Players from seven countries will compete in the tournament, with United, Cashmere and St James Park hosting all the matches.
New Zealand organising committee chairperson Vilna Gough-Jones said she hopes 18 months of preparation will ensure the week-long tournament is a success.
"It’s the first time the tournament has been held in New Zealand, so I hope we have a New Zealand winner," she added.
Cantabrian Jenny Clarke won the inaugural tournament in 2012, while Miranda Chapman won for England in 2015.
Chapman will be competing for New Zealand this weekend after moving here in 2021.
Gough-Jones said planning for the tournament required huge preparation, but she is eager to see the city host more events in the future.
"It would be great to have at least one a season, as quite a few happen in the North Island," she said.
The 2023 tournament will start with an opening ceremony on Friday evening before games begin on Saturday morning.
The draw and results will be published on Croquet Scores here.
-By Jaime Cunningham
Event calendar:
| Fri 6 | 5pm. Opening function at United. Finger food. Drink at players’ cost. |
| Sat 7 | Block Play (three 3-hour games) |
| Sun 8 | Block Play (three 3-hour games) |
| Mon 9 | Block Play (three 3-hour games) |
| Tue 10 | Playoffs. Possible start of Plate |
| Knockout draw at United after play | |
| 5pm. BBQ at United. At players’ cost. | |
| Wed 11 | Knockout round 1. Plate |
| Thu 12 | Quarter final. Plate |
| Fri 13 | Semi final. Plate |
| 7:30pm. Tournament dinner at Chateau on the Park 5 minutes walk from United. NZ$65 plus drinks. Can NZ-based players please make a payment of $65 directly into Chris’s bank account, giving your name as reference. Contact Chris or John Yarrall for bank account details. Please can all overseas players pay cash when you first see Chris at the event. | |
| Sat 14 | Final. Plate final |
