YORK'S Scott Snowdon successfully defended his World Cup crown in the up-and-coming sport of V2.

Developed in North Yorkshire over a decade ago, V2 is the singles version of the team game VX, formerly known as Rock-It-Ball.

Played in a squash court with three low pressure tennis balls, points are scored when players hit their opponent with a ball or catch an opponent's throw.

This year's third World Cup took place in the modest surroundings of Hallamshire Tennis and Squash club in Sheffield and involved players from just four countries - India, Denmark, USA, and England.

The Germans had also been due to send a representative but he was called up on exercise by the army! The Ugandan team, meanwhile, were refused visas along with a television reporter from East Africa who wanted to cover the event.

Snowdon, who lives in Shipton-by-Beningbrough, beat Ripon's Tom Hildreth, a former world champion, by a score of 86-75 in the senior final.

His father Paul, one of the founders of VX, says the sport has come a long way since being devised eleven years ago in Easingwold.

"There are hundreds of people playing this sport now and, one day, we hope it will become an Olympic event," he said.

"But we do have a long way to go," he admitted. "In order to be considered for the Olympics, a sport needs to be played on four continents and in 75 countries. The word is spreading but we are not quite there yet."

After changing its name from Rock-It-Ball, VX has been played in primary and secondary schools around the UK and has been introduced in some prisons.

It plays a role in a number of Youth Sport Trust programmes and has been part of the 'Sainsbury’s Active Kids' campaign. Interest in the sport is now being expressed from other countries including Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa.

In the team version of the sport, VX, two sides of five players do battle, normally in a sports hall.

The singles version, V2, is played on a squash court.

Every Monday night, around 20 players from the York area turn up at Huntington school for a game of VX. New players are always welcome.

"It is a very family focused sport and good to watch," said Hildreth. "It is not based on any other sport but it does contain elements of hockey, lacrosse, and pelota."

Snowdon, 21, was not the only York-based player involved in the World Cup in Sheffield.

In the youth category, Chris Town, 16, a Huntington School pupil from Strensall, climbed to fifth in the world rankings after reaching the quarterfinals.

In the Masters, Leigh Branton, 47, who was taking part in his first World Cup, lost in the semifinals to Scunthorpe's Andrew Foster but finished third after beating Karen Bruin.

Charlie Ford, also from Strensall, made his first appearance at senior level and lost to Tom Hildreth.

Former V2 world champion Carl Alsop, from Wiggington, is a coach for the York-based players but lost in the senior semifinal to Snowdon.

"I am very proud of my guys," said Alsop. "I also have to congratulate Scott. He really sets the benchmark high and is the player to beat. Now we are all going to start preparing for next year's World Cup in Italy!"

Trophies were presented by Sylvia Grice, from Ripon, who was awarded the MBE for services to swimming in 2010.

Anyone wanting more information on VX or V2 should visit www.globalvx.org or www.vxengland.org