Sale Polocrosse Club star Harry Semmens is about to take his distinguished career to the international stage, preparing to debut for the Australian men’s polocrosse team in South Africa.
Semmens will line up for Australia against South Africa in a three-match International Test series at the Underberg Polocrosse Club in KwaZulu-Natal from Friday, July 31 to Sunday, August 2.
A fourth-generation player, Semmens follows in the footsteps of his parents Michael and Vicki, grandparents Noel and Marilyn, and great-grandfather Harry. While the entire family shares a rich history in the sport, Semmens becomes the first to wear the green and gold at the senior men’s level.
He previously represented Australia last year when he captained the Australian Intermediate mixed team to victory against South Africa, earning best male player of the series honours.
The step up to the men’s squad comes at an opportune moment. With test series making a return alongside World Cup formats, the upcoming matches offer Semmens and his teammates a prime opportunity to build form ahead of the 2027 World Cup in Zimbabwe.
Semmens’ rise to national honours follows years of dominant domestic performances. Having officially started playing at age eight — though he famously subbed on as a seven-year-old for an injured player — Semmens rapidly accumulated match experience through the junior ranks.
By age 16, he was representing Victoria in under 21 competition at Warwick’s interstate tournament, earning multiple player of the series accolades. He went on to help lead Victoria’s under 21 men’s team to a national championship in 2024 after finishing runners-up in 2022, and featured in Victoria’s senior men’s team that finished runners-up to Queensland at Warwick this year.
At the club level, Semmens has been a mainstay for Sale since 2019, when he became the youngest player to feature in a winning Victorian “A” grade championship side at just 14 years of age. That victory marked the second of five consecutive state titles for Sale, who claimed championship honours again in 2026.
Earlier this year, the 21-year-old capped off a dominant domestic campaign by taking home the Pip Wilson Perpetual Memorial Trophy for best and fairest in “A” grade at the Victorian Championships, alongside his second ‘Bones’ Coridas Award for best number one player.
