Video du Jour: USA World Cup Polocrosse

Polocrosse is a sport in which riders chase one another around a field at top speed in hot pursuit of a tiny ball, narrowly avoiding bonking one another in the head with racquets at every turn.

The sport originated in Australia just after the turn of the century and is played world-wide. Polocrosse is an exciting sport and one that’s growing in popularity stateside as riders discover they can participate in a sport that’s as thrilling as polo without having to purchase a string of ponies and hire a fleet of grooms. In fact, it’s one of the least expensive equestrian sports to participate in–entry fees for a weekend of play run about $75, and that usually includes a Saturday night dinner. It’s a very family-oriented sport and at matches just about everyone camps out.

Today’s Video du Jour comes from Dana Diemer, who is on the board of the American Polocrosse Association. She was kind enough to give us this update on the state of the sport in America:

“Last summer Team USA finished an unprecedented 4th in the 2011 World Cup, held in Rugby England. As a follow on to our success in last summer’s World Cup the American Polocrosse Association is sending three 8-man teams overseas in 2012 to compete in international test match play. The Open team, four men and four women, will participate in a groundbreaking series of test matches in July in Lusaka and Livingstone, Zambia. This marks the very first time ever any international sports team has been invited to compete in country. Our Under 21 team, again four young men and four young women, will travel to England in mid-summer as well for test matches against the best U21s that the Brits have to offer. And finally, our top junior players, the Under 16 squad, will head to New South Wales, Australia for a series of matches in early July. Our international players will all gain valuable experience and this will serve to feed the pipeline for our next World Cup team who represent the US in South Africa (2015).”

Polocrosse season starts in mid-March in Ocala with the Charlie Horse Ranch tournament in Ocala.

This featured Polocrosse Exhibition match took place at the Las Colinas Polo and International Sports Club in Irving, TX. It features the USA World Cup Squad vs. some of Australia’s top polocrosse players.