There are two main variants of the game played in the UK: Golf Croquet and Association Croquet (also known as International Rules Croquet) - see Introduction to Croquet for an outline. Some players only play (or excel) in one version of the game, which is shown below as (AC) or (GC).
| Keith Aiton (AC) | Reg Bamford | Rutger Beijderwellen (AC) | Jamie Burch (AC) | Ryan Cabble (GC) | Paddy Chapman (AC) |
| Howard Cheyne (GC) | Chris Clarke | Jeff Dawson | James Death (AC) | Ed Duckworth (AC) | Marcus Evans |
| Dr Chris Farthing | Robert Fulford | William Gee (GC) | John Gibbons (AC) | Dr Jonathan Kirby (AC) | Ian Lines |
| Ailsa Lines (AC) | David Maugham (AC) | Nelson Morrow (GC) | Stephen Mulliner | David Openshaw | Samir Patel (AC) |
| Master Tim Race (GC) | Rachel Rowe (GC) | Samantha Thompson (GC) | Sam Tudor (AC) | Freda Vitty (GC) |
Rutger moved from the Netherlands to England to follow a croquet dream. With two major Opens recently under his belt (New Zealand and the British) and being a member of the winning British Test Team he now has his sights firmly set on becoming the World Champion.
Jamie Burch - from Reigate in Surrey, England. A painter & decorator by trade. And is a busy family man who managed to get married, move house and have a baby all in 2007! Despite all this, he still finds enough time for croquet and darts - his winter sport.
Paddy was born in 1987 and works in IT for Boots Pharmacy HQ in Nottingham. Born and bred in Christchurch, New Zealand, he relocated to Australia for 18 months in 2008, before moving to Nottingham in August 2010. He is engaged to fellow croquet player Miranda Morgan, who represents Australia and is one of the top female players in the world.
Paddy has won several big titles in the past few years, including the New Zealand Open Singles, Australian Open Doubles (twice), Australian Men's Championship and ACA Gold Medal. He has competed in two MacRobertson Shield teams for New Zealand, finishing a very close second to GB in the 2010 event – winning 5/6 singles and 7/9 doubles with partner Aaron Westerby. He has also been selected in three New Zealand Trans Tasman teams, and was player of the series in 2006. He is currently ranked number 2 in the world.
Outside croquet, Paddy enjoys playing the piano, making and editing videos, and watching movies.
Howard took up Croquet competitively in 2008 having won the National Garden Golf Croquet Challenge in 2007. In 2009 he was National GC Doubles Champion with Richard Thompson and was the inaugral winner of the John Spiers Award. In 2010 he finished joint 3rd at the European GC Championships and British GC Open. Outside of croquet Howard spends the winter months playing hockey for Epsom HC.
Chris has played in all the GB Mac teams between 1993 and 2006, captaining it in 1996.
Chris was the youngest player to be inducted into the WCF Hall of Fame at the age of 39.
James Death is one of the most talented players in the world. His fluent style makes him a "must-see" for spectators. James is the current UK Men's Champion and has previously won the prestigious Presidents Cup and been a semi-finalist in the 2005 World Championships. James works as a bingo caller. James enjoys eating, drinking and computer games.
Ed was born in 1972, is married and has a 2 year old son and baby daughter. He is a solicitor, acting on behalf of the NHS and other healthcare bodies (useful as his wife is a nurse). Ed lives in North Somerset and has been a member of the Bristol Croquet Club for over twenty years. He has won the Southern Championship three times and was runner-up in the President's Cup in 2010.
Beyond this, he enjoys travelling, pinball, surfing, body-boarding, avoiding DIY and walking his two Border Terriers.
Marcus was born in Bristol in 1985 and took up croquet in Nailsea 11 years later. Having graduated in philosophy from the University of Nottingham in 2007 (where he was a sports bursar for croquet for three years, as well as appearing on "University Challenge" and singing in Gilbert & Sullivan's "Iolanthe", among other things), Marcus now works as a pensions consultant for Hargreaves Lansdown in Bristol. In the winter months Marcus is a keen musician on both piano and 'cello, and sings in the Bristol Bach Choir. Marcus has appeared in two previous Golf Croquet World Championships and three Association Croquet World Championships (qualifying for the knockout stages on every occasion), and in addition has represented the England and Great Britain teams in various international matches. He also enjoys many other sports including football, snooker, pool, poker, tennis, and bridge.
Chris was born in 1971 and lives with his girlfriend in London, working as a neuroscientist. He first played croquet as an undergraduate in Oxford in the early 1990's, and his major croquet achievment has been winning the British Open Doubles Championship (with Chris Patmore) in 1999. Chris is an advocate of all forms of croquet: golf and association, handicap and level, singles and doubles. He is a member of Surbiton Croquet Club, and was proud to do his part in helping Surbiton complete the historic double of winning the 2006 inter-club championships at both golf and association croquet. He also represents his birth county of Suffolk. Outside of croquet, Chris enjoys playing darts competitively, and is a real ale enthusiast.
Robert is one of the most successful players in the history of the game. He has won the world championship a record 5 times and has been part of a winning British MacRobertson Shield team on an unprecedented seven occasions (twice as Captain). Other achievements include winning the British Open 9 times, the British Open Doubles 10 times with Chris Clarke and the President's Cup 9 times. Robert plays with a fluent style and loves tactics, employing a wider range than other top players.
Robert was born in Colchester in 1969 and started playing aged 15 at the Colchester Club where he still plays. Robert and his wife Susan live in Lower Raydon, Suffolk. Robert works for the NHS diabetic eye screening service.
Outside of croquet Will enjoys Cycling, Squash and Football.
Jonathan Kirby took up croquet as a student in 1999 when he was 20. He played for Great Britain in the MacRobertson Shield in Australia in 2006, and has also played many times for Scotland. He won a bronze medal at the singles World Championship in 2005, and won the British Open doubles (with Ian Burridge) in 2009. Jonathan has also played in the President's Cup four times, and the Resort Invitational in Oregon twice.
Married with a young family, Jonathan works as a lecturer in mathematics at the University of East Anglia, in Norwich. Aside from playing, Jonathan has supported croquet as a coach, a referee, and with various administrative roles including being chairman of the CA's International Committee and chairman of the World Croquet Federation's world ranking review committee.
Born in 1965, Ian is a safety and risk management consultant living near Manchester, England. He started playing croquet in 1993, and won the 1995 All England Association Handicap Championship. During 2004, he won the Chairman's Salver and played for Great Britain in their successful Solomon Trophy team against the USA in Palm Springs. More recently, he has represented England in the Home Internationals, won the Chairman's Salver again in 2008, the Coles Championship in 2008 and the North of England Championship in 2009. He has played in the President's Cup in 2010 and been ranked as high as 5th in the Association world rankings. Although primarily an Association player, Ian also enjoys Golf croquet, where his greatest achievements have been winning the Musk Cup in 2007 and the Plate at the 2008 World Championship in Capetown. However, his proudest croquet achievement was to be a member of the Great Britain team that won the MacRobertson Shield in 2010. Ian regularly travels round the world to play croquet, and came 3rd at the 2006 Australian Open, won the Z event at the 2007 New Zealand Open and won the 2009 New Zealand Open Doubles with Michael Wright. Ian has been the Tournament Secretary for Bowdon Croquet Club since 1997, organising all the internal and external tournaments, as well as managing several CA tournaments every year around the North West. He has been the Secretary of the North West Federation of Croquet Clubs since 2002, and has recently joined the CA Council, serving on the International and the Association Laws Committees. As well as playing croquet, Ian is an active Grade 3 coach, Championship Referee and also enjoys walking, climbing volcanoes and travel.
Born in 1967, Ailsa is Head of Mathematics at her local Girls' Grammar School in Grantham which caters for pupils aged 11- 18 years. She has been playing croquet since 1993. Ailsa won England's Ladies' Championship (Barlow Bowl) in 1999 and the British Mixed Doubles title with David Maugham in 2005. More recently she has represented England in the Home Internationals (2007 and 2009) and twice got to the group stage in the World Association Championships (England 2005 and New Zealand 2008). Ailsa is a member of Nottingham and Bowdon croquet clubs.
David Maugham was introduced to croquet by his father in 1981 when he was 12 and started playing competitively in 1985. He has won various singles honours including the British Open Championship, British President's Cup on 4 occasions, the Sonoma-Cutrer World Championship 3 times, the Australian Open, the US Open and 22 British Regional Championships. His doubles successes include three British Open Doubles titles (with Steve Comish, Chris Clarke and Mark Avery) and two British Mixed Doubles (with Jenny Williams and Ailsa Lines).
David has also been on six Macrobertson Shield winning Great Britain sides, and considers his best match to be the one in which he completed a TP to win the deciding game of the final match of the test against New Zealand at Christchurch in 2000 when the scores were level.
Outside of croquet, David works as the IT manager for a natural stone company; has a black belt in ju-jitsu; enjoys computer games; and practices modern jive dancing.
Stephen Mulliner, 57, took up tournament croquet in 1976. Association Croquet: winner of British Open Championship 1988, 1990, 2000, Open Doubles 9 times, President's Cup 5 times 1981-92, Sonoma-Cutrer Championship 4 times, European Championship 11 times. 2nd in 1997 and 2008 World Championships. Represented Great Britain in MacRobertson Shield in 1982, 1986, 1990, 2000, 2003 and 2010. Also keen Golf Croquet player, 3rd in 2006 World Championship, European Champion 2007 and 2009 and winner of British Golf Croquet Championship 5 times, most recently 2010. Vice-President of the Croquet Association and member of World Croquet Federation Management Committee. Lives in Haslemere, Surrey. Married to Sarah with 4 children aged 21 to 27. Management consultant, active in local politics and keen all-round sportsman.
David was been a regular member of the Great Britain croquet team between 1979 and 2002 and its Captain from 1982 to 2002. During this period the Great Britain croquet team was Britains most successful sports team.
His trophies include British Open Champion 1979, 1981 and 1985, US Open Champion 1991, Canadian Open Champion 1991 Scottish Open Champion 2006. He has also been successful in doubles competitions winning the British Open in 1985 and 1987 with Mark Avery, the British Mixed Doubles Championship with Kathleen Priestley in 2002 and 2003, and the NZ Open Doubles Champion with Stephen Mulliner in 2000. He is also pleased to have won the North of England Championship on six occasions.
In the World Championship he was losing finalist in 1991 and reached the semi finals in 1989 and 1992.
David is currently President of the World Croquet Federation. He works in the Automotive Industry as a consultant.
Samir has been playing croquet since taking up the sport in the mid-nineties at Oxford University, and won his first A-class tournament in 2001. Now a member of Surbiton Croquet Club, he has won the Club Championship for both Association and Golf Croquet and was part of the team that won both inter-club competitions in 2006.
Notable UK tournament successes include the Spencer Ell Trophy (2006), Du Pre Cup (2007), British Opens Final (2008), and Championship of Surrey (2010). He has represented England in the Home Internationals and European Championship, and has made regular appearances for GB in the Maugham and Solomon trophies since his debut against Ireland in 2007. He has been as high as fourth in the world rankings.
Samir is a consultant with an Operational Research firm, is married and lives in Richmond, Surrey. His young son can often be seen court side demanding to be allowed to play.
Clubs Hunstanton and Bygrave
Rachel has a Maths degree from Warwick and works for Experian as a Data Analyst in Nottingham.
She likes travelling to new places and finds Croquet provides lots of excuses for this!
Born in 1964, Samantha is Managing Director of the Ripon Spa Hotel, and is a founder member of the Ripon Spa Hotel Croquet Club, home of the 12th Yorkshire International Open Golf Championship. Samantha is the holder of the Brish Open Doubles Barlow and Woodlands trophies along with her partner David Hopkins, and also holder of the Womens Open Championship, but feels that should we have a visit from some of the Eygyptian women in 2007 to Yorkshire this title will be wisked away back to Cairo in no time at all!
Sam Tudor was born in 1980 and currently works at Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge as a Medical Physicist. Born and brought up in the Black Country, he was introduced to the game at school, and played his early games at Himley Hall and Edgbaston croquet clubs. A regular on the A-Class tournament circuit and in the Wales international side, his achievements include winning the Spencer Ell in 2005 and the Welsh Championship in 2003 and 2004. He has represented Great Britain once, in the 2001 Solomon Trophy against the USA. While he can shoot fairly straight his lack of follow through in his swing has earned him the dubious nickname of "Stabber". He is particularly prone to disastrous errors such as his famed "Hogan Drive" at the 2006 Chairman's Salver.
Outside of croquet, Sam is an activist in the Co-operative Movement, a trade unionist and accordionist. He likes walking holidays, farmhouse cider, folk music, his girlfriend Kate, West Bromwich Albion, real ale, the fens, Monte Carlo simulations, collective provision, camping, balti, and the music of The Smiths.
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