Finals Day at the World Cup

South Africa emerged victorious against Zimbabwe to win the Two Rivers Technology 2011 Polocrosse World Cup. Zimbabwe fought to the bitter end but South Africa played brilliantly in the last few chukkas to build themselves a lead and eventually win 29-18. The English weather managed to provide some unfamiliar conditions for the two African countries contesting the final with some heavy rain showers turning some parts of the pitch into mud which tested the skills of the players and the horses to the limit. South Africa showed they were more than equal to the challenge though as they barely missed a single ball on the ground and passed the ball around with such speed and accuracy that Zimbabwe couldn’t quite keep up as the match entered the latter stages.

Jan Albert Steenkamp was on particularly brilliant form for South Africa and he won Best Male Player for the tournament with Best Female Player going to Kelly Redford of Zimbabwe. The Best Horse in the Final went to Melody, owed by Jason Webb. All the playing horses in the World Cup were lent for the competition by UK and Irish polocrosse players. The teams drew a pool of playing horses and then had four days to train with their horses before their first match, making it even more of a challenge as they had to quickly get used to unfamiliar horses. South Africa’s victory means this is the first time that the Polocrosse World Cup has been won by any country except Australia. South Africa knocked out the double world champions in the semi finals to set up the final against Zimbabwe, who defeated the USA in their semi final.

The UK as host country had a slightly disappointing tournament, finishing in 6th place after losing the 5th/6th play off against New Zealand on a golden goal. The match was fought out in an absolute sea of mud on the 16th of July and was level 19 goals all at the end of the last chukka, however New Zealand scored first in extra time to claim 5th spot. The UK failed to make it through to the semi finals after a shock defeat to the USA on the opening day meant they had to win their two remaining pool games to qualify. The UK duely beat Ireland on a golden goal and then suffered a heart breaking one goal defeat in the final few seconds of the match to the new champions South Africa to push them out of the semi finals and into the 5th/6th play off. However, despite the disappointment on the pitch the UK Polocrosse Association (UKPA) was delighted overall with how the event went. Iain Heaton, the UKPA’s CEO, said “It was a brilliant occasion for polocrosse in the UK to host the World Cup, it went really well. There were some absolutely brilliant matches and we had a lot of people who had never even heard of the sport before coming through the gate to watch and really enjoying the spectacular action on the pitch. We hope now going forwards we can do more big polocrosse events in this country to really drive the sport forward.”

Alongside the main event there was a International Challenge of polocrosse which featured some of the up and coming European polocrosse nations and also an International Pony Club competition. France won the International Challenge while Great Britain won the pony club competition to restore some honour for the hosts. Alongside all the polocrosse there were displays and demos from a number of other equestrian sports, including reining, show jumping, equestrian vaulting, mounted games, endurance and tentpegging making it an action packed week with lots of excitement both on and a off the pitch.

Rain Doesn't Stop Polocrosse Play-Offs Saturday 16th July We feel at this point that a special mention must go to the little skewbald umpire pony who has done such a sterling job over the past week and is a favourite of all who have ridden him. He has stood like a rock for every throw-in, kept up with the play of horses much bigger and faster than he, and has often been called into service where another horse will not stand. He is best summed up in the overheard words of umpire Wayne Henning into today's IC game: "This is the best umpire pony ever - he's so comfy!" 10am - Ireland vs Zambia There was only one word for the first game of the day and that was WET! Overnight rain had left the pitches waterlogged, and by 10am it was showing no signs of letting up. Brave spectators gathered at the sidelines as the two teams prepared to slosh it out for 7th and 8th place! As soon as play began it was obvious that this was going to be a testing game, although Ireland are possibly a little more used to playing in these conditions than Zambia are! For the first chukka both sides were fairly equal; both are younger teams yet to win a game in this competition despite showing some fantastic displays of polocrosse over the last week and a half. Ireland had twice gone down to a golden goal in two very close matches and would be looking to take a win this time, while Zambia had been steadily improving throughout the week. After the first chukka it was 3-3 as the ladies dug deep for the ball in all that mud! The men's sections were next up in the mudbath, and as the rain continued to fall heavily a long ball downfield to Seb Chambers put Ireland up into the lead. For the next couple of minutes the ball moved up and down the field, changing possession as Zambia fought to equalise and Ireland fought to get ahead. Eventually it was Seb again who came out with the ball to put away another goal and widen Ireland's lead. In the scrum of mud and rain both number 2s lost their rackets and it was Seb again who scored the next goal. However, both teams were having to slow the pace of the game as it became harder and harder to get a good bounce, horses skidded off the back line, and the sidelines became all but invisible despite linemarker Chris Chennells's best efforts. The ladies came back on and it was Dara Mangan at 3 for Ireland who was first on the ball, running it upfield for her 1 Joanne Lavery to score. Zambia then retaliated with a run of their own as number 1 Vicky Sharp pulled off a fast snap in the lineup then sprinted to her area to score for Zambia. She then took possession again, throwing hard to get the ball to bounce, and narrowing the score to 7-5. Even with sideways rain hitting heavily the delight of the Zambian supporters couldn't be dampened as they cheered on their team. Ireland managed to put in another before time was called, and with 3 goals in it there was still a chance for Zambia to pull the game back their way. For the next men's chukka it was Murray Evans who whipped the ball away in the front of the lineout, but as he found a few seconds later, those bounces were becoming a problem as the mud simply sucked the ball into the ground. With the ball loose in the area Ireland were quick to reclaim it and send it on to Seb Chambers to make the score 9-5. Some good work by Henry Beckett out back for Zambia helped them regain the ball and move the score closer again. The in the lineout Seb and Murray somehow became untangled, causing Murray to lose his stick, whip and entire bridle into the mud! Fortunately his horse did not seem too bothered by this sudden event and waiting for him to reclaim his kit! The last few minutes saw a great run again for Seb Chambers and the Irish side as they put away three more goals making it 13-6 in their favour. As the pitch was now virtually mud and bouncing wasn't really an option the teams had to be sure of every pass and pickup they made. Several confident runs from the Zambian girls helped win back a few goals, and again there were plenty of rackets on the ground, having either slipped or been smacked out of cold, wet fingers. As the men began their fianl chukka the ball continued to move back and forth. The Zambian men managed to put away a few more goals but it was the Irish who really ran away with the game at this point, handling the adverse conditions well and making every move count. A last minute bid by Murray as he took the ball in the lineout made the Zambian score 11, but Ireland were worthy winners at 19 goals. Thus Ireland took 7th place, and what a blinder of a competition they've had. Well done Ireland, there is much to be proud of in the development of your sport. Thanks must also be given for all the horses that the Irish team and their supporters put into the World Cup horse pools - without their help there would not have been a World Cup! Zambia were 8th in the overall competition and have shown continuously improving play throughout the week. Their supporters have been many, and they gained even more with each game! Well done to both teams - today we saw some unbelievable play and good horsemanship to manage the dreadful conditions. International Challenge - Holland vs Europe These two teams were playing off for 3rd and 4th place in the International Challenge competition, and although the rain had gone the pitch was still as wet and muddy as in the previous game. However, both teams opted for less pace as it was becoming increasingly difficult to pick up the ball and near impossible to get a bounce. It was Holland who came up with the first ball and took it into the area but their number 1 Florien Luitse had to work hard against the European defence in Jessica Deurinck, and she shot wide of the posts to give Europe possession. However, Europe's 1 Mathilde Bizet also put the ball wide of the posts. A nice piece of play saw Holland's 3 Rosalind van der Haar pass out of the area to her 2 Nathalie Garben, who then passed back into area to Florien, neatly avoiding the problem of bouncing the ball! Sadly this shot at goal was also not to be as goal judges ruled that Florien was in the D. Finally the first goal was scored, and it belonged to Holland. They then hit a good run to put them 3-0 up at the end of the chukka. For the second chukka the Dutch men would have to contend with Europe's Vibeke Svendsen at 3, who had been on great form all week in defence, stopping countless goals and bringing the ball out of the area on many occasions. Today Niels Kemperman did manage to get two around her, but she made him work hard for each one. Europe were hard pressed to contain the Dutch in this chukka, and by the end they still needed to get their first goal on the board. In chukka three it was Leanne Boekholdt who claimed the honours as good teamwork from the European side gave her the opening they needed. However, mid-game chukkas saw Holland pull away, scoring goal after goal to secure a seven goal lead going into the last. Europe were able to maintain possession right up to their area, but again strong defence from Fleur Bartels prevented them from turning possession into points. On the sticky pitch the ball became unwieldy for both teams, and as the final bell went Holland were the winners at 10-1, and third placed in the International Challenge, with Europe fourth. It had been a good showing from both teams, and proof that polocrosse in Europe is on the up! Pony Club - USA vs Northern Ireland Like the previous game, these teams were playing off for 3rd and 4th place in their competition. Northern Ireland had already beaten the USA at the pool stage, but the USA were in need of a win, and had been improving with every game they played, showing strong ride-offs and tackles along with some well-executed teamwork. The pitch was still boggy, but with the sun out and the wind blowing there was an optimistic hope that it might dry out a little. While it wasn't the swamp that the Ireland-Zambia game had taken place on, the mud was unforgiving and made for a scrappy start at it claimed the ball more often than the players! Both teams came up with the ball but missed goals on both sides meant that no goals were scored in the first. In the second chukka NI were the first to score. William Armstong, who has been playing exceptionally all week, put two away for his team. The USA's Evan Vallee scored as well, and now the game was well underway, with all sections looking more comfortable once they had worked out how to ride this pitch in the muddy conditions. NI had another missed shot at goal, and didn't seem to be on quite the form that they have been for the last week. This did however give the USA the opening they needed to take over the game, and a big throw from Nick Balogh equalised the score. Some excellent play from the USA saw them take the lead, and in the fourth and fifth chukkas their number 1s Evan and Nick were forces to be reckoned with, holding onto the ball under stong NI pressure and working the bad ground well, looking for the best spots to put down a bounce to make sure of the take. In the final chukka William Armstrong managed to grab one back for NI, but this was the USA's game and they took a much deserved win, and third place, at 12-5. Well done to the USA, who played so well on strange horses and displayed such great sportsmanship and teamwork both on and off the pitch. Northern Ireland have also shown in this competition that they can play some fantastic polocrosse, and the score of this last game did not really reflect the standard to which they have been playing all week. We look forward to seeing them in August at the Pony Club Polocrosse Championships. 4pm - New Zealand vs UK This was the play-off match for 5th and 6th places in the World Cup, and New Zealand showed that they meant business from the start by scoring the first goal straight from the lineout. The UK had a slow start, but as the chukka progressed their teamwork started to come together and each side had scored three as the bell went. In the men's chukka the sections were again quite evenly matched. Good defence at both ends meant that there were no runaway goals, and again the score was equal at the bell, 5-5. This was then the pattern throughout much of the game, with the scores staying wither level or with one goal difference. The pitch was still extremely wet and muddy, and there were bell boots flying off at all angles. In the ladies second chukka it was goal for goal and the crowds were cheering every muddy pickup and shot at goal. New Zealand's Beth Peaker gave us some big overarm goals that never fail to look impressive, while the UK again showed off their party piece of a text book goal with first Sarah Simkin and then Debbie Harris grabbing the ball out the back of the lineout and running it straight downfield to their 1 Lizzie Shearing, all the while with NZ in hot pursuit! At the end of the third it was a tie again, now 9-9, and the men had it all to play for. The NZ men had a big fourth chukka, putting on the pressure to help Dean Gower move them into the lead 14-11. Now the UK had to try and bring the game back their way. The ladies narrowed the gap slightly but NZ were not so easily overcome, and going into the final chukka the score was 17-15 to NZ. This was a great comeback chukka for the UK, with Jason Webb now at number 1 almost permanently attached to the ball, pulling it up from some impossible angles out of the mud and bringing the score level in the last minute of the game, to the screams of delight of the UK fans. As the bell went the score was 19-19, and it was the ladies who had to come back on to contest the golden goal. The UK got the ball out of the lineout, but it was intercepted by NZ who powered down the field to throw the goal, take the win and take 5th place in this World Cup. View today's 'Around the Ground' newsletter

It's Time On as the Sun Shines on Rugby! Friday 15th July Today the World Cup teams played their matches to decide who would take their slot in the place play-offs and, of course, the FINALS! 10am - UK vs Zambia The winner of this game would go into the play-offs for 5th and 6th. In the opening chukka there was plenty of action for the huge crowds that had gathered pitchside. Zambia, new to the World Cup, had been steadily improving their play and would be looking for their first win of the competition. The UK, having not made the top four, would be aiming for nothing less than fifth place. The UK won first ball in the lineout but a missed pass over the line gave early possession to Zambia. The UK took the ball back but an unfortunate stick hook as number 1 Charlotte Pykett shot at goal menat that Zambia took possession again and this time they took it downfield to make the score 1-0 in their favour. The UK now stepped up the pressure and some good work by their number 3 Sarah Simkin kept the Zambian 1 in check as UK won the ball back with a big tackle to then equalise. In the next lineout it was Sarah who was first on the ball, taking it straight upfield to Charlotte Pykett while their 2 Debbie Harris took out the Zambian attack. It is play like this that the UK ladies do so well, and they were back on form as they ended the chukka. In the second chukka Murray Evans the Zambian 1 was straight on the ball to equalise the score again, but UK struck back with another goal of their own. Jason Webb out back for the UK was picking up a lot of loose ball but some good Zambian teamwork equalised the score again, and going into the third both ladies sections would need to be on their game if they were to take the lead. A slight change of positions saw Lizzie Shearing come on as the UK 1 and Kirsten Michelson as the Zambian 1 to join Vicky Sharp and Lauren Watson. The chukka began with a free shot to the UK that had been carried over from the previous one, which Lizzie put away neatly. What then followed was a great run for the UK, with one of the team taking the ball in the lineout and running it to the goal. Zambia then did the same to make the score 6-4 to the UK, but the home side were not to be stopped and after the six minutes it was 9-4, giving the UK a comfortable lead. In the fourth chukka there were missed chances at both end of the field but the UK managed to widen their lead. The final ladies chukka had a scrappy start but UK came up again with the ball to make the score 13-6. The Zambia's 1 Vicky Sharp gave the crowds a thrilling fast run down the pitch, ridden hard by the UK. However, she pulled the goal in and the Zambian girls fought as hard as they could to slow the UK down. In the fianl chukka both sides put in their all. Murray Evans shot seveal fast goals, but the UK did the same and although Zambia had displayed some great play it was the UK who were the stronger side, securing their place for the 5th/6th play off with a 17-9 win. 2.30pm - Zimbabwe vs USA The winner of this game would go through to the World Cup Final so neither team was going to go down without a fight. Zimababwe were undefeated so far in the pool stages, while the USA had gone down to South Africa earlier in the week. The ball went into play and to begin with it travelled up and down the field before Zimbabwe secured possession to take the first goal. The USA were not going down that easily, and when their number 3 Rachel Gayler was given a penalty throw she pulled it in for a long run upfield, keeping possession under strong Zimbabwe pressure to pass to her 1 in Dori Johnson, who scored to get the USA well underway. At the end of the chukka the scores were tied at 2-2. In the second chukka Zimbabwe unleashed their secret weapon in Andy Baker, making the score 7-3 going into the third. This chukka opened with USA possession and a goal for them. The Zim ladies did not look quite as together as they had done in the previous games, and the USA took advantage of this to try and narrow the gap. However, Zimbabwe won back possession in a brilliant ride by their 3 Sophie Sargeant. As the USA threw towards goal she shot between the ball and the posts and intercepted in a quick catch that had the crowd roaring! Now Zim were back in the game, throwing the long balls and moving the score up to 10-5. As the game went on Zimbabwe widened their lead considerably despite the best efforts of the USA to slow them down. Both Ryan Strider and Ryan Murphy for the USA had a good last chukka, but it was not enough to overcome Zimbabwe, who ran out the winners 24-10 to take their well-deserved place in the final on Sunday. The USA will play off for 3rd and 4th place also on Sunday, and they should be well proud of their play this week, showing the world the US polocrosse is among some of the best in the world. 4pm - South Africa vs Australia This was the second of the semi-finals to determine who would play in the World Cup final on Sunday. South Africa were unbeaten in the pools rounds, while Australia had gone down to Zimbabwe in the early stages. SA took the ball in the lineout but a big push from Alison Mathie at 3 for Australia gave them possession and they were first to put their mark on the scoreboard. They then came up twice again to make it 3-0 and it looked like they dominate this first chukka. But SA had not got this far to go down now, and a surge from their defence saw them win back the ball for Nicky Crook to score. Now SA were away and at the end of the first it was equal at 3-3. Once the men's sections came on it soon became apparent the SA were not to be contained. A big run down pitch took them into the lead, and then SA's number 3 Jannie Steenkamp took the next ball in the lineout, whisking it downfield to his 1 Graham MacLarty, who put it through the posts despite strong pressure from Australia's Will Weston. What then followed was a brilliant chukka for SA, with some good pickups and an unstoppable force in Graham MacLarty. Australia were constantly chasing ball while SA moved the score from 3-4 to 3-8, preventing Australia from scoring at all in this chukka. In the third Australia started with the ball but SA uickly won it back with a blistering run down field to shoot and score. Australia won one back to make it 9-4 but SA maintained much of the possession to stay a comfortable five goals ahead. With the men's sections back on it was evident that Australia would need to contain Graham MacLarty if they were to have a chance at winning back the ball. Australia were quick in the lineout but the strength and determination of this SA side was phenomenal as they won back the ball time and again to move the score to 17-6, building up a lead the Australia could not hope to catch. The fifth chukka for the ladies was a much better one for Australia as they started to come back in the game, scoring five goals to SA's four. Unfortunately this wasn't enough and in the final chukka Australia just couldn't penetrate the SA defence. SA played a slightly more leisurely chukka, not rushing to throw the goals, and when time was called it was 25 - 11 to SA, making it an all African final on Sunday and putting Australia into the play-offs for 3rd and 4th place. 5.30pm - New Zealand vs Ireland Coming soon! View today's 'Around the Ground' newsletter

International Challenge and Pony Club Games Thursday 14th July This was the third and last day of the Pony Club and International Challenge pool games before the finals on Saturday and Sunday. Every goal would count as the teams battled it out to secure their place in their Final! Pony Club - Ireland vs England After a win yesterday against the USA, Northern Ireland came out confidently to score three goals in quick succession. Number 1 Emily McCleane wasted no time trying to get around the strong defence of England's Sammy Connors, and simply threw big overarms to give NI their 3 goal lead. England managed to grab one back as Sammy was first on the ball in the lineout, sending it straight up the field to Morgan Griffiths to put the first one in for England. However, NI grabbed another goal before the bell went, giving them a comfortable lead going into the second. This next chukka most definitely belonged to NI's number 1 William Armstrong. He scored his first goal straight from a lineout catch and never looked back. This was an excellent chukka for NI, with William scoring 6 goals, backed up by a great defence in the Graham sisters Lizzy and Rachael. England were always hunting the ball but NI were constantly one step ahead, and nothing could contain William's nippy pony and his ability to throw a goal underarm or overarm from wherever he needed to. This meant that NI were 10-1 up going into the third. During the mid-game chukkas England began to come back into the picture, with a good run of goals from number 1 Morgan Griffiths with help from her 2 in Katy Wise. Again, it was William Armstrong who dominated the game, shooting from tight angles and bringing the score to 14-5 at the end of the fourth. The fifth chukka was England's chance to comeback and they did so. Morgan Griffiths and Katy Wise again had a good run to pull in five goals for England, narrowing the score to 16-10. After a fast goal from George Boisseau in the final chukka it looked like England might be in with a bid to take the game, but an excellent NI defence in Rachael Graham prevented England from putting in any more and NI were worthy winners at 17-11, having played some great polocrosse and showing strong teamwork that has improved with each game throughout this competition. International Challenge - France vs Holland The ball was pulled down onto the French side to get the first chukka underway. A strong Dutch defence in Natalie Garben slowed things down, but it was France who put away the first goal with clean teamwork from Vero Mossaz and Barbara Beaufils at 1 and 3 respectively. Holland responded by winning back the ball but some good play between Barbara and her number 2 Alexandra Deurinck took the ball upfield to Vero repeatedly, giving France a 3-0 lead. As the men's section got underway it was apparent that Holland were going to have a fight on their hands for possession, with another French goal on the board as their solid defence in Francois Mezieres and Michel Beaufils cleared the way for Remi Bader to enter his area unhindered nd make the score 4-0. Despite the best efforts of Holland's 3 in Fleur Bartels, Remi was not to be stopped, putting in 2 more before the end of the chukka. With the ladies back on, Holland had a fair bit of ground to make up. France snapped the ball in the lineout but lost it thanks to some good work by Nathalie Garben. However, this was not enough to stop France, with their number 2 Alex winning a lot of ball in the lineout. As the chukka drew to a close Florien Luitse managed to pull one back for Holland, giving them their first goal of the game. The fourth chukka was characterised by a lot of ball movement up and down the pitch. Only Remi Bader was able to convert this into a goal for France, leaving them 8-1 up going into the fifth. A free throw to the French opened the last chukka for the ladies which Vero turned into another goal for her side. A good run for the Dutch brought the score to 9-2 before the French pulled one back. The last began with Dutch possession, and they seemed much stronger in this chukka, with Niels Kemperman scoring for the Dutch side. However, it was too late for Holland to pull this game back and France won 10-3, securing their place in Sunday's final. Pony Club - GB vs USA The game had a slightly scrappy start but Hetta emerged to score the first for GB. Some good GB teamwork gave them the edge over the USA in this first chukka, with Olivia Miller and Henry Christiansen putting on the pressure to allow Hetta her chance at the ball. GB finished the first chukka 4-0 up. In the second chukka GB grabbed the ball but a big USA tackle took the GB racket along with the ball and USA got their first goal on the board. The USA began to take more possession but Emily Gilfillan won back the ball for GB, taking it upfield to her 1 in Layla Henshaw to move the score further up. In the third it was the USA's Nick Balogh who took the opening goal, and as GB took the next ball in the lineout both he and brother Peter at 2 were on the hunt for more. The USA's determination shone through in this chukka as the Balogh brothers worked well together, scoring one goal for each one GB took, and both teams continued this trend into the fourth chukka to keep the score difference the same. The fifth chukka began with the ball loose on the floor. The USA came up with it but GB were quick to win back possession and pass it to Hetta Carthew at 1 to score. There was a fair amount of ball on the floor during this chukka, but once it was up in possession there were some long runs down the field on both sides. Going into the last chukka the board said 15-8 to GB, a score that the USA were determined to narrow and proceeded to do so. This was to be the USA's chukka in the form of Evan Vallee, Andrew Diemer and Gracie Gill. They fought hard to bring the score their way, and when Andrew and Evan got lose with the ball they were unstoppable as they powered down the field to secure three goals in this last six minutes. GB had changed their final section around, putting Chris Milburn up to 1 where he put home two goals to leave the final score GB - 18, USA - 11, and giving GB their place in Sunday's final. International Challenge - Germany vs Europe This would be a deciding game as to whether Germany or Holland went through to Sunday's International Challenge final against France. With Europe yet to win a game, and Germany having been on strong form during their previous match, it looked as through Europe would have a lot on their plate. However, after another scrappy start it was Europe who came up with the ball and put in the opening goal. In this first chukka Europe won a lot of ball, dominating play in a way that they hadn't in previous games and working well as a team, feeding the ball to their number 1 in Mathilde Bizet to end the first chukka 3-0 up. In the second Europe again won the ball first and scored, but Germany were now coming back into the game and a catch in the lineout was converted into the first Germany goal for the game. A free throw gave Europe their fourth, and although Germany's Hayo Harder snapped the ball in the lineout the excellent European defence in Vibeke Svendsen helped Europe win back possession before time was called. During the middle chukkas Germany brought the scores level despite the best efforts of Europe's 3s Vibeke and Jess Deurinck. For much of the game the defences of both teams looked stronger than their attack, and the ball spent a lot of time moving up and down field without any goals being scored and several missed chances on both sides. In the fifth a free throw to Germany put them a goal up as they took the lead for the first time in this game. There was an equal amount of possession and again the excellent 3s would stop a goal and put the ball into motion once more at both ends of the field. In the last few seconds of the chukka the crowds went wild as Europe put in another goal to put the scores 5-5! During the sixth neither team could pull in that winning goal, must to the alternate dismay and elation of the relevant supporters, and for the third time in a week we had a game go to golden goal! Today was Germany's day as their number 2 Heidrun Rathman pulled the ball down in the lineout and passed to Linda Wermuth, who put it through the posts to send Germany into the final.

International Challenge and Pony Club Competitions Tuesday 12th July The second day of the International Challenge and Pony Club matches gave us some thrilling games, with tight scores and great play. International Challenge - France vs Europe Europe won the first ball out of the lineout, putting in a nice pass upfield to take it into their area. A missed shot at goal gave France the opportunity to take possession, which they then converted into the first goal of the game. Europe fought back to score their first goal, and at the end of the chukka the score was sitting 1-1. This was a much better start for team Europe, with their first section of Mathilde Bizet, Charlotte van der Haar and Jessica Deurinck working well together against a strong French side. A quick goal from France got the men's first chukka underway, with the French section driving down the pitch. However, they had to contend with Vibeke Svendsen as Europe's number 3, who put on the pressure to win back the ball and pass it on to her number 1 Leanne Boekholdt, thus equalizing the scores. (It should be noted that for the International Challenge competition each team run a ladies and a mens section, but if they cannot make a full mens section a female player may be used. However, a male player can not play in the ladies section). France's Remi Bader at 1 and Francois Mezieres at 2 then began to link up well to pull back a two goal lead for France going into the third chukka. Now France began widen the gap, most notably with the ladies section as Barbara Beaufils won back ball after ball then racing up the pitch on her speedy black pony to pass to her number 1 in Vero Mossaz. Europe showed some particularly strong defence in both their number 3s, but it wasn't enough prevent France finishing the fourth chukka 8-2 up after a great goal from an incredibly tight angle by Remi Bader. In the final chukkas France continued to hunt the ball and put in the goals to take the game 11-3, although both teams showed some excellent defensive play throughout. Pony Club - England vs GB The two home sides took on each other, and this proved to be an excellent game for the spectators, staying incredibly close right down to the last chukka and showcasing some of our future polocrosse stars. Both teams had won their matches yesterday, and it was GB who scored the first goal. Both number 2s worked well in the opening chukka, and after 6 minutes the scores were close at 2-1 to GB. In the second chukka things started to change around, with England taking more possession and first equalizing, then taking the lead. By the third chukka both number 1s were having a hard time getting around such strong defence. GB's Harriet Price was quick to bring the scores level again with a big throw over the top, not risking losing the ball to England's strong number 3 in Sammy Connors. This brought team GB back into the game and the two teams were so well matched that it was goal for goal through to the fourth chukka, where again England started to regain their lead. GB were determined to reclaim possession, and the ball moved up and down the pitch as neither defence gave an inch, putting pressure on the 1s to make good each attempt at goal. In the fifth chukka GB had a reshuffle due to an unfortunate fall for Harriet Price, thus bringing Layla Henshaw at 1 and Henry Christiansen at 2 to support Emily Gilfillan in the number 3 slot. Towards the end of the chukka England's Morgan Griffiths broke free with the ball, flew down the pitch hard marked by Henry, and scored again to put the scores 8-6 to England going into the final chukka. Despite some good teamwork between Hetta Carthew and Chris Milburn for GB, along with plenty of determination, both teams scored two goals apiece to give England a 10-8 win. International Challenge - Germany vs Holland Yesterday Germany lost to France and Holland had a decisive win over Europe. Today the German side, who made such a comeback in their final chukkas yesterday, came out with great determination and were rewarded with the opening goal. Germany made Holland work hard to regain possession, but the Dutch side did so to equalise the scores and finish the first chukka level-pegging at 1-1. The first of the men's chukkas saw German number 2 Hayo Harder produce a strong ride off to clear a path for his number 1 in Max Schellerer to score, and the two sides seemed more closely matched today, with Germany winning ball in the lineout but then Holland's Niels Kemperman whisking the ball away to score twice, backed up by a strong defence in Mijndert Heineke and Fleur Bartels. Germany were sitting just one goal behind at the end of the chukka. Goal-for-goal play characterised much of the game, with both teams keeping up the pace and the pressure and rarely pulling more than a goal's difference. A ball on the German side in the lineout gave them the opportunity they needed in the fifth chukka to break away and widen the gap to 9-7, but in the final chukka Niels Kemperman had a great run for Holland, scoring 2 goals. However, it wasn't quite enough, and Germany took the game 10-9, much to their very vocal delight. Pony Club - Northern Ireland vs USA In the last game of the day the USA scored in the first 15 seconds, and great goal from Nick Balogh. Effective work from his defence in brother Peter and number 3 Katherine Hanagan cleared the way for him to put away two more before NI's Emily McCleane grabbed one back with a big overarm. Going into the second chukka NI began to put the pressure on with sisters Lizzy and Rachael Graham's strong defence. Their number 1 William Armstrong proceeded to hunt the ball on his nippy pony, scoring three to pull level and then take the lead. By the third chukka both number 3s were firing away, keping the ball moving from end to end as each team struggled to score. USA brought things level again before Emily McCleane's fantastic little chestnut pony pulled up lame and she was replaced by Nial Auret. The USA took their opportunity and put away two more goals to move the score to 7-5 in their favour. Now NI had some ground to make up, and a blistering run down the field by William Armstrong brought the score to 7-6, followed by a goal on the board against the USA that again equalised the score. During the fifth chukka NI's Nial Auret gave the crowd the run of the day, streaking down the pitch with the USA in hot pursuit, catching the bounce at an impossible speed and then shooting for goal almost in one movement. To the crowd's dismay he missed the shot, but it had been an eye-opening move that got the crowds cheering as the game came into it's final chukkas. Meanwhile, USA's Nick Balogh continued to have a very good game, scoring four more to again bring the USA up front. In the final chukka NI were two goals down, but if there was a section to pull it back it was William Armstrong and the Graham sisters. Brilliant teamwork, pickups and ball retrieval gave NI the three goals they needed to win the game 12-11, at the end of what had been a fabulous display of polocrosse from these young teams. View today's 'Around the Ground' newsletter