POLOKWANE – Francois says he first heard about polocrosse from his father who played it for 23 years but it only became a part of his life later on.
“My sister struggled with depression and the doctors who treated her said she would have to be on a lot of medication and undergo extensive treatment. With that news, my father decided to buy her a horse as a means to assist her with her mental state and she flourished, becoming better and better every day,” he explains. This opened the door for his father to make contact with a polocrosse club in Louis Trichardt and Francois started taking part in the sport, playing in the junior division.
He continued with the sport in high school but decided to take a break from it for a while. Since his comeback recently, he has been chosen for the South African u/19 polocrosse team.
He also plays rugby, does cross country and athletics in school and spends the remainder of his time improving his academics.
“Since I do not get to spend time training with the horses during the week, the club where they stay helps to keep them fit and active so that when I do get time to train with them over the weekend, I get the most of it.”
Polocrosse, he adds, is a sport he would definitely recommend other youths to take up. “It is the most amazing feeling being able to ride a horse at that speed. The adrenaline rush is something words can never describe,” he explains.
Polocrosse is a team sport which is a combination of polo and lacrosse. Each rider uses a cane or fibreglass stick to which a racket head with a loose, thread net is attached in which the ball is carried. The ball is made of sponge rubber and is approximately four inches across. The objective is to score goals by throwing the ball between the opposing team’s goal posts.
Francois says taking part in this type of sport is not as expensive as people may think, with the most expensive thing being the horse.
“The entry fees are quite reasonable but the travelling costs do tend to add up as most of the tournaments are held in KwaZulu-Natal,” he explains.
Among his numerous achievements in the sport are winning both the A and B divisions for which he received the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award.
His horse also won the Golden Pony award since it did the best in the competition.
“This is a sport I would like to see grow in Limpopo and South Africa as a whole as it is something anyone can take part in. My advice is to just give it a try and chances are likely it will be something you enjoy doing,” he says.
