Les Fraser
Amongst his peers, Les Fraser is known as ‘Mr. Polocrosse’ and volunteer extraordinaire. Through his feats both on and off horseback there could be no more fitting tribute for the former state, national and international player and polocrosse official of some 40 years.
He is a past executive member of the Queensland Polocrosse Association and president of the Warwick Polocrosse Club.
In 2003 Les was awarded the ‘Sports Volunteer of the Year’ and a ‘Rotary Paul Harris Fellow’, the highest international Rotary award possible for his services to the sport of polocrosse and the community.
The award recognised his role as the 2003 Polocrosse World Cup Chairman and coordinator of the World Cup, successfully staged in Warwick. His dream in bringing the event to the Darling Downs was estimated to have brought $1.4m into the Warwick Shire. His endeavours also contributed to propelling the ‘Australian made’, game onto the world stage, forging a new direction for the sport. In doing so, new standards of competition and professionalism were achieved for the sport. At the same time he was credited with bringing a new audience to polocrosse.
Les has also been recognised as having helped to develop an image for polocrosse equal to other prestigious international sporting events.
Without doubt the increasing popularity of polocrosse on the national and world stage can largely be contributed to Les Fraser’s commitment to “put as much back into the sport as he got out of it.”