THE 2025 Coffs Coast Croquet Pennants season wrapped up with a triumphant double win for Sawtell Croquet Club, taking out both Division Two and Division Three titles.
Relentless wet weather throughout the season saw matches postponed, rescheduled, and relocated, making it one of the most disrupted pennant seasons in recent memory.
Despite the setbacks, clubs across the region demonstrated flexibility and commitment to keep the competition on track.
Sawtell Pennants Captain Gaylene Humphries, said, “It was a season to be remembered, not only for the challenges it presented, but for the extraordinary resilience, sportsmanship, and community spirit that defined it from beginning to end.”
In Division Two, Sawtell secured a commanding win, while Division Three was a tighter contest, coming down to an exciting series of matches between Sawtell and Coutts Crossing.
A countback ultimately saw Sawtell claim the title, with Woolgoolga earning third place.
With the wins under their belts, Sawtell Croquet Club invites the public to celebrate World Croquet Day with them on Saturday, 3 May.
The Club was established in 1948 and has grown into a vibrant organisation with about 100 members.
It welcomes players of all ages and skill levels.
The courts are in use six days a week and offer both social and competitive play.
Members range from first-timers to “hoop-hardened” veterans who play several codes of croquet, including Golf, Ricochet, and Association.
The Club stresses that no experience is needed, just curiosity and, maybe, a competitive streak.
Although croquet may look like a gentle game from a Jane Austen novel that has been around since the 1850s, members say it delivers a surprising mental workout.
Croquet requires hand-eye coordination, unpredictable bounces, and the intellectual challenge of plotting three moves ahead as your plans are ruined by one well-placed whack from an opponent.
World Croquet Day begins with a BBQ at noon, followed by a relaxed introduction to the basic rules, strokes, the chance to play a simple game and meeting new people.
The Club is located in the grounds of the Sawtell Caravan Park.
By Andrew VIVIAN
