Champion of Champions tournament played on the club's lawns

For some unknown reason, croquet is looked upon as a woman's game in Queensland, but this is not so in England, where men predominate. In Melbourne, men have become so keen on the game and are taking it up so enthusiastically that it is expected that in a short time they will outnumber the women players.

The following scores were recorded in the seven games on the second and final day's play on the Toowoomba Croquet Club's lawns, where the Darling Downs Champion of Champions tournament was concluded yesterday:— Mrs. Thomas (Warwick) 26 v. Mrs. Dennis (Laurel Bank) 12; Mrs. R. Imhoff (St. Andrew's) 26 v. Mrs. Mackay (Toowoomba) 21; Mrs. Sapsford (Allora) 26 v. Mrs. Sandberg (West Toowoomba) 24; Mrs. Thomas (Warwick) 26 v. Mrs. Sapsford (Allora) 4; Mrs. R. Imhoff (St. Andrew's) 26 v. Mrs. Dennis (Laurel Bank) 8; Mrs. Mackay (Toowoomba) 26 v. Mrs. Sapsford (Allora) 12; Mrs. R. Imhoff (St. Andrew's) 26 v. Mrs. Sandberg (Toowoomba) 20.

These figures, combined with the previous day's, gave the following individual total scores:— Mrs. R. Imhoff (St. Andrew's, Allora) 130 points, 1; Mrs. Sandberg (West Toowoomba) 122, 2; Mrs. G. B. Mackay (Toowoomba) 115, 3; Mrs. C. P. Sapsford (Allora) 92, 4; Mrs. P. V. Thomas (Warwick) 92, 4; Mrs. S. Dennis (Laurel Bank) 43, 5.

The trophies were presented to the Champion of Champions for 1949, Mrs. R. Imhoff (St. Andrew's, Allora), and the runner-up, Mrs. Sandberg (West Toowoomba), by the president, Mrs. Gerard Boyce, at the conclusion of the games. She thanked all the officials and others who had helped her, and wished Mesdames Huxley and Lickiss, the 1950 president and secretary respectively, a happy time while holding office. She intimated that she felt the time had now come for her to give up taking a leading part in croquet affairs. She had done her best in the interests of the Darling Downs Pennant Auxiliary, and also the Champion of Champions tournament, which had come under her jurisdiction and direction this year.

The article as it was printed in The Toowoomba Chronicle, 9 November 1949. Scan from Trove, National Library of Australia. (Trove, National Library of Australia)