Five Warwick, Granite Belt sporting guns shine at Australian Polocrosse Nationals in Chinchilla

The biggest event of the year for a beloved regional sport is well under way, with five talented athletes from our region representing the state. One influential figure in the sport says the sport is only getting more popular.

The world of polocrosse may be seen as a niche sport, but in southwest Queensland it is thriving.

Warwick’s Madeline, Ted and Annabel Gleeson, and Anita Shepherd as well as Stanthorpe’s Melissa Kerr will be representing the region and Queensland at the Australian Polocrosse Nationals in Chinchilla this week.

A unique sport that combines polo and lacrosse is popular in the Southern Downs and south western Queensland, with Warwick hosting the World Cup for the sport in 2019.

The five athletes from the Downs are competing across various age groups for Queensland sides ranging from junior mixed to master level.

Action at the Polocrosse World Cup in Warwick in 2019. (Photo: file)

Thousands have descended on Chinchilla on June 25 for the first day of polocrosse action, showing the sport still had legions of fans in rural Australia.

Warwick Polocrosse president Les Fraser reckons the sport is only growing in the bush.

Fraser has been playing and contributing to the sport for more than 60 years and has the longest Polocrosse Association of Australia membership in the country.

“The sport has never been bigger in Warwick, we’ve got three active clubs – at Warwick, Killarney and Cunningham – that could field seven or eight teams each, enough for its own league,” Fraser said.

“The sport is going strong and is evolving, we’ve got more ladies and juniors playing than ever before, and many generational players that are passing the sport down.”

Fraser said the sport will be popular as long as people still like to ride horses.

“People love horse sports, especially here, whether it’s campdrafting, polo, pony club, it’s really taken off in the last decade and we’re apart of that,” he said.

“There will always be a home for polocrosse and horse sports in Warwick.”

Originally published as Five Warwick, Granite Belt sporting guns shine at Australian Polocrosse Nationals in Chinchilla