Australia draws USA in polocrosse cup group
Photo: Gerard Walsh
POLOCROSSE: Australia has drawn Zambia, Zimbabwe and United States in pool B in the Polocrosse World Cup on April 22-28 next year.
In 2015, Zambia scored an upset victory over Australia in a round game which relegated the Aussies to second in their pool and a semi-final showdown against favourites and hosts South Africa.
The Aussies went down to South Africa before winning the play-off for third.
South Africa, United Kingdom, New Zealand and Ireland are in pool A.
Each team will be aiming to win all three pool games and finish top of the pool which will place them against the second team in the other pool in the semi-finals.
Australian defender Suzette Thomas from Western Australia is the one player from the last Australian World Cup win, 2007 at Morgan Park, who is backing up again 12 years later.
New South Wales defender Will Weston will be lining up for his third successive cup after being part of the 2011 (United Kingdom) and 2015 (South Africa) World Cups.
Lance Anderson, Lauren Sillitoe, siblings Lucy and Jim Grills and their cousin Abbott Grills will all be playing their second World Cup.
The one debutant will be young Queenslander Beth Hafey from the Tansey club.
Last year, Australia won the three women’s Tests against South African at Morgan Park while the men from Africa were victorious 3-0 in the men’s series.
In a pointer to Australia’s chances next year, the Aussies beat Zambia 3-0 in a series in Zambia in July this year.
South Africa has won the past two World Cups.
Tickets are available from www.polocrosse worldcup.com.au
– Gerard Walsh