Monthly Archives: July 2022

Toronto Introduce Gateball to Port Macquarie & Thanks to Maggi Williams

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Introduction to Gateball On Saturday 16 July most of the 27 members present had their first encounter with gateball. Four members of the Toronto Club, Marion Davies, HelenChalmers, Ruth Mulvaney and Jenny Willsher, introduced us to the game.
Gateball is a mallet sport that is very different from the games of croquet that we know.

It is a team game that can be played by four or more players.
With two courts set up we were gradually taken through the skills and the development of the game.

After a sausage sizzle, cooked by Peter Drinkwater and Tony Earle, a 3 player team and then a five player team game was played. We really appreciate the help of the members of the Toronto club. They are also a Club Hub and, with the help of the money from Croquet NSW, we strive to improve the enjoyment and skills of our players and encourage new members to this game that we love.

We were able to buy a Gateball set and pay for Marion’s accommodation from the $5,000 that we have already received from Croquet
NSW.

Thank you very much to Tim, our Club Hub coordinator, for arranging the day. At the next committee meeting we will work out our way forward with the introduction of
this game.

More pictures are available here:

 
Apologies to Toronto and Port Macquarie for the rather late posting of this story. A few communication glitches!
 
FINALLY: Thanks to Maggi Williams for all the posting she has done for us for a number of years. Maggi played in the Blue Mountains and Lithgow and when she retired from the game, she offered to keep posting stories for us. She probably did this for about 7 years! Maggi’s participation in the game will be remembered not only for her willingness to take on roles but also her encouragement and support for local disability groups. For many years, she was the driving force behind fortnightly sessions for local disability support groups. 
 
Thanks Maggi

 

A New National Coordinator of Gateball Australia

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Gateball Australia is pleased to announce that the ACA Board has selected Ros Crowe as its next National Coordinator of Gateball. 
 
Ros  started playing in 2016 with Redcliffe and was part of their team for the 2018 World Gateball Championships in Brazil. In 2018, she was President of the newly formed Deception Bay Gateball Club (now Moreton Bay Gateball Club).
 
She  joined Pine Rivers Croquet Club in 2019 to introduce Gateball and played in the Jinxi Cup in China that year with players from South Australia and Pine Rivers. When she retired in 2020, she moved to her local club, Eildon, and currently represents them and Gateball at the Brisbane North Region Sub-committee.
 
She is a Level 2 Gateball coach, a Level 1 Gateball referee and has been learning Golf Croquet. She  recently managed the Gateball CAQ Centenary Pennants and really loved the challenge of developing and introducing the new format.
She tells us that Gateball has provided awesome opportunities to meet fantastic people and to travel locally, interstate and internationally. In her  new role, she  looks forward to meeting more players and continuing to grow the Gateball community.
 
Before signing off, retiring National Coordinator, John Park, stated that he would like to acknowledge the growing recognition and engagement by the ACA with Gateball. When he first became NCGB, ACA Board contacts were Croquet players who, at best, tried to listen. His three recent contacts on the Board have been GB players who have understood the issues and made sure that Gateball’s  voice has been heard. Thanks Graeme Thomas, Jeff Crook and Barbara Northcott. Current ACA President, Jim Nichols, also deserves thanks. He has not only attended the 2019 and 2022 Australian Championships but has played in those events as well! His game of choice is AC, but like over two thirds of Gateballers, he enjoys playing other codes too.   
We look forward to a bright future for Gateball being led by a competent younger woman within a mutually supportive mallet sports community!

Gateball Pennants for Queensland’s Centenary

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In 2021, the Queensland Croquet’s Centenary Committee agreed that Gateball would be included in the CAQ Centenary Pennants to be held in 2022. The innovative format of the event required an entry of five players who played in a Team game and then split to play in a Doubles game and a Triples game. The winner in each region was the club team that won the most pennant rounds.
The Brisbane North Region was represented by Eildon; the Sunshine Coast Region was represented by Caloundra; the Gold Coast Tweed Region was represented by Southport and the Central Queensland Region was represented by Rockhampton.

The participants seen the photo are members of the 4 teams from the Regions in Queensland.

All the teams gathered at Eildon CC from 16-17th July. Competition over the two days was of the highest level with the fantastic weather and lawn conditions making all the matches great viewing. The players agreed that the pennants format was challenging and enjoyable and seem to agree that they would be keen to do it all again next year.

The Southport  Team from the Gold Coast Tweed Region were the winners and were presented with their medal by Pat Habner, CAQ President.

The GCT regional team, Southport, was undefeated by winning all three pennant rounds in which they played. The Central Queensland Regional team, Rockhampton, were the runners up. Eildon from the Brisbane South Region came third.

Representing Central QLD was the Rockhampton team that came second.

The Winning Medal

Information and photos supplied by Ros Crowe

New Level 1 Coaches

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Congratulations to the six new level 1 Coaches who undertook the Level 1 Gateball Coaching Course conducted by Jim and Barbara Northcott at Eildon Croquet Club on Sunday afternoon, 17th July. It was a very committed group of players who were well prepared and enthusiastic about the task of Coaching Gateball.

 Robyn Brown and Howard Williams were from the Caloundra MSC. From the  Eildon Croquet Club were Maddi Crowe, Christine Roose, Philip Rowlands and Denis Pitkin.

Thanks to the Eildon Club and their Management for the use of their facilities.

L-R Howard Williams, Philip Rowlands, Denis Pitkin, Robyn Brown,Maddi Crowe and Christine Roose.

Suzuki Cup

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At the Southport’s MSOB Gateball Competition it was announced by Bruce McAlister, Manager of the Suzuki Cup, that the winning team for 2021 was the Southport Red. This Trophy is for the most consistent team for the whole of the year and it honours the founder of Gateball – Mr Eiji Suzuki.

Southport Red did have a very good year because it won the State Championships along with several other Competitions. It also was placed 2nd in the Australian Gateball Team Championships in April of this year.

 Southport has won the Suzuki Cup for the 6th year. Not all of the regular team members were able to be there for the presentation. Ethan Chilton, Barrie and Margaret Barnard could not attend. But, it was a very happy time indeed for those participated in the MSOB since the team won that event as well.

Southport Red team- L-R Peter Sweet, Lee Wentworth (C.), Kathie Grant and Gaye Pitman