sport as we are committed to following the anti-doping policy of the Australian Sports Commission. This includes the adoption of the 2004 Prohibited List. There is excellent information on the status of substances on the Australian Sports Drug Agency web site at www.asda.org.au and also by calling the hotline on 1800 020 506. All players are reminded to stay "drug free".
At the recent Annual General Meeting of the ACA held in Wodonga on 28th March 2004 there was agreement that there would be significant changes made concerning the future running of the Australian Championships, including the ACA Gold Medal event.
The Australian Championships will now be held in two separate sections each year, commencing in 2005. The first section comprising 9 days of play will be in Tasmania from 5th to 13th March 2005. This will comprise the Mens and Womens singles over a 4 day period followed by the Interstate Cup over a 5 day period.
The second section of the Championships will also be a 9 day event, and will comprise the Open singles and the Open doubles, probably with 5 days for the singles and 4 days for the doubles. This is being arranged to be held in Queensland, probably in Sept or Oct 2005.
For the Australian Championships it is planned that in future years the two halves of the event will rotate around each State in turn so that each State will be able to host one half of the Championships every 3 years.
This will see the future years as follows:
2005 First half, Tasmania. Second half, Queensland
2006 First half, South Aust Second half, NSW
2007 First half, WA Second half, Victoria
2008 First half, Queensland Second half, Tasmania
2009 First half, NSW Second half, South Aust
2010 First half, Victoria Second half, WA
In the event that a State finds itself unable to host the Championships as indicated above then we would need to call on any other State to make a bid to hold the event.
It was agreed at the Annual General Meeting that the play off in each State will continue as at present amongst the top 10 players in the State. The winner will be awarded a Gold medal and the runner up will receive a Silver medal, both provided by the ACA. There will be no play off amongst the State winners at the annual Australian Championships.
The new Golf Croquet Rules are now effective. A copy has been sent to all State Secretaries.
These new Rules will be used in the World Golf Croquet Championships in England on 20 - 27 June and they will be considered again after that experience. Because of this, we (the ACA) will wait until that time, to be see if there are any further minor changes required before we proceed to print and publish copies of these new Rules.
It is our recommendation that all Golf Croquet tournaments are now held using these new Rules and that all clubs are encouraged to adopt these Rules in their club play.
Our best wishes to Tony Hall and Owen Edwards who are the Australian representatives at the coming World Golf Croquet Championships.
We now have a link from the ACA web site to a New Zealand site which has the latest version of the Laws with the ORLC interspersed amongst the appropriate laws. Thus it is possible to read a law and then refer to the particular ORLC without having to flick backwards and forwards from one site to another. This should be very valuable to all players and referees. If need be, part (or all) of the laws can be printed out if required.
The web site is at http://www.croquet.org.nz/game/laws/assoc/alawconts.htm.
There appears to be no immediate move to adopt any of the possible proposed changes to the Laws. We therefore have no immediate plans to re print the green Laws book.
A committee consisting of Kevin Beard, Ray Howell and Creina Dawson has been appointed to recommend a system and a way of implementation for an Australia wide card based method of using the AHS handicapping system. After a trial period all States will have the opportunity of joining the national handicapping system.
The Australian Ranking and Handicap list is available either as a Microsoft Word document or PDF file.
World Golf Croquet Championships in UK 20 - 27 June 2004
Invitational Challenge, North Carolina V Australia, at North Carolina, 13 - 18 July 2004
President's Eights, Norwood and North Adelaide clubs, Adelaide, 1 - 4 October 2004
National Handicap Singles at Rich River, 16 - 22 October 2004
National Golf Croquet Tournament, Horsham, 24 - 26 October 2004
Australian Championships, (Mens/Womens Singles & Interstate Cup) Tasmania, 5 - 13 March 2005
WCF World Association Croquet Championships, Cheltenham, England, 6 - 14 August 2005.
Australian Championships, (Open Singles & Doubles) Queensland, dates to be finalised but should be Sept/Oct 2005.
Presidents Eights, should be Melbourne Nov/Dec 2005 (to be confirmed)
Trans Tasman Test Series, Australia, probably early 2006
MacRobertson Shield, Australia, 18 Nov - 3 Dec 2006 (to be confirmed)
Terry Speers,
ACA Secretary,
26th April 2004
