The month of July is normally a quiet time for NZ Polocrosse but this year was an exception with a development team and a junior team playing in Australia at the same time with varying results.

This was always going to be a special year to defend the Cooper Family Trophy with the passing of Gilbert Cooper just days before the Development Team challenged in Toowoomba Queensland. The Development Team that travelled from New Zealand to Queensland with Tony Schrafft as Coach and Julinda Marshall as Manager consisted of Stephen Watson, Dwayne McKay, Daryel Mouat, James Marshall, Savannah Larsen-Church, Laura and Nadine Dempster and Nicky Schrafft.

The team arrived in Brisbane on Thursday and travelled about two hours south to Toowoomba where they were to play two tests on the Oakey Show grounds. They quickly settled into procedures with the all important horse draw taking precedence. NZ drew Pool One of horses with Queensland drawing Pool Two. They rode them for an hour and were extremely happy with the high standard of horses.
The “meet and greet” at the RSL Club on Friday created an opportunity for both teams and management to mingle and socialise once the official procedures were over.

The weekend’s tournament had about 60 teams competing with the Cooper Family Trophy Challenge game played on an arena. The fields were really good, a bit dustier than what the NZ Team were used to but the rain of a few days previous had helped to settle the dust.

Saturdays game was extremely close with the score see- sawing though out only to have Queensland edge ahead in the last chukka – final score 16- 13.

The game on Sunday proved to be an easier game for Queensland with a final score of 16 – 8.
Coach Tony Schrafft said of the two games “the trip was very beneficial to the players involved and the long term prospects for New Zealand teams. All players adjusted well to riding foreign horses and were part of two excellent games.

The results can partly be put down to off season rustiness with inexperience playing at that level another factor. I have no doubt that all players involved have the ability to take the next step. The team showed excellent sportsmanship and team spirit throughout the trip.”

Manager Jill Marshall said “It was a well organised tour and everything ran smoothly. It was god send that we were able to borrow saddles and our supporters who came with us were invaluable. Special thanks must go to Rodney Geppert the over-all coordinator who was just brilliant and the Australians couldn’t have been more helpful.”

Gilbert and his wife Georgina Cooper donated both the Rockwood Trophy and the Cooper Family Trophy to polocrosse.