Two former Association Croquet World Champions won their respective events in the 2024 Croquet New Zealand Men’s and Women’s Championships at the Rose Gardens Club in Palmerston North held from 7-11 February. This tournament is one of the few croquet tournaments in New Zealand that have separate events for men and women and the only major croquet tournament to have a Mixed Doubles or a men-only event to match the women-only one.
Joe Hogan, from Barry Memorial club in Gisborne, won the New Zealand Men’s Championship by beating local player Dennis Bulloch in the final 26-19, 26-8. This was Joe’s fifth Men’s title, and his first since 1991.
Miranda Chapman, who plays out of the Morrinsville club, retained the New Zealand Women’s Championship she won in Wellington last season by beating Baubre Murray of Kelburn Club in Wellington 26-7, 26-11.
John Christie, also from Morrinsville club, finished third in the Men’s Championship and local player André Murray won the Plate event for 5th to 8th.
Bonnie Johnstone of Stratford won the Women’s Plate, beating Pam Fisher from the Leamington club on net hoops.
Earlier in the week, John Christie and Pam Fisher won the Mixed Doubles event with 4 wins from 5 games, from the Wellington pair of Graeme Fisher and Baubre Murray on 3 wins and Joe Hogan and partner Sonya Sedgwick (Hawkes Bay) third, also with 3 wins but a worse points difference.
