Croquet: Four from region in Hall of Fame list

Tony Stephens' induction as a Hall of Famer comes after 58 years of service. Photo / Paul Taylor

Four Hawke's Bay stalwarts have become inaugural inductees of the New Zealand Croquet Hall of Fame - two posthumously.

They are Tony Stephens, of Haumoana, John Prince, of Waipukurau, and the late Rene Watkins and Arthur Ross, both formerly of the Hastings Croquet Club, which closed its doors recently.

"I suppose it's a recognition of the achievements I've had over the years in association croquet," says Stephens, who considers himself "the old man of croquet" and will clock up 58 years in the code in January next year. The 72-year-old orchardist, who originally started at Rangatira club in Dannevirke in 1957, says the national body had acknowledged the input of 15 stalwarts from around the country, going as far back as 1915 and up to the 1980s, including several of them posthumously.

John Prince, of Waipukurau, is among 15 inaugural inductees.

"It's a great honour to be inducted in the Hall of Fame," says Prince, a retired banker who originally played for Naenae Croquet Club in Lower Hutt in his 55-year stint that saw him become affiliated to Hastings club for 15 years.

It wasn't that much of a surprise for him because NZ Croquet had approached him to do research and gather data on the inductees.

The inductees were honoured at a dinner during the code's annual meeting at Brentwood Hotel, in Kilbirnie, two Saturdays ago.

Former Rangatira club member Paul Skinley, now living in the capital, also was honoured.

Joe Hogan, of Gisborne, also falls within the sport's catchment area.

Prince, who was inducted into the World Federation of Croquet Hall of Fame in 2007, has won the NZ Open eight times and the national doubles 11 times, among other accomplishments as the first Kiwi to chalk up 100 appearances, as well as nine MacRobertson Challenge Series caps.

A champion on the global stage too, he is a life member of the national body as well as several other regions and clubs.

Born in 1897, Watkins (nee Serena Eliza Bishop) went on to clinch several national single and doubles crowns.

The four-times NZ Open champion, who died in 1967, combined to clinch three successive NZ Open doubles titles with her husband, the late Clem Watkins, from 1953-55.

Dubbed the "best female player the country has ever produced", Watkins, who adopted an upright sideways stance in executing shots, was a member of Hastings for more than 40 years.

Ross, dubbed the "Father of Triple Peels", was born in 1895 and died in 1975.

The poultry farmer cum schoolteacher, who represented New Zealand and won numerous national and international titles, also was inducted to the world federation hall of fame.

Only last month the Heretaunga Croquet Club was formed as a merger of the Hastings and Te Mata clubs.

The first recorded competition at Hastings club was in 1911 but it was incorporated in 1927.

The club had its last hurrah at its Stoneycroft, Omahu Rd, location on Tuesday, where a cocktail party also was held in honour of Prince's induction.

The club's members have affiliated to other clubs in the province and its $430,000 worth of assets has been gifted to the Hastings District Council to secure reserve land for croquet leasing.

Stephens says the Heretaunga club, in existence since last month, will add two more lawns to its seven existing ones.

The Te Mata club was 25 years old.

Prince says the merger is for the best and the code "is in good heart".

"It's sad that it's happened and isn't good for inter-club competition, but it's the old story of divided you fall, united you stand."

He notes that when he started playing four countries - England, Australia, New Zealand and later the United States - competed. Now the code has 30 nations registered and a lot more internationals played involving younger people.