I calculated the relative strengths of the sections from the International Challenge games, and determined the relative strengths of the individual players. I used zero as the standard, so the lowest player was rated a zero, and all the other players were rated in comparison to the zero player(s). Across all the games of the tournament, using zero as the standard, the sections performed as if the players were rated: Continue reading »
Jan 232012
There were 31 players that participated in the International Challenge that was held in the UK during the same time as the World Cup. The teams in the International Challenge were Europe, France, Germany, and Holland. I took stats off the videos, and the top 10% in my favorite 4 categories were:
Highest personal possession percentage:
57% – Barbara Beaufils FR
53% – Alexandra Deurinck FR
50 % – Leonie Rathmann GE, Maarten Luitse HO, and Nathalie Garben HO Continue reading »
I calculate relative strength of sections at all tournaments where I get results, and I can determine the relative strength to which the section performed, compared to all other sections in the division. At the World Cup, since the players on the sections changed so much I could calculate the relative strength of the section when that particular individual was playing.
For each combination of players on a section, I calculated how much that section scored compared to all the sections they played against. Then I calculated what each player’s performance number should be to make it as close to the way they performed as possible. I used ’0′ as the standard, so the player(s) who had the lowest performance numbers were considered 0, then all other players were rated in comparison to them. Since the men only played the men and the women only played the women, I calculated them separately. The men’s numbers have no relation to the women’s numbers and vice-versa. Continue reading »
Jan 152012
I know we were all wondering….
Manure : In the 16th and 17th centuries, everything had to be transported by ship and it was also before the invention of commercial fertilizers, so large shipments of manure were quite common.
It was shipped dry, because in dry form it weighed a lot less than when wet, but once water (at sea) hit it, not only did it become heavier, but the process of fermentation began again, of which a by product is methane gas of course. As the stuff was stored below decks in bundles you can see what could (and did) happen. Methane began to build up below decks and the first time someone came below at night with a lantern, BOOOOM! Continue reading »
Jan 142012
I just counted the swings in World Cup game 15, USA v Zimbabwe.
There were a total of 37 swings at racquets. 8 of those swings (22%) got the ball out of the ball carrier’s racquet.
The team that was carrying the ball came back up with the ball 5 of those 8 times, so the ball only changed possession 8% of the time.
In 5 of the 37 swings, a penalty was called against the swinger, 14% of the time. Continue reading »
Jan 142012
There were 32 women that played in the World Cup. The top 10% in my favorite 4 categories were:
Highest personal possession percentage:
- 76% – Sandra Weston AU
- 71% – Jodi Tiver AU
- 70% – Julie Royden-Turner SA
- 68% – Celicia Jacobs SA Continue reading »
Polocrosse Association of Australia board members (front, from left) Odette Neumann, Gil Mathie, Fiona Nixon (back) Col Bloomfield, Les Fraser, Rodney Geppert, Barney Langford with Jonathan Grady (ASC) at the Coachman Inn yesterday.
WARWICK has the best polocrosse facility in the world, not just Australia, according to national president Gil Mathie.
Mr Mathie was in Warwick at the weekend for the NTI Rosebowl competition and yesterday’s Polocrosse Association of Australia board meeting.
This was the first time the board had met in Warwick, with most meetings held in Sydney.
Mr Mathie said people from other countries agreed Morgan Park was the best facility in the world.
“They don’t even question it as the best,” he said.
The board discussed next year’s nationals on April 23-29 at Morgan Park, which are expected to attract 60 teams from all states.
While he admits Tasmania and South Australia are not as strong as the other states, Mathie said the South Australians would have a strong junior team in Warwick. Continue reading »
August 20, 2011, Dallas, TX — When the final American Polocrosse Association USA team roster was announced in November, 2010, there was nothing short of serious dedication by the four men and four women as they prepared for the 2011 World Cup, which took place in July in Rugby, UK. Coach Jane Cooper, a two-time member of the Australian World Cup Champion team, expected nothing less and was an excellent motivator for team USA. The team members were expected to use their racquets on a daily basis, work on their physical fitness levels, ride as much as possible, and attend numerous tournaments. There were also many required team training camps along the way. Jane also stressed how important it was not only for the team members to be positive and united, but believe in themselves that they can win the World Cup. As the days grew closer to the commencement of the World Cup, the team’s main focus was to hit the ground running, by beating the 2007 World Cup Reserve Champions, the UK team, in the first game of the World Cup, and that they did! In the pouring down rain, the USA team pulled a huge upset for the home team with a final score of 17-12. After the game, many compliments from the polocrosse community were made to coach Cooper about the team’s ability to play smart polocrosse. Continue reading »
Aug 112011
Polocrosse Extreme, Iain Heaton
Review:
Okay so we completely failed to deliver up to date scores, match reports or breaking news during the competition, mainly because our entire editorial team was either helping run the event or because they were slightly drunk (editor’s note: mainly the former but definitely the latter on the final night!). It will be a very different story for South Africa 2015 where we intend to just go and report live from the pitch-side for each match, we might even do some online streaming.
The World Cup’s website has got all the results and final placings and so the next best thing we thought we could do is write a review of the event, the matches, the teams, the horses and anything else we couple think of! So here goes: Continue reading »
Aug 112011
Eddie Cross:
For all our troubles this is a great place to live and raise children. I was attending a birthday party for my grandson who has just turned 8, he had invited 29 little boys of his own age (no girls) and they had a “Pirate Party” organized by my daughter. Those boys had a great evening and some stayed over to sleep in tents on the lawn.
One of the parents, sitting on the stoep coined the phrase “marvelous Zimbabwe” as it was a beautiful evening, blue skies, about 25 c and no humidity. Nearby the national cricket team was busy beating Bangladesh in a 5 days test at the Harare Sports Club – a great Dutch style complex of green grass and bars in the center of town, next to the magnificent Royal Harare Golf Course. I recalled meeting a businessman in London who said to me (we had just won the ICC Trophy) “there is nothing wrong with a country that can play first class cricket!” In a way he had a point. Continue reading »
