A PERSHORE woman is gearing up for her World Cup debut after being selected for the UK polocrosse team.

Lizzie Shearing, of Croome Park, near Pershore, is a girls’ PE teacher at Bowbrook House School in Peopleton.

She boasts 15 years’ experience in the sport, which is a mixture of lacrosse and polo, and has represented the UK overseas on many occasions but this will be her first World Cup.

The sport is played on horseback in a field using a lacrosse-style stick and the aim is to score goals by throwing a ball between the opposite team’s posts.

The first polocrosse World Cup was introduced in 2003 and it has taken place every four years in Australia, until now as 2011 marks the first year where it is held elsewhere.

The World Cup takes place at Onley Grounds Equestrian Centre in Rugby, Warwickshire, from July 8 to 18.

Shearing’s UK team-mates Charlotte Pykett and Sarah Simkin have played in previous world cups and both have ties to Worcestershire.

Bowbrook House headmaster Chris Allen has also sponsored the UK team and allows them to train at the school’s facilities over the winter months.

Shearing said: “We have known each other for years and have been playing together since last November. The training for the World Cup has been brilliant — we have been together every other weekend.

“We went to Ireland after we formed the team and won all three Test matches there. We also beat them in the two Tests we hosted in England.”

Shearing has high hopes for the future of polocrosse and added: “It’s a well recognised sport by the British Equestrian Association and to have the sport in the Olympics would be amazing.

“It’s much better to watch than a lot of other equestrian sports — it’s fast and furious action.”

Tickets for the event start from £4 and under 10s are free. For more information on the Polocrosse World Cup, go to polocrosse2011.com.