Thanks to Polocrosse-international.orgInternational Challenge players’ relative strength ratings

Thanks to Polocrosse-international.orgInternational Challenge Stats

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.

Throughout all the games of the tournament, when the following players played, their sections performed as if the player’s rating was:

Women:
6 – Jo Cocker ZA and Sophie Sargeant ZI
5 – Victoria Sharp ZA
4 – Erin Smoyer US, Jessica Jolly AU, Jossie Spilsbury SA, Sandra Weston AU, and Sue Gower NZ
3 – Alison Mathie AU, Audrey Logan ZI, Avis Wotton IR, Celicia Jacobs SA, Debbie Harris UK, Dori Johnson US, Heather Shuttles US, Jodi Tiver AU, Julie Royden-Turner SA, Laura Newman-Dempster NZ, Lizzie Shearing UK, Rona O’Dwyer IR, and Suzanne Sargent ZI
2 – Beth Peaker NZ, Charlotte Pykett UK, Joanne Lavery IR, Olivia Gloyn NZ, and Sarah Simkin UK
1 – Dara Mangan IR, Lauren Watson ZA, and Nikki Crooke SA
0 – Kirsten Michelson ZA and Rachael Gayler US

Men:
5 – Graham Maclarty SA
4 – Michael Krynauw ZI
3 – BJ Byrne IR, Danny Duhig UK, Eoin O’Donnell IR, and Travis Timm SA
2 – Cameron Shepherd AU, Danie Swan ZI, Dean Gower NZ, Gavin Cocker SA, Graham Keith ZI, Henry Beckett ZA, Jason Burbidge UK, Lance Anderson AU, Rob Shuttles US, Robert Sibley AU, Ryan Murphy US, and Will Weston AU
1 – Aidan McDonagh IR, Anthony Barker ZA, Gary Malcolm NZ, James Davidson UK, James Rae ZA, Regan Gloyn NZ, Ryan Strider US, Seth Alcott US, and Shane Hill NZ
0 – Murray Evans ZA and Seb Chambers IR

–
Paul Johnson
512-698-6827

Thanks to Polocrosse-international.orgRelative strength of players at the 2011 World Cup

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!

Several ships were destroyed in this manner before it was determined just what was happening

After that, the bundles of manure were always stamped with the instruction ‘

Stow high in transit ‘ on them, which meant for the sailors to stow it high enough off the lower decks so that any water that came into the hold would not touch this volatile cargo and start the production of methane.

Thus evolved the term ‘ S.H.I.T ‘, (Stow High In Transit) which has come down through the centuries and is in use to this very day.

You probably didn’t know the true history of this word.

Neither did I.

I had always thought it was a polocrosse term.

Thanks to Polocrosse-international.orgThe History of Manure

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.

The link below is to the spreadsheet that shows the count for each team, swinging and carrying, each section swinging and carrying, and for each individual player swinging and carrying.

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/16069593/World%20Cup%202011%20Stats/Swings%20calculator%20Game%2015%20-%20US%20v%20ZI.xls

Normally, counting the swings indicates that it is better to never swing. However, Ryan Strider, only swung at a racquet 1 time during that game. He got the ball out of the ball carrier’s racquet, and Ryan’s team got possession of the ball. So Ryan was 100% as getting the ball out of the racquet, and 100% at causing the ball carrier’s team to lose possession. The next closest was Andy Baker with 67%. He swung 3 times and got the ball loose 2 of those times. However, he never caused the ball to change possession, and he had a penalty called against him for one of his swings.

Paul Johnson

512-698-6827

Check out our horses at:

www.home.earthlink.net/~pjpxmcd

Thanks to Polocrosse-international.orgWorld Cup Stats Swings

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

Lowest percent of hit losses (compared to your total possessions):

• 0% – Julie Royden-Turner SA
• Suzanne Sargent ZI
• Jossie Spilsbury SA
• Victoria Sharp ZA
• Rona O’Dwyer IR
• Avis Wotton IR
• Kirsten Michelson ZA

Lowest percent of missed pickups (compared to your total possessions):

• 0% – Kirsten Michelson ZA
• Lizzie Shearing UK
• Alison Mathie AU
• Nikki Crooke SA
• Heather Shuttles US
• Audrey Logan ZI
• Erin Smoyer US

Highest section conversion percentage:

• 58% – Lizzie Shearing UK
• 57% – Jodi Tiver AU
• 56% – Sandra Weston AU
• Alison Mathie AU
•  Jessica Jolly AU

There were 32 men that played in the World Cup. The top 10% in my favorite 4 categories were:

Highest personal possession percentage:

• 88% – Cameron Shepherd AU
• 78% – Will Weston AU
• 75% – Robert Sibley AU
• 74% – Graham Maclarty SA

Lowest percent of hit losses (compared to your total possessions):

• 0% – Gavin Cocker SA
• Graham Keith ZI
• Eoin O’Donnell IR
• Aidan McDonagh IR
• James Davidson UK

Lowest percent of missed pickups (compared to your total possessions):

• 0% – Gavin Cocker SA
• Graham Keith ZI
• James Davidson UK
• Graham Maclarty SA
• Cameron Shepherd AU
• Lance Anderson AU
• Danie Swan ZI
• Shane Hill NZ

Highest section conversion percentage:

• 69% – Cameron Shepherd AU
• 67% – Will Weston AU
• 66% – Lance Anderson AU
• 66% - Robert Sibley AU

Below is a link to the entire spreadsheet that will show all the stats for all the players:

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/16069593/World%20Cup%202011%20Stats/Full%20tournament%20stats.xls

Paul Johnson

512-698-6827

Check out our horses at:

www.home.earthlink.net/~pjpxmcd

Thanks to Polocrosse-international.orgWorld Cup Stats

SouthAfrica.info
Brad Morgan
21 July 2011

South Africa captured the Polocrosse World Cup title for the first time when they defeated neighbours Zimbabwe in the final at the Onley Grounds Equestrian Centre near Rugby in the United Kingdom on Sunday.

Both teams were undefeated heading into the final and both had beaten Australia, who had previously never lost a game at the World Cup, which was held Down Under in the first two editions in 2003 and 2007.

South Africa had finished third in both the 2003 and 2007 events, while Zimbabwe had finished fifth in 2007 and fourth in 2003.

For those not in the know, polocrosse is a combination of polo and lacrosse and the format features men and women playing alternate chukkas. It’s easy to understand and makes for a fantastic spectator sport.
Zimbabwean expectations

Much was expected of the Zimbabweans this time around, after they defeated a South African team full of capped internationals three-nil in a series in Johannesburg in early June. It was not, however, South Africa’s World Cup team.

Playing in the United Kingdom proved to be a test for the two southern African nations, who are used to dry conditions.

Heavy rains in the final created some muddy patches on the field, but South Africa adjusted especially well to them to run out convincing 29-18 winners after eight exciting chukkas.

For the record, South Africa’s World Cup winners were Gavin Cocker, Jossie Spilsbury, Graham MacLarty, Nikki Crook, Jan Albert Steenkamp, Celicia Jacobs, Nico Van Wyk, and Julie Royden-Turner.
‘Phenomenal’

“It was phenomenal, especially for Southern Africa,” to be playing Zimbabwe in the final, South African captain Gavin Cocker told SAinfo. “And to win it was the ultimate, a special moment.”

Jan Albert Steenkamp was in excellent form for South Africa in the title-decider and was later named the best male player of the tournament. The women’s award went to Kelly Redfearn of Zimbabwe.

South Africa had earned their place in the final with an excellent 25-11 victory over Australia in the semi-finals. Zimbabwe reached the title-decider with a 24-10 win over the USA.

It was in the game against the highly-fancied Australians that a huge turning point occurred, said Cocker.
‘After four chukkas, it was over’

“In the first two chukkas, our girls went down 3-0, but then pulled it back to 3-3. Our men then won their first chukka 5-0. After four chukkas, it was over, Australia weren’t going to come back from being so far down.”

Zimbabwe had earlier downed the Australians 21-12 in pool play. They also edged New Zealand 17-15 and saw off Zambia 22-10.

South Africa won their first two pool matches 19-9 over Ireland and 18-7 over the USA before sneaking past the UK 14-13 on a last-gasp goal by Graham MacLarty.

Australia dominated the USA in the clash for third place, romping to a 31-8 win, while New Zealand held on for a 20-19 victory over the UK in thee battle for fifth.
Visual skills

It was a World Cup win a long time in the making, explained Cocker. Work on the South African challenge began some nine or 10 months before the tournament and visual skills’ work with world-renowned Doctor Sheryl Calder was “very helpful”, he enthused.

At a World Cup, for health and safety reasons, players use borrowed horses which are put into pools and draws are then made for them. Adjusting to the horses is vital and this, too, was part of the South African team’s preparation, Cocker related.

“We got the horses into the right positions for the right riders and we were lucky that the horses suited our playing style.”
Stellar defence

Questioned about South Africa’s stellar defensive showing throughout the tournament – the 18 goals they gave up to Zimbabwe was by five the most they conceded in any game – Cocker again put it down to game planning for each side they faced.

Winning the World Cup is a “great opportunity” for South African polocrosse, he said. “People are excited and interest in the game is on the up. People who were doubters about South African polocrosse are now on board.

“It’s also good for Zimbabwe,” he said about the all-Southern African World Cup final and what it means for polocrosse in the region.

And with the next Polocrosse World Cup taking place in South Africa in 2015, the defending champions have plenty to look forward to, and to build towards.

Thanks to Polocrosse-international.orgSA capture Polocrosse World Cup

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.

He praised the coach, manager and players who represented Australia in the 2011 World Cup in the United Kingdom.

“They were very good ambassadors for the sport,” he said.

Next year, Australia will start planning for the 2015 World Cup in South Africa with a view to turning this year’s third placing into victory at the fourth cup.

Morgan Park was venue for the first two cups, in 2003 and 2007.

Mathie said there was a strong possibility the 2019 event could be held in Australia.

“New Zealand will host a quadrangular series in 2013 but getting enough horses for a (NZ) World Cup is too big a job,” he said.

That means the cup is likely to alternate between Australia, United Kingdom and South Africa.

Australian Sports Commission representative Jonathan Grady was at the polocrosse on Sunday and at the board meeting, to assist the association in formulating a new strategic plan.

“I was blown away by the skill of the athletes and horses. It is more physical than I expected,” he said.

“Polocrosse receives some funding from the commission and we are keen to encourage pathways between horse sports.”

Association national executive officer Fiona Nixon said Equitana in Sydney on November 10-13 would be a chance to showcase the sport.

“The four members of the World Cup team from New South Wales will host education sessions at Equitana,” Nixon said.

The exhibition will be part of the Riverina District Pavilion.

Nixon was on her first visit to Morgan Park for the Rosebowl carnival.

“I was blown away with the goodwill and community spirit,” she said. “There is a great sense of pride in Warwick polocrosse; the standard of play at the weekend was high.”

Thanks to Polocrosse-international.orgMorgan Park known as world’s best

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.
On the second day of the World Cup, the USA team faced off against South Africa, the 2007 World Cup third ranked team. The African style of play was too much for the USA team to handle. The USA lost to the South Africans with a final score of 7- 18. With a 1-1 win/loss record, the USA team knew how crucial their next game would be against Ireland to not only secure them a top four spot, but put them into the semi-final the following weekend. With their chins up and heads held high, that was all that the team was focused on going into the third day of competition.
The USA vs. Ireland game was very intense as the score remained close the entire game. At the end of the final chukka, the Irish men scored what would have been their winning goal just milliseconds after the buzzer had already sounded. The crowd was cheering so loudly that the umpires didn’t hear the buzzer and had to converse with each other and the tournament umpire to determine if the final goal was good or not. They came to the correct conclusion and the game went into golden goal (aka sudden death).
In overtime, the Irish women caught the ball out of the line-up and quickly turned it over to the USA women, who played it safe and took as much time as they needed to score the winning goal. Their patience paid off and the USA beat Ireland 17-16! After securing a spot in the top four for the first time in history, the USA team turned a lot of heads and gained more respect from the worldwide polocrosse community.
There was a break in the World Cup action during the week following the first three rounds of play. The USA team took the opportunity to reenergize and further assess their horses in preparation for the semi-final game against Zimbabwe. The USA team members also supported the US Pony Club polocrosse team that competed in the International Pony Club competition during the week.
On the second weekend of play, the USA team battled Zimbabwe for a spot in the World Cup finals, but to no avail. During the game, there was a clerical error made by the Zimbabwe team manager when they declared their player/horse combination line-ups for the third chukka. That error would have disqualified them, but, respectfully, the USA team wanted merit to determine who went into the finals match. The Zimbabwe team was deserving of a spot in the final after winning the semi-final over the USA 24-10.
The USA team had the honor of playing against the two-time reigning World Champions, Australia, for third place in the 2011 World Cup. The USA team members started the game with confidence and the will to do coach Cooper proud, by beating her home country, but that was quickly overshadowed by the Australian’s hunger and quickness to the ball that was unmatched by the USA team. The Australian’s earned the third ranked position in the 2011 World Cup by defeating the USA 31-8. The USA was, however, pleased to earn the fourth ranked position. The 2011 World Cup final rankings were as follows:
1. South Africa
2. Zimbabwe
3. Australia
4. USA
5. New Zealand
6. UK
7. Ireland
8. Zambia
For more information and to order a video of the 2011 World Cup, visit the event Website at polocrosse2011.com. Also, to view and order photographs from the event, visit mmainphotography.com, one of team USA’s sponsors. There is also a Facebook page called ‘Polocrosse World Cup 2011 Updates’, which has play-by-play posts about most of the 2011 World Cup games.
The USA team members were very proud to have represented the United States of America at the 2011 World Cup. Their dedication, talent and team unity was unmatched by any other team that has represented the USA in the past. They set the international standard for the future of USA polocrosse and are dedicated to helping the sport of polocrosse continue to improve and grow in the USA. They would like to improve their ranking at the 2015 World Cup, which will take place in South Africa. Over the next four years there will be numerous opportunities for the USA to compete internationally, including the Quadrangular that will allow the top four ranked countries to battle it out once again in 2013. Go USA!
The success of the 2011 USA World Cup team would not have been possible without the support of many individuals and businesses throughout their journey. Head coach Jane Cooper was an excellent leader for the team. She created a team culture of giving it your all and that played a huge part in the team’s success. Assistant coach Renee Thompson brought a lot of experience to the team and played a key role in coaching the team stateside when coach Cooper was at home in Australia. Manager Jessie Reed sacrificed many hours keeping the team organized and played a large part, along with Coach Cooper, in raising funds and finding sponsors for the team. USA World Cup Chair and horse manager Kiki Pantaze represented the interests of the USA team on the American Polocrosse Association Board and was the mastermind behind recruiting Jane Cooper as head coach. Kiki was also very valuable to the team when it came to the care of the horses at the World Cup. Prissy Rumel was in the hearts and minds of the USA team at the World Cup. She took the reins as Manager when it was needed early on, but was unable to complete the task as Manager due to health reasons. Other individuals that deserve a special thank you are the English horse helpers that took care of team USA’s horses during the World Cup: Vicki, Rosie, Mike and Jazz, the World Cup horse owners, Trent Cooper, for being the USA representative umpire at the World Cup, Trish Jones and the USA Pony Club team, for taking excellent care of the horses during the USA games, Patti Cifelli, for being a very efficient and reliable bookkeeper for the team, and Ty Cardwell, for jumpstarting the team’s fitness program leading up the World Cup. The team would also like to thank the American Polocrosse Association membership for not only their monetary donations, but also for lending horses to team members for training camps and their support at tournaments which helped the USA team members prepare for the World Cup.
The USA team is very grateful for the support of its business sponsors: B2B, Mountain Horse, Professional’s Choice, Bridlebrook, McArthur Farms Australian Stock Horses, U.S. Animal of Vermont, DoRide, M. Main Photography, Dover Saddlery, Alkapellet, Europa Saddlery, Allstock stores, Horsemen’s Outlet, Tito’s Vodka, Lakota Trailers, Gator Tail Trailers, The Buddy Bag, Cactus Jacks Trail Rides, LLC, and US Rider. More information and links to these sponsors’ Websites can be found on the USA team’s Website, usapolocrosse2011.com.
Written by Erin Smoyer
2011 World Cup USA Team Roster:
Captain: Robby Shuttles
Vice Captain: Erin Smoyer
Seth Alcott Dori Johnson
Ryan Murphy Rachael Gayler
Ryan Strider Heather Shuttles
About Polocrosse
Polocrosse is a team sport as well as a family sport. Players of all ages participate at their own skill level. Players ride one-handed and carry racquets that are similar to Lacrosse racquets with a net at the end in their opposite hand. The soft rubber polocrosse ball is not only carried down the field, but also picked up off of the ground, passed, bounced and thrown through the goal posts at a fast pace throughout the game. Players are required to use only one horse, which is why Polocrosse is called the “King of the One Horse Sports.” A full team consists of six players (with up to two reserve players) divided into two sections. The first section plays a six to eight-minute chukka (time period) while the second section sits out. At the end of the first chukka, the second section takes the field while the first section sits out. The sections alternate play for the entire game, which may be four to eight chukkas long. The winner of the game is the team that throws the most balls through the goal posts. Visit americanpolocrosse.org to learn more about polocrosse in the U.S.

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Thanks to Polocrosse-international.orgFor the First Time in History, the USA Polocrosse Team Achieves Top Four Ranking at the 2011 World Cup

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:

 The Event:

No one would pretend it was perfect but no one expected it to be. What with the venue change four months before the event, the lack of money, the problems with horse supply and the changes in the management team most people just seemed very pleased that the World Cup was actually running. And in fact it ran pretty well!

There were problems here and there, the reserve horse pool was not as numerous as some people would have liked, someone forgot the match balls for the opening game, the PA system had a few issues at points, a lack of volunteers on the ground meant that they all had to work doubly hard and often things were sorted at the last minute but the playing pitches and the viewing bank looked stunning, the horse pool overall was far stronger than most people expected and all the volunteers worked incredibly hard to sort out any problems which occurred and what problems occurred didn’t normally affect the viewing public too much and so from an outwards perspective it actually seemed to run quite smoothly and the vast majority of people went away very happy and entertained.

The idea of having people camping on site and having the big final night party on site worked very well and really added to the atmosphere of the event and the final night party was truly amazing. However it did mean that the organizers had even more to deal with and stretched the resources still further. The integration of the Pony club competition and the International Challenge also really added to the competition and it was great to see the future of polocrosse competing alongside those at the very top and hopefully very inspiring for them.

The organizers also had more other things on site than at the last world cup, there was hospitality lunches in the main marquee, there were more displays and demos from other equestrian disciplines and more trade stands and these were well received through both of the weekends. This was necessary though as in a country were polocrosse is not as well known and popular as in Australia the organizers were always going to have to lay on more to justify the ticket prices and entice people in.

Overall the event was very successful. Whether it manages to financially break even will be seen when the UKPA makes the accounts public later this year but in terms of delivering a polocrosse world cup and pushing the sport forwards in both the UK and Europe the UKPA has definitely done a good job and now will aim to build on this, regardless of the financial outcome.

 The matches:

Frankly the polocrosse was amazing. Three games went to golden goal, one more was won by a single goal and one more was won by just 2 goals. The results have never been so close or unpredictable in any previous world cup. The hosts lost on the opening day, the defending world champions Australia were beaten twice and then thrashed the next two teams to face them. South Africa won the World Cup for the first time, it was the first time any African team had made it to the final (and in fact two African teams made it to the final), the pitches were baked hard one day and mud baths the next day and Australia even threw an over arm goal! Basically you named it and it happened! If you didn’t go and watch then buy the DVD because it was brilliant and well worth watching over and over again! If we were marking it out of 10 we would give it 11, possibly 12…

 The teams:

South Africa will be absolutely delighted to be world champions and no one could say they didn’t deserve it. Their men were unstoppable and against both Australia and Zimbabwe they were what won the day. Australian’s men barely saw the ball, Zimbabwe did a lot better but still didn’t see enough. The South African ladies came out very strong at the end of the final, just when it was most needed, and that is why the lead became 11 goals by the end. Jannie Steenkamp won so much ball at the back of the line-out for the South African men and Melody, who he played throughout, went brilliantly and deserved the overall horse prize. They kept their entire horse pool going throughout and by never having the draw a reserve horse they kept their pool very strong and also played the horses to their strengths very well.

Zimbabwe will be disappointed to have lost the final but they played amazingly throughout and no one took more snaps at the front of the line out than Andy Baker. Their ladies were brilliant and had the measure of South Africa for the first few chukkas of the final. Zimbabwe had a couple of brilliant yet quirky horses which occasionally lead to mistakes but for the most part they played very well. (editors note: We are considering legal action against Zimbabwe after we discovered some Zimbabwe shirts with “It’s not a sport, it’s an obsession” written on them)

Australia will, of course, be annoyed to slip to third in the world but what was amazing was the demolitions they produced of New Zealand and the USA after they had lost to Zimbabwe and South Africa. They truly showed how good they could be when they were at their best, however on those days the African countries were definitely better and whole heatedly deserved their wins. In the end it all came down to possession, South Africa and Zimbabwe won more and therefore won the match. Australia definitely rode the horses as well as anyone and a few owners are probably going back with horses going better than when they went in the pool!

The USA exceeded all expectations. They caught the UK napping on the first day but they managed to also beat Ireland on golden goal to get through to the semi finals. Then admittedly Zimbabwe and Australia did show them that they will have to step up yet another gear if they want to make the top 3 in the world but to finish 4th will probably have been as much as they could dare hope for at the start of the competition. They played some great polocrosse throughout the entire competition and in patches were as good as anyone. Seth Alcott for the men and Rachel Gayler and Dori Johnson for the ladies were the stand out players for the USA and it was very clear that all the work they had put in from the last world cup has paid dividends and it is encouraging for the future that it was their younger players who shined brightest.

New Zealand will have hated to finish fifth, they are an old and proud polocrosse nation but they had the tougher of the two groups which was always going to make life hard and they had a key horse in Soxs vetted out before the crunch Australia match. He returned for the Ireland and UK matches which they duely won and though one horse would not have saved them from the hiding Australia gave them it could have made it more respectable. On day one they fought out an energy sapping match with Zimbabwe which perhaps wasn’t the nicest start and that didn’t do them any favours either. What will be interesting to see is if in 2015 their younger players have come on enough to replace the old guard who still carried them through this world cup. Beth Peaker looked the pick of the younger players but a lot of the time New Zealand were still incredibly grateful to the talents of Shane Hill, Dean Gower, Gary Malcolm and Sue Gower.

If New Zealand hated finishing fifth then the UK will despise finishing sixth. They were the hosts, the second seeds and ended up losing the 5th/ 6th play off on a golden goal and had the ball in their net first in the golden goal chukka. Ironically, if anyone got a weaker horse pool it was probably the hosts, they lacked a truly exceptionally horse from the start and a number of horses being vetted out throughout the competition didn’t help them either. In the New Zealand match the UK men did seem to have run out of horse power but the mud worked in their favour and stopped the New Zealanders superior horse power really showing. They can’t complain too much though, they did make life hard for themselves by losing to the USA on day 1 and then nearly lost to Ireland on day 2 as well. Then they showed against South Africa what they could really do and they should have won that match, snatching defeat from the jaws of victory in the last minute. However, losing by 1 goal to the new world champions now looks a pretty good result for them and though they will be sorely disappointed to have not made the semi finals, they never looked like true world beaters and they will have to aim to be more consistent in 2015.

If one team deserved better than they got it was undoubtedly Ireland, they were was no sign of the famous luck of the Irish to be had anywhere. They lost two golden goals and actually kept the scores against New Zealand and South Africa pretty close as well. They suffered a blow when their key horse Aleisha was vetted out of their ladies pool but they did have some other pretty good horses, notedly Mandy Lee in the men’s section, and overall played them very well. What ultimately let them down was little mistakes at crucial moments, they had the ball twice in the golden goal chukka against the UK and failed to score, ultimately paying the price. However, overall they are a young side, particularly in the ladies section, and they showed that they could mix it with the very best which should bode well for the future.

Zambia will have been disappointed to end their first world cup winless but they showed some very good polocrosse at points and will have been delighted to have put on some very good displays and scored a lot of goals. After the opening defeat by Australia there were no real run away matches and indeed Australia beat New Zealand by almost as much so there was no shame there for the Zambians. Given that the average age of their team was one of the youngest in the competition and that they were the youngest polocrosse nation competing they showed that there is much to look forwards to in the future from them and no doubt they will grow in strength by 2015 and no doubt make things even tougher for their fellow competitors there.

 The International Challenge:

France won the International challenge and were worthy winners, they showed that over the last couple of years they have really come on as a polocrosse nation. They played good, sensible polocrosse and won the ball well and passed it around well to score goals. They worked well as a team at all points and on their favored Henson horses they showed that they could mix it with the faster thoroughbreds and were nimble enough to get out of line outs quickest and get to dropped ball first.

Germany will perhaps feel they could have won the final if they had played their best from the start as they came back strong at the end but they were not as good and consistent as the French team. They were on more unfamiliar horses which did not help them but they were good horses and ultimately more mistakes cost them dearly. They were a young team though and undoubtedly will grow in strength and confidence going forwards and could well be a force to be reckoned with in the future.

Holland will have been upset to have not made the final, they lost to Germany by just one goal to let Germany get through ahead of them and definitely at points looked the stronger of the two sides. However, they couldn’t quite hold on at the end and it was Germany who went through to the final. They will perhaps have been more annoyed by the way they played against France in the group stages where they did not deliver their best form. When they did play well though they played very well, winning the ball cleanly, passing it well and being solid in defense too.

Team Europe undoubtedly improved throughout the competition. Vibeke Svendsen and Red Rooster were outstanding in one of the number 3 positions, giving every number 1 who came up against them a hard time, and Jessica Deurinck and Mathilde Bizet showed that they will definitely be two french players to watch in the future. It was hard for them coming from three different countries and having not played together much before the competition but they improved with every match and almost caused a major upset against Germany.

 The International Pony Club Competition:

The pony club competition was as unpredictable as it could be, everyone seemed to beat everyone else at one point or another and all four teams could have still made the final on the third day of the group matches. However, it was Great Britain and England who made the final and Great Britain won it, having lost to England in the group stages. They were the favourites going into the competition but England battled hard and pushed them all the way.

Emily Gilifian was consistently good for Great Britain while Morgan Griffiths was probably the pick of the players for the England team but all the players showed that the future of polocrosse in the UK is in very good hands and that there are a great number of talented young players coming through the ranks.

USA finished in third place beating Northern Ireland, who had actually managed to beat the USA in the group stages. The USA had always looked threatening but never really delivered until this final match. They always looked dangerous and in players like the Balogh brothers and Evan Vallee they had some of the best stick and ball skills around but being on unfamiliar horses no doubt hindered them and a few missed chances here and there and some unnecessary fouls cost them two close matches against the Northern Irish and England teams and then Great Britain always looked in control against them. However in the 3rd/4th play off the USA did show just what they were capable of and finally got the win.

Northern Ireland will be disappointed that they did not play to their very best in the 3rd/ 4th play off but they beat both the USA and England in the group stages and picked up best horse and rider combination for William Armstrong and Luchi and showed that there is some really good talent in their side which can only develop and improve over the next few years.

 The conclusion:

So there it is! The Two River Technology 2011 Polocrosse World Cup has ended.

We would like to say thank you to everyone who made it possible; the volunteers, the horse owners from the UK and Ireland who lent their horses to play, the teams for traveling from around the world, the sponsors and everyone who came from around the world to watch!

It wasn’t perfect but it was pretty amazing and the actual polocrosse was as good as anything and never before have so many matches been so close and so many upsets caused! Roll on 2015 when we can do it all again!

Thanks to Polocrosse-international.orgThe Two Rivers Technology 2011 Polocrosse World Cup