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Chris Clarke (born 1971 in Lancashire) is an English croquet player who has been ranked among the world's top players since the late 1980s. He now represents New Zealand. Chris has won two World Championships in Association Croquet, in 1995 and again in 2008, six AC World Team Champs and one GC World Team Champs. 2008 was perhaps Chris's finest year, overtaking previous world champions Robert Fulford and Reg Bamford to regain the position of world number one player, which he held for in excess of 16 months. He also reached the semi-finals of the [1] WCF Golf Croquet World Championships in March 2008 in Cape Town, South Africa and led the English team to the finals of the [2] 2009 European team championships.

Clarke now lives in Christchurch, New Zealand. On 30 January 2008 he was married to Jenny Clarke (née Williams), who plays for New Zealand. The pair were therefore due to be on opposing sides when Great Britain played New Zealand in the 2010 MacRobertson Shield, before Clarke withdrew with a back injury.

In October 2012, Clarke returned to competitive association croquet singles, having won multiple Open doubles titles in the meantime as well as GC singles events where he rose to world number 2. In November 2012, he completed the requisite ten matches needed to return to the world rankings, which he did in first place. Clarke switched to represent New Zealand following his controversial non-selection for England's golf croquet squad, and was a member of their victorious 2014 MacRobertson Shield team, playing at number 1 where he was the player in the event with the most wins.

In 2016, Clarke played his last International event involving singles when he captained NZ to win the GC World Championship, once again being the player with the most wins. This victory made Clarke the first player to win three of the four WCF Open World Titles. He finished his career having won 9 World titles and never having lost a major International Test Match.

Start of career

Clarke started playing croquet while a 13-year-old student at Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School, Blackburn under the coaching of French teacher Andrew Bennet.

Achievements

World Ranking at 1 August 2005: 2

World Ranking at 18 November 2007: 3

World Ranking at 29 July 2008: 1

World Ranking at 29 June 2009: 1

World Ranking at 20 November 2012: 1

World Ranking at 20 August 2014: 1

World Croquet Federation World Championships:

2008 - Winner
2005 - 1st Round
2002 - Quarter final
2001 - 2nd Round
1995 - Winner
1994 - Finalist
1992 - 1st Round
1991 - Semi Final
1990 - 1st Round
1989 - 4th Round

5-times President's Cup winner.

Represented Great Britain in five MacRobertson Shield competitions (captain in 1996), and New Zealand once.

Chris has won 10 British Open Doubles titles (9 with Robert Fulford).

He has won the British Opens Singles title in 1997, British Men's Championships in 2005, Sonoma-Cutrer World Croquet Championship in 1997.

2006

Winner South Island Doubles (with Jenny Williams)
Runner-up South Island Singles
Winner New Zealand Open Doubles (with Robert Fulford)
Winner Australian Open Doubles (with Robert Fulford)
Winner British Men's Championships
Winner Australian Open Singles
Winner New Zealand Golf Croquet Open

2007

Winner New Zealand Open Singles
Winner New Zealand Open Doubles (with Jenny Williams)
Winner South Island Doubles (with JW)
Winner South Island Singles
Winner Championship of Surrey
Winner British Mixed Doubles Championships (with JW)

External links

Current World Rankings

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+'''Chris Clarke''' (born 1971 in [[Lancashire]]) is an [[English people|English]] [[croquet]] player who has been ranked among the world's top players since the late 1980s. He now represents New Zealand. Chris has won two World Championships in Association Croquet, in 1995 and again in 2008, six AC World Team Champs and one GC World Team Champs. 2008 was perhaps Chris's finest year, overtaking previous world champions [[Robert Fulford (croquet player)|Robert Fulford]] and [[Reg Bamford]] to regain the position of world number one player, which he held for in excess of 16 months. He also reached the semi-finals of the [https://web.archive.org/web/20091022005221/http://www.wcfcroquet.org/Tournaments/gcwc2008.html] WCF Golf Croquet World Championships in March 2008 in [[Cape Town]], [[South Africa]] and led the English team to the finals of the [https://web.archive.org/web/20090430210615/http://wcfcroquet.org/Tournaments/euro2009.html] 2009 European team championships.
-'''Chris Clarke''' (born 1971 in [[Lancashire]]) is an [[English people|English]] [[croquet]] player who has been ranked among the world's top players since the late 1980s.
-Clarke now lives in [[Christchurch]], [[New Zealand]] and is chairman of the organizing committee for the 2008 WCF World Association Croquet Championships, as well as Vice President of Cashmere Croquet Club and Chairman of the Canterbury Croquet Association Tournament committee and coach of the New Zealand youth squad.
+Clarke now lives in [[Christchurch]], [[New Zealand]]. On 30 January 2008 he was married to Jenny Clarke (née Williams), who plays for New Zealand. The pair were therefore due to be on opposing sides when Great Britain played New Zealand in the 2010 [[MacRobertson International Croquet Shield|MacRobertson Shield]], before Clarke withdrew with a back injury.
+In October 2012, Clarke returned to competitive association croquet singles, having won multiple Open doubles titles in the meantime as well as GC singles events where he rose to world number 2. In November 2012, he completed the requisite ten matches needed to return to the world rankings, which he did in first place. Clarke switched to represent New Zealand following his controversial non-selection for England's golf croquet squad, and was a member of their victorious 2014 MacRobertson Shield team, playing at number 1 where he was the player in the event with the most wins.
-== Start of career ==
-Clarke started playing croquet while a 13 year old student at [[Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School, Blackburn|Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School]], [[Blackburn]] under the coaching of French teacher Andrew Bennet.
+In 2016, Clarke played his last International event involving singles when he captained NZ to win the GC World Championship, once again being the player with the most wins. This victory made Clarke the first player to win three of the four WCF Open World Titles. He finished his career having won 9 World titles and never having lost a major International Test Match.
-== Achievements ==
-World Ranking at [[1 August]] [[2005]]: 2
-World Ranking at [[18 November]] [[2007]]: 3
+==Start of career==
-World Ranking at [[29 July]] [[2008]]: 1
+Clarke started playing croquet while a 13-year-old student at [[Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School, Blackburn|Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School]], [[Blackburn]] under the coaching of French teacher Andrew Bennet.
+==Achievements==
-[[World Croquet Federation]] World Championships:
+World Ranking at 1 August 2005: 2
+World Ranking at 18 November 2007: 3
-- [[http://www.worldcroquet2008.com][Winner: Croquet World Championships]]
+World Ranking at 29 July 2008: 1
-*2005 - 1st Round
-*2002 - [[quarter finals]];
-*2001 - 2nd Round;
-*1995 - [[Champion]];
-*1994 - Finalist;
-*1992 - 1st Round;
-*1991 - [[semi final]],
-*1990 - 1st Round;
-*1989 - 4th Round
+World Ranking at 29 June 2009: 1
-: Winner Croquet World Championships.
+World Ranking at 20 November 2012: 1
+World Ranking at 20 August 2014: 1
+[[World Croquet Federation]] World Championships:
+*2008 - Winner
+*2005 - 1st Round
+*2002 - Quarter final
+*2001 - 2nd Round
+*1995 - Winner
+*1994 - Finalist
+*1992 - 1st Round
+*1991 - Semi Final
+*1990 - 1st Round
+*1989 - 4th Round
 -times President's Cup winner.
-Represented Great Britain in the last 5 [[MacRobertson shield]] competitions (captain in 1996).
+Represented Great Britain in five [[MacRobertson International Croquet Shield|MacRobertson Shield]] competitions (captain in 1996), and New Zealand once.
-Chris has won 10 British Open Doubles titles (9 with [[Robert Fulford (Croquet Player)]]).
+Chris has won 10 British Open Doubles titles (9 with [[Robert Fulford (croquet player)|Robert Fulford]]).
-He has won the [[Croquet Association|British Opens]] Singles title in 1997, British Men's Championships in 2005, [[Sonoma-Cutrer World Croquet Championships]] in 1997.
+He has won the [[Croquet Association|British Opens]] Singles title in 1997, British Men's Championships in 2005, Sonoma-Cutrer World Croquet Championship in 1997.
 ===2006===
@@ Line 57: / Line 65: @@
 *[http://www.croquetrecords.com/rank/currentworld.htm Current World Rankings]
-[[Category:English croquet players|Clarke, Chris]]
+{{DEFAULTSORT:Clarke, Chris}}
+[[Category:English croquet players]]
+[[Category:Living people]]
+[[Category:1971 births]]