UK
Squad Named For Inaugural Polocrosse World Cup
With
membership of the UK Polocrosse Association leaping from 250 to
more than 400 in the last two years, three new clubs opening this
year and 2003 heralding the first ever Polocrosse World Cup, now
is an exciting time to be playing polocrosse.
Nations
competing in the first ever World Cup, to be held in April/May
in Warwick, Queensland, are expected to be Australia (which has
almost 4,000 players), New Zealand, South Africa, Zimbabwe, USA,
Canada, Ireland and the UK. Australian clubs will provide ponies
for all visiting teams. International tours by our players this
year include a Ladies' tour to the USA in May and an Under 21s
mixed tour to South Africa in July.
A
fuller season than ever was played from April to September this
year, with record turnouts at almost every weekend tournament
and high attendance at the week-long training courses. A winter
league, using covered arenas, is now running for the first time,
which will enable year-round play nationwide. A thriving pony
club polocrosse scene is bringing more and more young players
into the game.
The
sport is considerably cheaper than polo, with each player needing
only one pony. Teams of six are split in two, playing alternate
chukkas of three against three, enabling horses to be rested between
chukkas. The field is about the size of a rugby pitch, in comparison
with a polo ground, into which several football fields fit.
Whilst
top players favour ponies trained specifically for polo or polocrosse,
most players start using their existing mount: cobs, native ponies,
hunters, jumpers and trotters adapt to the game easily, once they
get used to the stick, ball and other ponies on the field.
The
UK teams for the Polocrosse World Cup are as follows:
Ladies' squad: Debbie Harris, Shelley King, Sophie Lodder, Ruth
Simkin
Ladies' non-playing reserves: Penny Hillier, Jessica Shearing
Men's squad: Shane Borland, Jason Burbidge, Rick Murray, Andrew
Schaefer
Men's non-playing reserves: Guy Robertson, Simon Shearing
http://www.polocrosse.org.uk/
 |
Visit
the
UK Polocrosse Association
on Stand No. 179 at the British Equine Event, 2nd & 3rd
November 2002 |
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