Rich Waterman - Is 2012 his year?

Ben Martin? Pippa Cox? Catrin Davies? Darren Woolridge? Seb Moss? Who is your favourite for this year's World Title?... We take some time to catch up with many people's tip for the 2012 championship, Richard Waterman, the Wizard of Edale...

Rich, you're currently third in the world. How much do you want that number one spot?

I have mixed feelings about that one – becoming boule champion would be a great honour, but it can do terrible things to a man. How would I cope with the obligatory sponsorship deals? - I don't even like turkish delight . I'd be happy just to improve from last year and come in the top 3.

Your Edale training partner, Pippa, is the current number one. What's her secret?

It's a secret, even to me. All I know is that she spent three months in Antarctica prior to the start of the 2012 boule season, and since then her rise up the boule league table has been meteoric.

If you were to choose a mythical creature that best personifies your boule style, what would it be?

The octofish – respected nemesis of Jack Rattenbury, and the original gift snatcher.

Which characters from the past or present would you most like to play against in your dream boule match inside a disused ice cave?

hmmm... I think it would be moon character, Neil Armstrong, in a game of zero gravity boule.

Players seem to be pulling out all sorts of special moves for 2012. Have you got any new radical boule moves in the pipeline?

I'm working on an underground boule lob called the mole boule - it will go through the ground and comes up underneath the jack, bypassing the rest of the boule field (see photo below). However, this year may be too early to see it– the slow pace of boule innovation means it won’t be ready until the 2076 season.

Seb Moss. A dangerous renegade with the ability to be world champ, or a washed up has-been spurting half truths through port stained lips? Discuss.

Moss is all of these things, and none of them.

Finally, one stripe, two tripe or three stripe boule markings?

Three stripes - more is more.

Richard Waterman - The Facts

Position in 2011 - 4th

Current World Ranking - 3rd

Win Ratio - 66.7%

Opponents Defeated - 8

Opponents Defeated By - 1

Total Points scored in games - 21

Total Points conceded in games - 27

Fact - On average Waterman takes home 43.8% of points available in a game.

Fact - Waterman has only ever lost to one person - Pippa Cox

Fact - Waterman has defeated 2011 World Champion Woolridge twice.