Madeline Hadwin is a member of the Hamilton East Croquet club and a Life Member of the Waikato King Country Croquet Association.
She began playing association croquet more than forty years ago in 1972 and during her croquet career she has won national titles, represented New Zealand and made croquet history.
In 1992 Madeline was described as the outstanding Australasian women’s croquet player.
To recognise her great achievements in the game of association croquet the Waikato King Country Croquet (WKCC) Association wishes to nominate Madeline for Life Membership of Croquet New Zealand.
Madeline represented New Zealand twice at Sonoma-Cutrer in the USA and was New Zealand representative at the prestigious Australia Day tournament in Canberra in 1988. At the time she was the current New Zealand and Australian Women’s Champion and the sole New Zealander to be invited to play against top Australian players.
She won a record seven consecutive New Zealand Women’s Championships and was Captain of the New Zealand Women’s Test Team four times, winning against Australia in 1990.
Croquet history was created when Madeline became the first woman to be invited to play in the National Senior Invitation tournament to be played in Auckland. Previously the competition was called the Men’s Invitation so her inclusion forced a name change for the annual event.
In 1994 Madeline was nominated for the Waikato Sportsperson of the Year award for being the first woman player in ten years to be invited to play in the “New Zealand Top 16” invitation event and for winning the Gold Coast Tweed Heads Women’s Event in Australia.
Her contribution to the game of croquet has not only been a long and successful playing career but for many years she was also involved in the administration of the game serving as a member of the New Zealand Croquet Council (NZCC) Executive, she was also the National Coach for ten years and for several years was a National Selector.
Madeline is given credit along with Dennis Bulloch for providing coaching material for the NZCC (as it was known then) publication “Approaching Croquet” which comprised three booklets.
Ashley Heenan, as Executive Director, assembled and edited the material and John Prince did the illustrations. It was part of the Hillary Commission/Sports Council directives with Coaching NZ also having an involvement.
As a member of the WKCC Association Madeline was also actively involved and held positions on the Management Committee, including the roles of Coach, Publicity Officer and Vice President and for the Hamilton East Club she was Treasurer for eleven years, Club Captain, Vice President and Committee member.
Nowadays Madeline plays very little croquet but is still actively involved in club events and was busy at the Hamilton East club every day during the 2015-16 National Golf Croquet Championships being held there.
The WKCC Association considers that Life Membership of Croquet New Zealand is an honour Madeline deserves and would ask all other New Zealand Associations to support her nomination.
PLAYING ACHIEVEMENTS
1976 and 1977 – New Zealand Junior Champion
1982 Won Arthur Ross Challenge Trophy
1983 to 1989 – Madeline won seven successive NZ Women’s Championships
1984 Won Heenan Plate
1986 Selected to play at Sonoma-Cutrer, USA
1988 Australian Women’s Championship
1988 Captain of first New Zealand Women’s Trans-Tasman Team
1989 Canberra Australian Day Invitation
1990 Captain, New Zealand Representative Teams against Great Britain and Ireland and Australia
1990 Captain, New Zealand Women’s Trans-Tasman Team
1991 Selected to play at Sonoma-Cutrer, USA
1992 Captain, New Zealand Women’s Trans-Tasman Team
1994 Captain, New Zealand Women’s Trans-Tasman Team
1999 Member of winning New Zealand Trans-Tasman Team
2001 Member of winning New Zealand Trans-Tasman Team
2004 Member of Trans-Tasman Team
2003 New Zealand Women’s Handicap Singles
2003 New Zealand Championship Mixed Doubles with C Tucker
2004 New Zealand Championship Mixed Doubles with R Lowe
2004 New Zealand Women’s Championship
ADMINISTRATION
1980 – 1990 National Coach
1988 Elected New Zealand Selector
1989 – 1995 New Zealand Croquet Council (NZCC)
1989 National Coaching Committee
Northern Region Coaching Director
1990 NZCC Tournament Committee
1991-92 Chairman, International Committee