A move by the Tambo Polocrosse Club to breathe new life into the sport in the central west paid off on the weekend when it featured a team from New Zealand for its annual carnival.
The club paid for the airfares for the players from the Putaruru Tirau Polocrosse Club to cross the Tasman from New Zealand’s North Island and take on challengers from around Queensland.
Although rain, or the threat of it, caused some clubs to change their plans, 22 teams from as far south as Warwick and east to Bauhinia attended and provided the crowd with polocrosse of the highest standard.
The “PT” players, on borrowed mounts, praised Tambo for coming up with the idea, all saying the whole experience of seeing life and playing polocrosse in western Queensland had been wonderful.
It was given the thumbs-up by Blackall-Tambo Regional Council mayor, Andrew Martin, who said it had been an important weekend for the community.
“The club had been tossing up the idea of folding, what with drought and economic circumstances, but they thought outside the square and now we have people here from Cobar to Longreach to New Zealand.
“Council saw them having a go and we went with them.
“You’d be crazy not to back your sporting teams when they’re making life better out in these parts.”
The council supplied housing for the team for their five-day stay, and contributed just under $50,000 for a new ablution block opened on Sunday.
As well as the highest seeded teams playing a round robin against Putaruru Tirau, the Bob Sargood Memorial competition took place below that.
The team from Warwick won the challenge competition, and Wandoan was the runner-up.
Tambo I was the popular winner of the A grade competition and the Bob Sargood Memorial trophy in a one-goal thriller against Bauhinia.
It was a very competitive grade, with one goal between Tambo I and Roma I, and the same goal difference between Warwick and Wandoan I.
Results
- New Zealand challenge – Warwick winners, Wandoan I runners-up
- A grade – Tambo I winners, Bauhinia runners-up, horse and rider – Jacob Ross, Tambo.
- B grade – Charleville winners, Wandoan II runners-up, horse and rider – Meg O’Sullivan, Wandoan.
- C grade – Toowoomba winners, Roma II runners-up, horse and rider – Grace Taylor, Roma.
- D grade – Capella winners, Tambo Iv runners-up, horse and rider – Ryan French, Capella.
- Best junior female – Bridget Shepherd, Warwick.
- Best junior male – Sam Sargood, Tambo.
- Encouragement award (Herb Bredhauer Memorial) – Ash Cooper, Tambo.
- Best U21 – Meg O’Sullivan, Wandoan.
- ASHS award, female – Lady, Kylie Gould, Wandoan.
- ASHS award, male – Cameron Rogan, Wandoan.
- Champion lady player – Rachel Sargood, Tambo.
- Champion horse – Hope, Rachel Sargood.
- Champion horse and rider – Jacob Ross, Tambo.
- Best No 1 – Jacko Bowling, Wandoan.
- Best No 2 – Nicky Schrafft, Putaruru Tirau.
- Best No 3 – Stewart Shepherd, Warwick.
- Best NZ challenge horse, voted by Putaruru Tirau – Matilda, Clayton and Jackie Sargood.
- Challenge best lady player – Kylie Gould, Wandoan.
- Challenge best horse and rider – Stewart Shepherd, Warwick.