- What is the WCF?
- What croquet variants does it recognise?
- How many members are there?
- What are its principles and objectives?
- Will croquet ever appear in the Olympic Games?
- What is the WCF stance to doping-control?
- Does WCF make the Rules of the game?
- What is the WCF involvement with the MacRobertson Shield Competition?
- Why are the parts of the United Kingdom classed as separate croquet associations?
The WCF is a members organisation, comprised of national associations that are recognised by the WCF as having control of the sport in their own countries. Certain conditions are specified for membership and provided these are met, application for membership can be made at any time. There are three categories of membership, Full, Associate and Observer. Full carrys the benefit of a number of votes, determined by the size of their own membership. Full and Associate members are entitled to send at least one representative to any WCF World Championship event.
What croquet variants does it recognise?
WCF recognises all variants of the sport including:- 1.Association Croquet 2.Golf Croquet 3.Short Croquet 4.Two-ball Croquet 5.U.S. Six-wicket Croquet 6.U.S. Nine-wicket Croquet, 7.Garden Croquet, 8. Extreme Croquet, 9. Ancient Croquet
As at 1st October 2005 there are 27 members of the WCF across 5 continents. 11 are Full members, 3 Associate members and the remainder are Observer members.
What are its principles and objectives?
At the inception of WCF in 1986 certain principles and objectives were established to promote the sport of croquet throughout the world. Each of these is enshrined in the WCF Rules (Statutes) and form the basis of the WCF Business Plan The relevant statute is reproduced below:
103. PRINCIPLES AND OBJECTS The principles and objects of the Federation are:
(103.1) To encourage, promote and develop the recognised versions of the game of croquet (the Games) internationally at all levels.
(103.2) To encourage and promote the teaching of the Games internationally.
(103.3) To uphold and enforce the laws of the Games.
(103.4) To promote international team and individual championships.
(103.5) To make and uphold regulations for international championships.
(103.6) To recognise certain croquet championships by sanctioning and licensing them to be held under the auspices of the Federation.
(103.7) To employ the funds of the Federation as may be deemed appropriate.
(103.8) To increase by joint action the influence of Associations in dealings with other sports governing bodies and with local and national authorities.
(103.9) To preserve the independence of the Federation in all matters relating to the Games and its relations with Associations.
(103.10) To recognise that the Federation has powers to control Games played in any nation, but only when the appropriate Member Association has given its prior agreement.
(103.11) To publish a newsletter periodically to aid exchange of information.
(103.12) To make awards to those who have contributed to the achievement of the Federation's aims.
(103.13) To uphold these principles and objects and generally to take such measures as may seem expedient for advancing the international interests of the Games whilst upholding a commitment to non-racial and non-discriminatory sport.
(103.14) To enforce the observance of these Rules.
Will croquet ever appear in the Olympic Games?
Although croquet appeared in the 1900 Olympic Games in Paris, France with French nationals taking all gold medals, it has not appeared since. Incidentally the first woman competitor in any Modern Olympics competed in croquet in that year. Mme. Brohy and Mlle. Ohnier taking the honour.
Photo below Paris 1900. Games of the II Olympiad. A competitor in action in the croquet tournament in the Cercle du Bois de Boulogne. Courtesy of: IOC/Olympic Museum collections
WCF recognises the difficulties of raising the awareness of the sport to a sufficient level for it to be a contender with other more established, athletic or adrenaline type sports that attract larger audiences and levels of participation. However, some of the principles and objectives of the WCF directly require it to be proactive in promoting and developing and teaching the sport and interacting with other sports governing bodies.
The pinnacle of any sports organisation is to be recognised as such by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). To do that, WCF has many hurdles to cross before becoming eligible for membership of that or other organisations as stepping stones towards Olympic recognition. To become recognised by the IOC each sport must show that it has 75 members associations across 5 continents. [Current WCF membership is shown here], so there is some way to go.
IOC has a policy of recognising qualifying sports but to become a participating summer sport requires separate consideration in direct competition with those already established. The trend at the moment is to reduce, rather than increase the number of sports participating at Summer Games. This will make the job harder.
A more realistic objective at this time is to first put WCF into a position where it will qualify for membership of other World Sports Organisers such as:-
- GAISF
- Commonwealth Games Federation
- East Asian Games Association (EAGA)
- International Committee for the Mediterranean Games (CIJM)
- International Masters Games Association (IGMA)
- International Military Sports Council (CISM)
- International Paralympic Committee (IPC)
- International University Sports Federation (FISU)
- International World Games Association (IWGA)
- Olympic Council of Asia (OCA)
First is membership of GAISF and the World Games. (Croquet was demonstation sport at the 1989 World Games at Karlsruhe, Germany) GAISF stipulate a minimum membership of 30 members across 4 continents but a significant annual membership fee, currently outside the cost ability of WCF. Other organisations require similar standards. One standard that all Sports Organisations now require is the adoption by International Federations of the World Anti-doping Agency (WADA) code or protocols.
Currently WCF has not yet done so, although a review of that situation is currently being carried out. In the meantime, WCF will continue to develop its own membership and internal management to a point that should qualifying standards be achieved in the future, a decision by the membership can be taken.
IOC alters rules for new sports (28th November 2006)
The International Olympic Committee has decided to change the way new sports are included in future Games.
Delegates agreed to reduce the number of sports for the 2020 Games to 25 during a two-day meeting in Kuwait - with three potentially voted in.
The IOC has also decided to alter the voting procedure for new sports.
Just a majority of votes will be needed to bring in a sport compared to the current two thirds and the new system will come into affect next year.
The IOC said the changes would make the process of introducing new sports more exciting.
"This will be more interesting for sports wanting to come in," said IOC Olympic Games executive director Gilbert Felli.
"It will make the process less conservative and more flexible."
The Beijing Games in 2008 will be the last to feature a core of 28 sports as baseball and softball were removed from the London Games in 2012.
For the 2016 Games, the IOC will have a core of 26 with the possibility of introducing two more.
The IOC had already decided that Games should have a maximum of 28 sports and a minimum of 25.
What is the WCF stance to doping-control?
The current situation is that WCF does not recognise the World Anti-doping Agency Code.
WCF is currently undertaking a review of that situation but not all its membership is convinced it is either desireable or necessary. The main issues of concern are not that doping of performance enhancing drugs in sport is cheating [that is accepted] but the use to which Therapeutic Use Exemptions (TUE) can be used and the significance of the use of Beta-Blockers and Alcohol. (Both of these drugs are discretionary for each sport to ban or not ban)
Croquet is similar to a few sports (e.g. Bowls) where many people continue to competitively play the sport well into old age. At such a time it is more likely that ageing ailments require alleviation through medicinal compounds that would otherwise be banned by the WADA code. Although the use of TUE can circumvent the issue for the individual player the question remains is it fair on the other competitiors.
WCF recognises there are strict limitations on the use of TUE but the basic concern remains. Another aspect of concern is the use of Beta-Blockers and Alcohol. As mentioned earlier, both are discretionary banned by each sport. Some have done so within certain limits of consumption and other than those that are directly related to machinery (e.g flying) the others are for precision sports (e.g. snooker/billiards) where there is a ballistic correlation to croquet. The main concern relates to Beta-Blockers. Again, because of the significant aged participation in the sport the use of Beta-Blockers may be widespread and there is the paradox of :- 1. allowing the use of them (with or without limit) and by default potentially encouraging the use of the drug, or 2. banning it (with or without limit) and thereby potentially criminalising within the code aged competitors.
On 20th October 2005 The International Convention Against Doping in Sport was adopted unanimously by the UNESCO General Conference meeting in Paris for its 33 d session. This is the first time a legal instrument aimed at eradicating doping is both binding and universal. The effect of this is that all UN Countries will have to pass laws to support the WADA code and hence WCF member associations will have to adhere to them. Meanwhile the debate within WCF continues.
See the WCFAnti-doping Web page for further information
Does WCF make the Rules of the game?
Yes and No.
It depends upon which variant of the sport you are talking about. WCF recognises all variants of the sport but concentrates its efforts on Association and Golf Croquet. This is mainly to avoid diluting the overall product of the game and to concentrate scant resources on those that are the most popular.
Each variant has a different governing body reflecting the fact that WCF is a relatively young body, established in 1986, whilst the Rules of the game have developed since the mid 19th century.
Association, Short and Two-ball Croquet (sometimes referred to as one ball [because each player has one ball each]) games are governed by Rules made and copyrighted by the International Laws Revision Committee of The Croquet Association (of England), Australian Croquet Association, Croquet New Zealand and United States Croquet Association
U.S. Six-wicket and Nine-wicket Croquet games are governed by Rules made and copyrighted by the United States Croquet Association.
Golf Croquet games are governed by Rules made and copyrighted by the WCF. There have been attempts to bring all these Rules under the aegis of WCF (with suitable involvement of the relevant parties) but it has not happened yet.
WCF will continue to strive to reach a position of organisational maturity to enable that to happen in the future, but all interested parties must agree to that for it to happen.
What is the WCF involvement with the MacRobertson Shield Competition?
The position is similar to the Rules of the game. The MacRobertson Shield Tournament operates under the direction and governance of The Croquet Association (of England), Australian Croquet Association, Croquet New Zealand and United States Croquet Association and is held roughly every four years on a rotating venue basis.
In 1996 the governing bodies made application to the WCF for it to be accredited with the title of "World Team Championship". The title was finally conferred on the event in 2004. Consequently WCF does recognise the tournament as the pinnacle of team competition of the sport and serves as a non voting member of the MacRobertson Shield Committee.
Therefore WCF has no involvement with the organisation of the event but will support it by every possible means.
WCF has agreed never to hold a WCF World Association Croquet (26 point) Championship in the same year as a MacRobertson Shield event to avoid unnecessary costs of travel and accommodation by competitors and the dilution of the sport at the highest level.
Why are the parts of the United Kingdom classed as separate croquet associations?
When the WCF was formed in 1986, the founding fathers decided to take a pragmatic view of what constituted a "country" and more importantly, a "croquet association". Influences on the final decision included the International Olympic Committee and The Commonwealth Games list of members and the issue of future funding of the sport.
On that basis, the constituent parts of the UK were recognised as having separate croquet associations and as such, entitled to separate membership. This is similar to many sports, association football being the most prominent. Should the sport ever be represented again in the Olympic games, the IOC would only currently recognise Great Britain and Northern Ireland, which is the same as UK, if not quite in name.
As for the UK itself, it is a unitary State comprising England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. The United Kingdom Crown Dependencies and Overseas Territories are not part of the UK, but the UK is responsible for their external affairs. England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have separate legal systems.
Since May 1997, the Government has introduced substantial devolution of powers to Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland as part of its wider programme of constitutional reform. The people of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland now have separate democratically-elected legislatures of their own - the Scottish Parliament and the Welsh and Northern Ireland Assemblies - giving them a greater say in the management of their day-to-day affairs, though they maintain the close links that have existed for centuries within the United Kingdom. The Westminster Parliament continues to legislate on certain matters that affect the whole of the United Kingdom - such as foreign affairs, defence and macroeconomic policy - responsibility for which has not been transferred to the devolved administrations.
Crown Dependencies
The UK Crown Dependencies (CDs) are the Bailiwicks of Jersey and Guernsey and the Isle of Man. The CDs are not part of the United Kingdom (UK), but are self-governing dependencies of the Crown. They have their own directly elected legislative assemblies, administrative, fiscal and legal systems and their own
courts of law. The CDs are not represented in the UK parliament and UK legislation does not extend to them.
The UK Government is constitutionally responsible for the defence and international representation of the CDs, and for their good government.
This
means that in circumstances such as a grave breakdown or failure in the administration of justice or civil order, the residual prerogative power of the Crown could be used to intervene in the internal affairs of the CDs.
Overseas Territories
The British Overseas Territories (OTs) comprise Anguilla, Bermuda, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, British Antarctic Territory, the British Indian Ocean Territory, the Cayman Islands, the Falkland Islands, Gibraltar, Montserrat, the Pitcairn Islands, St Helena and its dependencies (Ascension Island and Tristan da Cunha) and the Turks and Caicos Islands; the territories of the British Antarctic Territory, British Indian Ocean Territory and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, which have no indigenous population; and the Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia in Cyprus.
The OTs have their own constitutions and domestic laws. Depending on their stage of constitutional development, OTs have a substantial measure of responsibility for the conduct of their internal affairs. However, under most of the constitutions, the UK Government, via Governors, retains responsibility for the OTs' internal security, defence and external affairs.
In some cases, croquet events reflect the combined nature of the UK political affiliation and players play under a banner of "Great Britain".
This is true of the MacRobertson Shield and Solomon Trophy International Series.
For obvious reasons, it also ensures that WCF has a larger membership than otherwise would be the case, which may be important as WCF continues to develop.