Joe Hogan in 2015, when he was inducted into the Croquet New Zealand hall of fame. Photo / Paul Rickard
Joe Hogan in 2015, when he was inducted into the Croquet New Zealand hall of fame. Photo / Paul Rickard
Joe Hogan has hit the ground running as the croquet competitive season gathers momentum.
Gisborne’s former world singles champion contested the silver-medal round of the Waireka Labour Weekend Association Croquet Tournament in Ashburton.
Two weeks later he won the Gold Block section of the Morrinsville Association Croquet Open. It was the second-ranked section of the tournament, comprising the fifth- to eighth-ranked players. Former singles world champion Paddy Chapman, of Thames Valley, won the section above – the Platinum Block.
In his Facebook commentary on the tournament, Chapman said: “The 1989 world champion, Joe Hogan, showed a great return to form in the Gold Block, winning his three games outright and taking a very convincing fifth place overall. It is great to see Joe giving his wealth of experience back to the game, always encouraging and inspiring other players, and occasionally shocking people with his amazing stop shot!”
Hogan is ranked No 7 among New Zealand association croquet players and No.39 in the world. In golf croquet, he is No 5 in New Zealand and No 42 in the world.
He turned 66 last month and is enjoying a late flowering in a croquet career he resumed in 2015 after taking time off for family commitments. Now, with family backing and understanding employers, he is looking ahead to a busy summer.
Hogan learned his croquet at Gisborne’s Barry Memorial Croquet Club and is a fan of the saying that it takes a village – or a croquet community – to raise the child. So when the first day of the Waireka tournament was washed out he was happy to accept an invitation to speak about how he came to be a world champion.
As well as the support from members of his home club, the tough competition from New Zealand croquet giants like Bob Jackson, John Prince and Paul Skinley had prepared the young Hogan for the elite level.
“I got to my first New Zealand Open singles final in 1978, but it was 1986 before I won it,” he said.
“Those gruelling matches against Bob, John and Paul were what I needed. At the top level, you need a positively aggressive attitude, and you never say die. You can come back into the game right up to the end. You have to put yourself out there among the top players.”
Joe Hogan, Gisborne’s former world singles champion, contested the silver-medal round of the Waireka Labour Weekend Association Croquet Tournament in Ashburton. Photo / Paul Rickard
Hogan said New Zealand’s top croquet players were trying to get together at tournaments outside the nationals to improve the standard of play.
“The more you play each other, the more you improve ... or get nailed.”
A majority of New Zealand’s top 10 association croquet players had competed at the Waireka and Morrinsville tournaments, Hogan said.
At Waireka, a seeded event was held first and Hogan won two out of three games. Players were split into three groups of four – gold, silver and bronze. Hogan went into the silver-medal round, where Wellington’s Harps Tahurangi ended his run with a 26-20 scoreline.
At Morrinsville, Hogan won two out of three games on the first day, then won all three of the Gold Block games, 26-10 against John Versey (Hawke’s Bay), 26-17 against John Christie (Thames Valley) and 26-3 against Steve Clarke (Bay of Plenty).
Now he turns his attention to golf croquet. In the next few weeks, he will play doubles with Barry clubmate Rob Hayes and singles at a regional event in Mount Maunganui. In January, he will team up with Hayes again for the nationals in Nelson. Hayes warmed up for the task by beating Hogan in two games in club play last Sunday.
In association croquet, Hogan will play doubles with another clubmate, Paul Stuart, in the New Zealand Open in Mount Maunganui in January, then defend his New Zealand men’s title in Dannevirke in February.
It all points to a busy few months for Hogan, who laughs it off and says it keeps him young.
