McLoughlin has been selected to compete at Croquet Australia’s 2026 Inter State Shield.
While competing for the prestigious shield is not new for McLoughlin, having competed for more than a decade as part of the Victoria team, this year marks his debut selection in the NSW team.
The tournament started on Wednesday, and concludes this Sunday at the Victoria Croquet Centre in Cairnlea.
NSW is the reigning champion, winning the Inter State Shield four years in a row.
A previous long-time member of the Deniliquin Croquet Club, McLoughlin has been p;laying a member of the Wagga Wagga Croquet Club for three years.
Each of the six competing states - Western Australia, South Australia, Queensland, NSW, Victoria and Tasmania - play off in a round-robin, with each state playing one other each day.
The winning state is determined from the best cumulative results after five days of competition.
There are roughly 10 players selected for each state with subs, reserves and non playing team members included.
McLoughlin said he is hopeful about the state’s chances in his debut for NSW.
“We’ll give it a shot,” he said.
“We should come close, but it is hard to tell until we get going.
“Every year there are new players. All players are a high-level and are definitely well-trained.”
The playing days this week are also a test of stamina, taking place across nine hours - from 8am-6pm - unless victories are achieved sooner.
With other tournaments coming up, competing in the Inter State Shield for NSW adds another high-level croquet experience to McLoughlin’s busy croquet schedule.
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