WCF World AC Championship
Trophy: The Wimbledon Cup, a Silver Cup presented to the CA by the All-England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club to commemorate the first Championship, and loaned in perpetuity to the WCF for presentation at each successive Championship.
The World Association Croquet Championship takes place every two or three years; it is never scheduled for a MacRobertson Shield year. Reg Bamford (South Africa) beat Robert Fletcher (Australia) 3-2 in the final of the 13th Championship, which was held in Adelaide, South Australia in May 2012.
The 14th will be in England in 2013. Scotland is entitled to nominate two players to the competition direct, and there are wild card and qualifying opportunities also.
In the first World Championship, in 1989, players entered on their own account and were not selected by the SCA. The April 1989 Bulletin announced the Championship as follows:
The first World Championship will be held in England at Hurlingham from 16th to 23rd July 1989. A major sponsorship deal between Continental Airlines and the English CA will enable over 60 of the world’s best players to take part, from as far afield as New Zealand, Australia, Japan and the United States. Favourite for the title is Joe Hogan, winner of the British Open Championship in 1986; he was a member of the New Zealand team which beat Great Britain and Australia in the 1986 triangular Test Match series for the MacRobertson Shield. We do not yet know which Scots will be competing, but Keith Aiton, Andrew Hope and Martin Murray will be strong contenders.
Among Scots, Keith Aiton (6 – to 2009, after when he changed his allegiance to England) and Ian Bond (5) have made the most appearances; Jonathan Kirby (Bronze Medal 2005), Keith Aiton (QF 2005 and 2008) and James Hopgood (QF 2012) have made the most progress in the Championship.
The full list of representatives, and later round results, is:
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1 |
1989 |
Hurlingham (80 players) |
Champion Joe Hogan (NZ), Runner-up Mark Avery (E) |
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Scots: |
Keith Aiton (last 16), Tom Anderson, David Appleton, Ian Bond (last 32), Andrew Hope (last 32), Martin Murray (last 16), Duncan Reeve (last 32), Rod Williams, Stephen Wright (last 32) |
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Round 1 (knock-out from start, 16 players had byes) D.R. Appleton beat D.N.S. Peterson +16, +9 M.J. Stevens beat R.apW. Williams +2, +3 J.O. Walters beat T.W. Anderson +22, +19 S.J.H. Wright beat G.A. Vince +18, +11 Round 2 (Selected) R.V. Jackson beat D.R. Appleton +22tp, +25tp D.E. Reeve beat L. Herington +17, +20 M. Murray beat M.J. Stevens +25tp, +26tp I.D. Bond beat D.C.D. Wiggins +18, -25, +13 D.A. Cornelius beat A.B. Hope +25, +17 K.M.H. Aiton beat C.E. Jones +25, +22stp S.J.H. Wright beat F.J.R. Landor +9, +15 Round 3 (Selected) R. Collighan beat D.C. Reeve -20, +18, +11 M. Murray beat S. Comish +15, +15 C.D. Clarke beat I.D. Bond +4, +26 K.M.H. Aiton beat D.A. Cornelius +14, +18 D.K. Openshaw beat S.J.H. Wright +1T, +8 Round 4 (Selected) C.J. Irwin beat M. Murray +22, +13 S.N. Mulliner beat K.M.H. Aiton -5, +3, +26tp Quarter-finals M.N. Avery beat R.V. Jackson -3, +17tp, +17tp C.J. Irwin beat J.G. Prince -17, +25, +13 J.K. Hogan beat S.E. Lewis +8tp, +25 D.K. Openshaw beat S.N. Mulliner -2, +1, +14 Semi-finals M.N. Avery beat C.J. Irwin +26, -12, +14 J.K. Hogan beat D.K. Openshaw +26tp, +6 Final J.K. Hogan beat M.N. Avery +3, +3tp |
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2 |
1990 |
Hurlingham (28) |
Champion Robert Fulford (E), Runner-up Mark Saurin (E) |
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Scots: |
Keith Aiton, Martin Murray |
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Keith Aiton lost in a 4th-place block play-off to G.J. Roberts -16 R.I. Fulford beat D.K. Openshaw +23tp, +26tp J.P. Stark beat P. Skinley +2, +8 S.N. Mulliner beat I.J. Burridge +8tp, +3 M.A. Saurin beat G.N. Aspinall +17, +5 Semi-finals R.I. Fulford beat J.P. Stark +24tp, -16, +26tp M.A. Saurin beat S.N. Mulliner -24tp, +16, +17tp Final R.I. Fulford beat M.A. Saurin +26, +24tp |
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3 |
1991 |
Hurlingham (32) |
Champion John Walters (E), Runner-up David Openshaw (E) |
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Scot: |
Ian Bond (last 16) |
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Ian Bond qualified first equal in his block for last 16 knock-out phase J.K. Hogan beat I.D. Bond +23tp, +13tp Quarter-finals D.K. Openshaw beat G.W. Noble +22, +26 C.D. Clarke beat D.B. Maugham +25tp, -8stp, +15 J.O. Walters beat R.L. Bamford +23, -24tp, +3 R.I. Fulford beat J.K. Hogan +26tp, +8tpo Semi-finals D.K. Openshaw beat C.D. Clarke +25, -14, +14 J.O. Walters beat R.I. Fulford +14otp, +26tp Final J.O. Walters beat D.K. Openshaw +7, +25tp |
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4 |
1992 |
Newport, RI, USA (32) |
Champion Robert Fulford (E), Runner-up John Walters (E) |
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Scot: |
Rod Williams |
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Rod Williams came 5th in his block (four qualified for last 16 knock-out phase) R.I. Fulford beat A.J. Westerby +20, +3 R.V. Jackson beat S.N. Mulliner +26, +5 D.K. Openshaw beat C. Pickering -6, +16, +12 J.O. Walters beat B. Northey +15, +14 Semi-finals R.I. Fulford beat R.V. Jackson +26tp, +7 J.O. Walters beat D.K. Openshaw +17, +17 Final R.I. Fulford beat J.O. Walters -5tp, +4tp, +12tp |
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5 |
1994 |
Carden Park, Cheshire (40) |
Champion Robert Fulford (E), Runner-up Chris Clarke (E) |
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Scots: |
Ian Bond, Jeremy Dyer, John Surgenor |
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John Surgenor did not qualify for the knock-out phase M. Taylor beat I.D. Bond +16, +17 D.J. Goacher beat J.S. Dyer +4, +1 Quarter-finals R.I. Fulford beat R.L. Bamford -25tp, +26tp, +5tp A.J. Westerby beat M. Taylor +25tp, +7otp S. Comish beat M. Kobelt -26tp, +26tp, +17 C.D. Clarke beat C.J. Irwin -25tp, +26tp, +11tpo Semi-finals R.I. Fulford beat A.J. Westerby +17tp, -17tp, +26tp, +20qp C.D. Clarke beat S. Comish -26tp, +8tpo, +26, -25tp, +13tpo Final R.I. Fulford beat C.D. Clarke -12tpo, +12tp, +18tp, +13 |
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6 |
1995 |
Fontenay le Comte, France (40) |
Champion Chris Clarke (E), Runner-up Robert Fulford (E) |
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Scots: |
David Appleton, Strat Liddiard |
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Round 1 (Selected, last 32) Stephen Mulliner beat Strat Liddiard +26tp, -26tp, +26tp Tony Stephens beat David Appleton -20tp, +12, +21 Quarter-finals Chris Clarke beat David Maugham +24otp, +26tp Stephen Mulliner beat Tony Stephens -2, +8, +10tp Robert Fulford beat Debbie Cornelius +18, +10tpo Ian Burridge beat Steve Jones +22, +19tp Semi-finals Robert Fulford beat Ian Burridge +19, -3, +26, +11 Final |
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7 |
1997 |
Bunbury, Australia (40) |
Champion Robert Fulford (E), Runner-up Stephen Mulliner (E) |
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Scots: |
Ian Bond, Andrew Hope |
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Round 1 (Selected, last 32) Robert Fulford beat Andrew Hope +19, +25tp Shane Davis beat Ian Bond +5, -2, +25 Quarter-finals Robert Fulford beat Richard Baker +24tp, -17tp, +15tp David Maugham beat Reg Bamford +26tp, +3 Stephen Mulliner beat Steve Jones -14, +22, +13 Shane Davis beat Bob Jackson -3, +26, +26tp Semi-finals Robert Fulford beat David Maugham -1tpo, +15tp, +17tp, -4tp, +11tp Stephen Mulliner beat Shane Davis +10, +26tp, +17 Final Robert Fulford beat Stephen Mulliner +17, -3tpo, +9otp, +11otp |
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8 |
2001 |
Hurlingham (80) |
Champion Reg Bamford (SA), Runner-up Robert Fulford (E) |
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Scots: |
Keith Aiton, Ian Bond, Jonathan Kirby, David Magee |
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No Scot qualified for the last 32 knock-out phase R.I. Fulford beat D.B. Maugham -26tp, +15tp, +26tp D.J. Bulloch beat M. Clarke +26, +21tp J.E. Fournier beat S. Williams +6, +26tp RL Bamford beat RJ Brown +7tp, +26tp Semi-finals R.I. Fulford beat D.J. Bulloch +8tpo, -14otp, +26tp, -17tp, +25tp R.L. Bamford beat J.E. Fournier +16tp, +26tp, +25 Final R.L. Bamford beat R.I. Fulford -16tp, +17sxp, -3, +26sxp, +26qp |
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9 |
2002 |
Wellington, NZ (64) |
Champion Robert Fulford (E), Runner-up Toby Garrison (NZ) |
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Scot: |
Keith Aiton |
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Round 1 (Selected, last 32) John Prince beat Keith Aiton +11, -26tp, +15tp Quarter-finals Toby Garrison beat Bob Jackson +6tp, +24 Andrew Johnston beat Ronan McInerney +8tp, -17tp, +24 Robert Fulford beat Chris Clarke -26tp, +26tp, +16tp Brian Wislang beat Simon Williams +26tp, -26tp, +16 Semi-finals Toby Garrison beat Andrew Johnston +25, +8tp, -5tp, +4tp Robert Fulford beat Brian Wislang +26tp, +26tp, +10tpo Final Robert Fulford beat Toby Garrison +26tp, +26tp, -17tp, +15tp |
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10 |
2005 |
Cheltenham (80) |
Champion Reg Bamford (SA), Runner-up Robert Fulford (E) |
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Scots: |
Keith Aiton (QF), Jonathan Kirby (SF) |
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Round 1 (Selected, last 32) |
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11 |
2008 |
Christchurch, NZ (80) |
Champion Chris Clarke (E), Runner-up Stephen Mulliner (E) |
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Scots: |
Keith Aiton (QF), Jonathan Kirby |
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Round 1 (Selected, last 32) Keith Aiton beat Toby Garrison -14, +22, +11 Round 2 (Selected) Keith Aiton beat Ian Dumergue +26, +16 Quarter-finals Stephen Mulliner beat Shane Davis +14tp, +20tp, +16 Aaron Westerby beat David Maugham +14, -5, +14, +4 Robert Fulford beat Keith Aiton +18tp, +17, +25 Chris Clarke beat James Death +17, +11, +8 Semi-finals Stephen Mulliner beat Aaron Westerby +10, +7, +17 Chris Clarke beat Robert Fulford -26tp, -26tp, +11tpo, +17, +26 Final Chris Clarke beat Stephen Mulliner -17tp, +26tp, +9, +12 |
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12 |
2009 |
W Palm Beach, FL, USA (80) |
Champion Reg Bamford (SA), Runner-up Ben Rothman (USA) |
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Scots: |
Keith Aiton, Jonathan Kirby, Martin Murray (Wild Card), James Hopgood (Wild Card) |
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Jonathan Kirby, Martin Murray and James Hopgood failed to qualify for the knock-out phase Chris Farthing beat Keith Aiton +14, -26, +26tp Quarter-finals Robert Fletcher beat James Death +26tp, +12tpo, -23, +14tp Reg Bamford beat Rutger Beijderwellen +26tp, +24tp, -26tp, +26tp Chris Farthing beat Stephen Mulliner 17tp, -17, +19tp, +17, +26tp Ben Rothman beat John Gibbons +17, +17, +16 Semi-finals Reg Bamford beat Robert Fletcher -8otp, +26tp, +26tp, +5tp Ben Rothman beat Chris Farthing +13tp, -8, +23, -26tp, +26tp Final Reg Bamford beat Ben Rothman +13tp, +22, +18tp |
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13 |
2012 |
Adelaide, South Australia (80) |
Champion Reg Bamford (SA), Runner-up Robert Fletcher (Aus) |
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Scots: |
James Hopgood (Quarter-finals), Martin Stephenson, Andrew Hope (Wild Card) |
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Martin Stephenson and Andrew Hope failed to qualify for the knock-out phase |