ARMIDALE has a new Australian representative and it’s in a sport some may not even heard of.
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Horseball is a sport on the rise in Armidale and around the country and local man Tim Upjohn will don the green and gold for Australia next year.
Upjohn will travel to Portugal next August for the 2016 Horseball World Cup.
Horseball was introduced into Australia six years ago, but its origins can be traced back hundreds of years.
The sport originated in Argentina in the 1700s, but instead of using a ball as they do in the modern game, a goat’s head was used, with the winning team awarded the body.
Six players are on each team, with four on the field at one time and points are scored by shooting the ball, a soccer ball with a leather harness, through a ring with a diameter of one metre and located four metres in the air.
Upjohn pricked the ears of the national selectors through his performances for New England at various championships around the state.
He was notified of his selection earlier this month and was immediately elated.
“It’s my first time representing Australia,” he said.
“It feels pretty good.
“There was a bit of excitement, a bit of nervousness.”
Upjohn said after he was introduced to the sport it didn’t take long for him to become passionate about the game.
“It’s a good team sport,” he said.
“It’s faced paced and his adrenalin.
“And it’s great helping kids learn how to ride.”
While, Australia may be new to the sport, Upjohn is confident they can mix it with the best in Portugal.
“There was a few teams that came to Australia last year and we gave them a run for their money,” he said.
“But I suppose we will just have to wait and see [how competitive we are].” Upjohn will represent the Australian adult male team and they will be accompanied on the trip by an under 16s team.