Polocrosse event to be hosted in PE
[caption id="attachment_103017" align="alignright" width="199"] CHUKKA TIME: Garrett Fitton, a member of the winning Eastern Cape A division team at last year's EP Championships, will be in action again in this year's event -[/caption]
Forty of region’s top players for EP Champs
A TOTAL of 40 of the region’s best polocrosse players will be in action at the annual Eastern Province Championships to be held at the Port Elizabeth Polocrosse Club, Kragga Kamma Road, this weekend.
The tournament has a history, almost as long as that of the club itself, which was established back in 1979.
The very first EP Championships was held the next year.
This year’s event will take place on Saturday and Sunday, starting at 8.30am on both days. The venue is virtually opposite the turnoff to Holmeleigh Farm.
The Port Elizabeth side will be out to defend their A division title. George won the B division and East London won the C division last year and they too will be hoping to retain their titles.
Nadine Low Ah Kee, of the organisers, said players from other provinces were also welcome to take part in the competition.
“We are hoping to see players from other parts of the country participate in the tournament. This is going to be a big event.
“This competition also caters for all the ranks of polocrosse. For example there is an A, B and C division. That will be really exciting to watch. We will all play each other to see who will be the winners in each category,” she said.
“There will be food stalls and a licensed bar on the premises available on the day, so people won’t have to worry about going hungry or thirsty.”
The sport is played by a team of six players consisting of two sections of three players who alternate chukkas (six-minute periods of play) against the opposing side. A game at club level is typically six chukkas long and teams in a round-robin tournament usually compete in three games each.
Each section has fixed positions for each of the three players. A goal can only be scored by the No 1 and defended by the No 3.
No 2 is a very versatile centre player who must switch from attack to defence and back as the game dictates.
Two umpires officiate over games which are played according to International Polocrosse Council Rules.
Low Ah Kee said: “Polocrosse is a very entertaining and fast sport, which requires speed, fast decision-making and stamina.
“If you come and watch really good polocrosse, even if you are not a horse lover or don’t understand the sport, you can appreciate the skill.” -Vuyokazi Nkanjeni
