Back injury a spanner in the works for Gisborne croquet player Joe Hogan

Gisborne croquet player and former world singles champion Joe Hogan was forced to withdraw from two tournaments this month because of a back injury, but he is still hoping to travel to the MacRobertson Shield series in England this year, as a supporter if not as a player.

A back injury has stopped croquet maestro Joe Hogan in his tracks.

The former world singles champion, who plays his club croquet on Gisborne’s Barry Memorial Croquet Club courts, had entered the association and golf croquet national tournaments.

He won all six games to top his section in the association croquet championship, played in Waikanae and Paraparaumu from January 3 to 10. Among his victories was one against New Zealand test player Greg Bryant.

However, he lost his first game in post-section play and, on the Thursday night, he wrenched his back and had to withdraw from the bowl and shield rounds of the tournament.

Earlier, Hogan partnered 22-year-old Reece McCorkindale, of Ashburton, in the doubles as they had three wins and three losses in section play.

Hogan regularly partners up-and-coming players in tournaments in the hope that his 54 years of croquet experience can be of some use to the next generation.

McCorkindale had considerable success in the singles. He beat New Zealand test player Aaron Westerby two games to one on his way to winning the shield section. Elder brother Logan McCorkindale won the main event, the New Zealand Open Singles title.

While Hogan had intended playing in the golf croquet tournament, in Heretaunga from January 13 to 18, he was still suffering the effects of his back injury and had to withdraw from the event before it started.

His partner in the doubles was to have been Mohammad Kamal, one of the foremost promoters of golf croquet in the United States, but Hogan was able to find another doubles partner for Kamal. In the singles, Kamal was runner-up in the final.

Due to time constraints and cost, Hogan had already decided not to travel to Christchurch next month to defend the New Zealand men’s croquet title he had won for the past two years.

“My approach to croquet competition this season has been, ‘If I can’t go to England for the MacRobertson Shield as a player, I’d like to go as a spectator to support the New Zealand team.’

“So I’d better start saving for the trip.”

The MacRobertson Shield – “the Ashes of croquet” – is the premier croquet team event, and is contested by Australia, England, New Zealand and the US.

The series is played in rotation between the competing countries every three or four years. Shield holders England, who won the 2022 series in Australia, host the next series. It will be played in July and August this year.

Hogan has been selected for six MacRobertson Shield teams. He was in the New Zealand team that won the shield in England in 1986 – the only time a team other than the hosts have won the MacRobertson Shield when it was contested in Britain.

He had hoped to attend this year’s series, marking the 100th anniversary of the competition, as a player, but if that didn’t happen, he wanted to be there as a supporter. And he would like to think he helped hone the competitive edge of those selected.

At 67, Hogan is still looking to the future. While he will not defend his New Zealand men’s title in Christchurch next month, he is looking forward to his bid to regain the championship when the tournament is played in the North Island next year.