The Queensland Open Association Croquet singles ran across two clubs over the weekend, the men's championship at Stephens Croquet Club and the women's at Toombul.

Women's Open Singles at Toombul

Toombul hosted a 13-player field for the women's championship, and Coolangatta's Yuni Rowell went through it unbeaten to take the title. Rowell won every one of her games on the way to the trophy, with Bonnie Johnstone of New Plymouth Croquet Club in New Zealand finishing runner-up.

Rowell, a national Association Croquet champion, joins recent winners Jacky Lynch and Heather Knight on the Queensland Women's AC honour board.

Yuni Rowell of Coolangatta with the Women's Open Singles winner's plaque at Toombul (Toombul Croquet Club)

She was not the only Coolangatta player flying the club's yellow. Sharon Langston also made the trip and gave a strong account of herself, winning a game and going down in two others by a single hoop. Her win was a good one too, an upset of the higher-rated Kathie Grant from Southport.

Sharon Langston and Yuni Rowell in Coolangatta Croquet Club colours (Coolangatta Croquet Club)

The biggest surprise of the women's draw came from Donna Manning of The Range Maleny. Rated well down the field, she knocked over two of the most fancied players in it, Heather Knight and Jacky Lynch.

The club thanked tournament manager Arthur, hoop setter and greenkeeper Wayne, and the referees and helpers who kept the weekend running. Wayne had the Toombul lawns looking sharp.

Yuni Rowell lines up a shot on the Toombul lawn (Toombul Croquet Club)

Open Men's Singles at Stephens

Stephens Croquet Club hosted the men's championship, and Windsor's Shane Davis was a class apart. The Windsor club president won every game in his block, several of them with triple peels, the pick a near-flawless 26-1 against the highly rated Mike Gidding of Ballina in northern New South Wales. Davis took the title and ended Troy McCallum's back-to-back reign from the two previous years.

The men's draw had its own giant-killer in Gordon Cooper. Rated a long way down the field, he accounted for the defending champion McCallum on his way to four wins for the weekend.

Play ran well into the evening on close to the shortest day of the year, with Stephens' LED court lighting keeping the games going after dark on the club's grass lawns.

Players compete under lights at Stephens Croquet Club as the men's championship runs into the evening (Stephens Croquet Club)

Shane Davis of Windsor, the 2026 Queensland Open Men's Association Croquet singles champion (Windsor Croquet Club)

Congratulations to both champions and to the under-rated players who turned over the form book, with thanks to Stephens and Toombul for hosting a fine weekend of Association Croquet.