LIMERICK Polocrosse club hosted one of the last tournaments of the season last weekend, with a turnout of over 50 players from clubs across the country.

Victory went to a mixed club team in the A/B section, with Wicklow Bay winning the C section and Horetwon taking a win in the D section. The sport is relatively new in Ireland, originating shortly before the first world war in Australia.

Polocrosse was introduced to Ireland in 1990 with the establishment of Horetown Polocrosse club in Co Wexford, by brothers David and Ivor Young.

Since then the sport has seen a huge uptake and now boasts over 400 players nationally across Ireland’s 10 Irish Polocrosse Association affiliated clubs. A team consists of six players, three in each section.

Each section alternates on and off the field between chukkas to allow the horses and players to rest. There are three positions – the No.1 (attacker), the no. 3 (defender), and the no. 2 (midfielder).

Michael Collins, director of the Limerick club and Collins EC said: “The 2015 tournament was one of our best yet. It is really satisfying seeing the junior players moving up the ranks and giving the veterans a run for their money.” Marion Carmody, chairperson of the Limerick club, added: “Polocrosse is played across a very wide age bracket and so can be a very family oriented affair. Here at Limerick this weekend we had some parents playing at senior level, while the kids are able to compete at the lower grades.”

The polocrosse national finals take place at Cork Polocrosse club between September 12th and 13th.