Gisborne’s Joe Hogan on well-worn track back to the big time

Joe Hogan has won a golf croquet tournament in Mt Maunganui as he prepares for some big tournaments in the association and golf forms of the game.

Joe Hogan has won the singles at Mt Maunganui Croquet Club’s December three-day golf croquet tournament for the second year in a row.

He had 15 games for 15 wins in the singles, and in the doubles he and fellow Barry Memorial Croquet Club member Rob Hayes took second place.

“We were one hoop away from beating the pair who were first,” Hogan said.

Time on court for Hogan was about 20 hours spread over two days, in temperatures that reached 32C.

It’s all good preparation for some big tournaments as Hogan aims to do his bit towards making the New Zealand team as strong as possible for the MacRobertson Shield series marking the 100th anniversary of the first time the shield was contested, in 1926.

He’d love to be in the team, but if he doesn’t make the cut he’d like to think he helped hone the competitive edge of those who are selected.

“We’ve got some terrific young players coming through,” he said.

The MacRobertson Shield – croquet’s premier team event – is contested every three or four years by Australia, England, New Zealand and the United States. The venue rotates within the four competing nations.

In July/August next year the event will be held in England, and Hogan is keen to be there, if not as a player then as a supporter of the New Zealand team.

He was in the New Zealand team who won the shield in England in 1986 – the only time a team other than the hosts had won the MacRobertson Shield when it was contested in Britain.

England hold the shield, having won the last tournament, held in Australia in 2022. New Zealand last won it in 2013/14 as tournament hosts.

Hogan says it’s the Ashes of croquet and he’d love to be part of an effort that “beat the English on their own soil” again.

“When we won the MacRobertson Shield in 1986, staying in our hotel were the New Zealand cricket team who won a test series against England in England for the first time.

“They were both big firsts in terms of New Zealand wins on English soil – and they happened in the same year. It was great to be part of that.”

Hogan’s next big tournament is the association croquet nationals in Waikanae and Paraparaumu from January 3 to 10. He is ranked fifth in the draw for the singles, and in the doubles he is playing with up-and-coming player Reece McCorkindale, of Ashburton.

“His brother Logan is a New Zealand Open winner, and Reece has already tested himself at the association croquet world champs in Palm Springs, California, three months ago.”

Hogan said clubmates Paul Stuart and Don McConnochie were also entered in the nationals, in the doubles.

“It’s a long time since Barry Memorial Croquet Club has had three members at the nationals.”

The golf croquet nationals in Heretaunga are next on the list, from January 13 to 18, when Hogan will contest both the singles and doubles.

Hogan was the inaugural world croquet singles champion in 1989. He was a multiple national titleholder in singles and doubles, and a regular member of the New Zealand team until he took time off for his family.

Ten years ago, with his family’s encouragement, he returned to regular competitive croquet and played in the 2017 MacRobertson Shield team.

He has shown the competitive fires still burn by winning back-to-back New Zealand men’s singles croquet titles in 2024 and ’25.