LivingPolo: news & lifestyle

Polo Premier League on the horizon

Eight English clubs in May/August (2013) event

Beaufort Country Club

The first edition of the Polo Premier League will get going in the United Kingdom next season. As a basis, and with eight of the leading clubs taking part, the league will go ahead between May and August, with a tour-closing final to decide the outcome.

The league is going ahead with the collaboration of the Hurlingham Polo Association and of Britain's high-handicap players, as both will be involved in the tour and the day-to-day management. The confirmed clubs so far are seven: Guards, Beaufort, Cowdray Park, Royal County of Berkshire, Ham, Cirencester and Kirtlington. The eighth club will be announced shortly.

The Polo Premier League will include teams with handicaps of 12 to 14 goals, with one of Britain's top-ranked players in each of them. The remaining three slots in each team will correspond to one up-and-coming player, one player from the Hall of Fame and one special player. Team line-ups will be announced in due course.

The league will be initially financed with the capital of the founders, and there are talks taking place referred to seeking a global sponsor and a number of official sponsors and suppliers.

Each club will name a group of eight players, supported by a team manager and a trainer. These teams will be divided in two groups of four, which means the tournament will consist of 24 matches. Matches will consist of four chukkers, and each club will play two matches against another team, once at home and once outside the club. Also worthy of mention, the Polo Premier League will not interrupt any other existent calendar of polo events in the United Kingdom.