The Australian team will feature the Holbrook brother-and-sister combination of Jim and Lucy Grills, with cousin Abbott also in the eight-person side.

Abbott will captain the team, while Lucy will be his deputy as eight teams contest the fifth World Cup since its inception in 2003.

Australia, Ireland, United Kingdom, US, South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe and New Zealand will battle it out looking for glory in the April 28 final.

The Aussies will open their campaign against Zimbabwe, with more than 150 horses across Australia being sourced for the event.

After having won the first two World Cups in 2003 and 2007, the Aussies have finished third in the last two competitions.

Polocrosse was first developed in Australia in 1938 by Mr and Mrs Edward Hirst of Sydney. It was inspired by an indoor exercise they'd seen in England.

Using old polo sticks with squash racquet heads and a shallow string net to replace the mallet on the end of the stick - polocrosse is a combination of polo, lacrosse and netball.

It is played on horseback, each rider using a cane stick.

The stick shaft is attached to a squash racquet-type head with a loose net in which the ball is carried.

The ball is made of thick-skinned sponge rubber, about 100mm to 130mm in diameter.

Jim Grills plays AFL for the Albury Tigers in the Ovens and Murray Football League, while Lucy is also an accomplished netballer.