Durban Shongweni Club, situated in the Valley of 1000 Hills, the equestrian epicentre of KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), is hosting the 2024 Ignition Group Polocrosse World Cup from 19 to 28 July 2024.
Ranked according to the 2019 Adina Polocrosse World Cup results, South Africa will be joined by seven other top-competing polocrosse nations – New Zealand, Zambia, England, Ireland, the United States of America, and Zimbabwe – and current reigning champions Australia. The South African Polocrosse Team will be looking to repeat its 2011 and 2015 winning ways as it takes home-ground advantage.
This prestigious World Cup event is a major tourism attraction for KZN and to 1000 Hills in particular, bringing in thousands of visitors who enjoy this thrilling tournament displaying incredible athleticism and horsemanship.
South African Horses
All horses ridden are South African. Approximately 160 horses will be on the field during the event in total – all sourced by South African players. Rob Shuttles – Team USA coach was hugely complimentary about the event thus far and wanted to publicly thank the South African horse-owners for providing such great horses. The visitors absolutely love them!
Beginners Guide to Polocrosse in the Valley of a 1000 Hills
For those who don’t know – polocrosse is an exciting team sport played on horseback. Each polocrosse team consists of eight players – four men and four women with 16 horses per team – two per rider. Each team has a manager, with coaches for the men and women’s sides.
Polocrosse is a mixture of polo and lacrosse. The game was first played in England in an indoor arena and was then designed to improve students’ riding skills. The game is played in Chakkas (six-minute units of playing time).
Apparently, 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. The sport was well supported at the riding club and spread to Shongweni, in the Valley of a 1000 Hills where the World Cup is being held this year.
An Explanation About Polocrosse Pools
The eight international teams are divided into Pool A and Pool B according to current world rankings with each pool competing in a round-robin format for the first rounds, with six games per pool. Thereafter, the top two teams from each group will compete in the semi- finals. The finals are always an incredible spectacle, featuring world-class Polocrosse and quality sportsmanship between the two remaining sides.
- Pool A: Australia (1), Zambia (4), England (5), USA (8)
- Pool B: South Africa (2), New Zealand (3), Ireland (6), Zimbabwe (7)
Team South Africa
SA Polocrosse team is competing for a 3rd World Cup title. The Proteas are ready to fight for the 2024 Ignition Group Polocrosse World Cup, having narrowly missed out on their 3rd win to Australia in 2019.
The women’s team comprises:
- Captain, Jacquie Minnaar (Greytown,
- KZN); Lauren Heynes (Pietermaritzburg, KZN); Amy Cocker (Cato Ridge, KZN) and
- Olivia King (Paddock and Port Shepstone, KZN. The men’s side comprises:
- Captain Jan Albert Steenkamp (Wellington, Cape Town); Stef Harris (Centurian, Pretoria);
- Chad Von Benecke (Eston, KZN) and Joshua le Roux (Lidgetton, KZN).
Entertainment at the Polocrosse
Beyond the Polocrosse, there will be lots of family-friendly activities on the go catering to all
ages and tastes. This includes live entertainment and music, food and beverage vendors, and
pop-ups to keep the whole family entertained.
- Gumboot dancers
- Choirs
- School marimba bands
- Comedy by Aaron McIlroy and Lisa Bobbert
- Music by Tanner Wareham, Qadasi & Maqhinga, The Kickstands, Golden Super
- Hawks, Gwyn Viljoen & Hayden Rattray, Steve Umculo, Carol Souki, Black
- Whiskey, and Rob Warren & The Lepels
- East Coast Radio broadcasting live on certain days
- Food and beverage vendors selling an array of delicious eats
- Pop-ups selling locally made, handcrafted goods
Good to Know
- For the full schedule of events, visit www.polocrosseworldcup2024.com.
- Follow #IGPolocrosseWC on social media platforms.
- Tickets from TicketPro