The Government has designated croquet as one of only a handful of sports approved to resume play in May as lockdown restrictions start to ease. Croquet earns its place in this special group as an organised outdoor sport, co-ordinated by a national governing body, which is played with full social distancing.
A special Croquet Association task group has been working closely with Whitehall to hammer out safe conditions for returning to the lawns. Clubs need to ensure that all equipment is cleaned, that agreed limits on the numbers per lawn are strictly followed, and that all players are fully aware of the need to keep to the new rules at all times. Clubs are responding by planning to loan mallets, invite designated people to set up lawn equipment, and introduce on-line lawn booking.
Croquet is likely to prove a lifeline for Club members, benefiting as it does both physical wellbeing and mental wellbeing, and addressing social isolation. The game is enjoying a revival and the Government’s decision to allow it to be one of the very first sports to resume can only help to accelerate its further growth.
May 2020