Players

England

James has been playing tournaments for 35 years and is hoping to add a European title to his domestic and global wins. He has previously won the Open Championship twice in singles and 4 times in doubles.  He was part of the successful England Macrobertson Shield team that won in 2022.  He is known as one of the most flamboyant players who finds new and unusual ways to cause problems for both his opponent and himself regularly.  If he isn't on the lawn he may well be near the bar refuelling while awaiting his next turn.

England

Jack has just finished A-levels in the 6th form at Rivington & Blackrod School on the outskirts of Bolton, so had limited playing time early season.

Jack has been knocking croquet balls around various croquet clubs since he was 7, mainly to stave off boredom while his dad was playing in tournaments.

He started showing more consistency in 2018 and as a member of Bowdon played for their short and handicap golf teams aged 11.

Jack unexpectedly played in the GC Open in 2020 (aged 14) where he won the plate. The following year he won the 3rd Eight & finished runner up in the Ascot final. 2022 saw him selected for the GC Worlds where he made the knockout stages.

In May 2023, he decided to try advanced AC and played in his first tournament. Although still concentrating on GC, he managed to win 4 AC tournaments (B & A Class), his season culminated by winning the plate in the Northern Championship and followed by winning the Selectors.

This season Jack hopes to develop on his new found passion for AC and become a more consistent player across both codes of the game.

Ireland

Dun Laoghaire native, Russell is a Deputy Principal and Physics teacher in a school In Co. Wicklow. He was been teaching for over 30 years, and has played croquet competitively for most of that time. He is a member of Newcastle Croquet club in Wicklow. Over the years he has represented Ireland in matches against Switzerland, England and Scotland. He won the South Leinster open in 2022.

Ireland 

Born and raised in Dublin, I sailed and played rugby through my youth, attended Trinity College and then became a commercial lawyer. In 1983 I moved house to Newcastle in Co Wicklow and in or about 1990 was the founder of Newcastle Croquet Club, setting up the Club's first lawn in my garden. Thirty five years later I still find the game fascinating, having represented Ireland and the CAI at home, in the UK and USA, where various trophies have been won and lost: I consider the friendships made to be of greater importance. Besides playing and coaching croquet, I enjoy walking with my dogs in the Wicklow hills, working/pottering in my garden and practicing aikido.

Scotland

David Houston is 74, married to Ann with two children and three grandsons. Brought up in the golfing town of Troon, he has resided in Edinburgh for 40 years or so and was IT Director of Edinburgh City Council for 12 years and a change management consultant after that, working in local government across the UK. He is now retired and has been playing croquet for 14 years. He has been Chair and Secretary of Meadows Croquet Club, Edinburgh and is a member there and at Balgreen Croquet Club. In addition to Scottish events, he enjoys playing in England and internationally. He has represented Scotland in many international events including the AC Worlds in NZ in 2018, European AC Singles in Sweden, European Teams at Cheltenham last year and several SCA v CqE and SCA v CAI matches. In terms of individual trophies, his most recent success was winning the Hunstanton Challenge Bowl in 2022 and, in Scotland, he won the Gleneagles Trophy in 2014 and the Malmet Trophy in 2017.  

England 

Stephen Mulliner, 70, discovered competitive croquet as a Cambridge undergraduate in 1975 and began playing in tournaments in 1976.

Association Croquet: World Champion 2016 and finalist in 1997 and 2008; British Open Champion 1988, 1990, 2000 (47 consecutive appearances since 1977); Open Doubles champion 11 times, President's Cup winner six times, including 2023 (record 45 appearances since 1978), Sonoma-Cutrer Champion four times, European Champion 13 times 1993-2013. The only player to have won both the Singles and Doubles Championships of Australia (2009), England (see above), New Zealand (2009 singles, 2000 doubles) and United States (2011). Represented Great Britain in the MacRobertson Shield in 1982, 1986, 1990, 2000, 2003, 2010 and England in 2014 and 2017.

Golf Croquet: World Championship semi-finalist 2000, 2006 and 2015; British Open Champion 8 times, including 2010-13, 2016 and 2020, English National Champion (Ascot Cup) 2012, 2014, 2021 and 2023; First Eight winner 2015, 2019 and 2023; European Champion 2007, 2009, 2013, 2015 and 2019; represented Rest of the World vs. Egypt in the Ramsis Cup (2008 and 2016). Represented England in the GC World Team Championship in 2012, 2016 (both times as captain) and 2020. Has competed in 20 different WCF Member countries.

Vice-President of the Croquet Association, former Secretary-General of the World Croquet Federation and current chairman of the WCF Golf Croquet Rules Committee. Lives in Haslemere, Surrey. Married to Sarah with four children aged 34 to 40.

Switzerland

Peter Payne worked in the Swiss financial sector for almost 45 years and now runs his own financial and administrative service and advisory company, Helfides SA.  He played croquet in the family garden as a youngster and joined the CERN CC (Geneva) in the late 80s.  For many years he was involved in the administrative side of the game, but also found the time to play both AC and GC in numerous national and international events, with moderate success. He reached the quarter-finals of the GC World Championship in Leamington Spa in 1998.  After a 12-year extended sabbatical, he reappeared on the lawns in late 2018, and was elected treasurer of the WCF in late 2021. He is also secretary of the Swiss CA, treasurer of CERN CC in Geneva and a member of CroquetVS in Sion (Valais, Switzerland).  Having recently moved south of the Alps to Ticino (the Italian speaking part of Switzerland), he is hoping to start a new croquet club in the area.  He plays for Switzerland and also, somewhat incongruously, Warwickshire.  A widower, his other interests include travel, skiing and hiking, music (opera, classical, jazz), philately, and all things epicurean.

Switzerland

Ian Sexton has worked at the European Organisation for Nuclear Research (CERN) Geneva Switzerland, since 1984. Married with 4 children, he started playing croquet in 1990 at the CERN croquet club. Since then he has represented Switzerland in several International matches, and has played in the World and European Championships (AC & GC).

Ranked number 1 in Switzerland, currently the Swiss AC & GC Champion. Other interests, skiing, golf, travel and food.

Portugal

Born on July 13, 1983, in Slovakia, I studied marketing and management. Currently, I work in the IT business. In addition to my professional pursuits, I used to play football and chess at a professional level. After relocating to Portugal in 2017, I discovered a passion for croquet (GC) and joined a local private club. My interest grew rapidly, leading me to dedicate myself to regular practice, after which I managed to win the Portuguese GC Championship in 2018. In 2023, I discovered a new thrill in AC. As there are not many AC players in the country, I struggled to get enough games to make sufficient progress. Committed to starting to compete internationally, I worked on improving all required skills, and I hope for an exciting debut in my first official AC event!

Ireland