According to Jack Higgs, past President of Matamo Polocrosse Club, who compiled a history of the club, the sport was first played in South Africa at the Durban Riding Club in 1948, after two girls returned home having spent a short while in England where they had seen a match being played between Porlockvale and Taunton. The sport was well supported at the riding club and spread to Shongweni, but due to unknown reasons, died out in 1950.
At this time, Vaughan Winter, a stock farmer in the Estcourt district, read about the sport in an Australian magazine. Intrigued, he wrote to the editor of the magazine, asking for more information. To his surprise, the editor sent him a rule-book!
Vaughan discussed the possibility of starting the game in Estcourt with some of his friends, one of whom knew that the game had been played at Shongweni. Through this contact, they were able to take over some racquets and balls from the Shongweni Pony Club, and on 18th March 1951, the first chukka was played in Estcourt.
Other clubs soon followed Matamo, with the formation of a club in Colenso in 1953. When Giffford Sparks, founder of the Colenso club was transferred to Cato Ridge in 1964, he started a club there, followed by the formation of a club at Mooi River the following year.
After a tournament held at the Cato Ridge club on 17th July 1966, a meeting was held and it was decided to form the Natal Polocrosse Association, with Gifford Sparks being elected as President.
Please note this page will soon be updated with more international and local history.
