HAMPTWORTH Golf and Country Club has been selected to host an international sporting event – an England versus Ireland croquet match.

The club has five international standard lawns and holds some of the most important events in the sport’s calendar.

The fixture against Ireland is being held there on the weekend of September 5 and 6.

Richard Stevens, who founded the croquet part of the country club, is excited.

He said: “It is a hugely competitive sport and a very good handicap game, like golf.

“One turn could involve many shots and it’s like snooker in that one player sits out while the other plays.

“It is an amateur sport, but international fixtures produce high quality, competitive matches.

“At international standard a match consists of three games in three hours. And with three matches a day a player could be going for nine hours.”

Hamptworth Golf and Country Club was recently purchased by entrepreneur Carl Faulds who is investing £250,000 in the complex near West Wellow in the north of the New Forest.

He said: “To host an international event is a real coup and our ground staff and greenkeepers always have the courts looking fantastic.

“Croquet is a very social sport and we have a large clubhouse and restaurant where all the players can get together afterwards and mix with the golfers and tennis players.”