WATERFORD West resident Richard Pickvance has reached the top of his chosen sport just four years after he started playing.
Richard Pickvance has been chosen to play for Queensland at the upcoming national croquet championships in Tasmania in September.
Mr Pickvance was part of a playoff in which four state team members and one reserve were chosen from the state’s eight best players.
He plays at Wynnum club which is known for having some of the state’s best players.
“You’ve got to be hitting balls against the best players,” he said.
“To give you an idea of the difficulty at national level, the competition hoops are 93mm wide, and the balls are 92mm wide. One of the better players at our club has been clocked hitting the ball at 100km per hour.”
Croquet is played on grass, but incorporates strategies commonly employed in snooker or pool, and asks players to complete a number of “hoops”.
Mr Pickvance, 62, has been playing the sport since 2017 and has a handicap of 1. The highest handicap in croquet is 16.
“I must say I’m quite chuffed with myself at the moment,” he said of his selection.
“I always enjoy the challenge of playing against the best players and that’s what I’m looking forward to when playing for my state.”
