Croquet New Zealand and the Association Croquet Selection Committee have officially announced the preliminary squad for the 2026 MacRobertson Shield — the most prestigious international team competition in Association Croquet. The 2026 event will mark the centenary edition of the championship, which will take place in England from July 24 to August 9, 2026.

First contested in 1925 between Australia and England, the MacRobertson Shield now features four elite national teams: Australia, England, the United States and New Zealand. As the tournament celebrates its 100th year, New Zealand’s selectors have identified nine players who will train and prepare for final team selection.

The initial squad listed in alphabetical order includes:

#31 Greg Bryant – Nelson
#5 Paddy Chapman – Thames Valley
#20 Jenny Clarke – Canterbury
#28 Edmund Fordyce – Thames Valley
#57 Josh Freeth – Auckland
#7 Logan McCorkindale – Canterbury
#61 Chris Shilling – Otago
#21 Felix Webby – Hawkes Bay
#18 Aaron Westerby – Auckland

(# indicates world ranking)

The final team of six players will be selected from this squad in February 2026.

In addition, Croquet New Zealand is pleased to confirm that Jarrod Coutts has been appointed as the team’s non-playing captain and will also serve as the official team manager.

Croquet New Zealand extends its congratulations to all selected players as they begin preparations for this landmark event. See the official announcement on the Croquet New Zealand website