News from the English Arena Polo
By Victoria Elsbury-Legg
Rule Changes
Following a meeting of the Arena Rules Committee on Tuesday 6th January 2015, some changes with immediate effect have been agreed; with the first rule being implemented to highlight the need for positive play in Arena matches in England:
1. Negative Play. If, in the opinion of the umpires, a player is considered to be making a negative play then the whistle may be blown and a penalty awarded.
2. In the case of the umpires awarding a penalty 2 (15 yard hit), the team fouled will be given the choice of a penalty 2 for 1 point or a penalty 4 (25 yard defended) for 2 points.
A reminder that any goal scored from a penalty 4 is worth 2 points.
The HPA National Club Championships at Royal Berkshire Polo Club
The above rules will come into play at the HPA National Club Championships starting this weekend with the Final to be held on Saturday 24th January at The Royal Berkshire Polo Club. The four teams competing in the 10-12 goal tournament are:
RCBPC Black Eagles: Jonathan Munro Ford, Phil Seller and Chris Hyde
RCBPC Chopendoz: Georgie French, Leon Allen and Jamie Morrison
Four Quarters: Simon Arber, Nico San Roman and Tarquin Southwell
RCBPC Hedonism Wines: Yevgeny Chichvarkin, Royston Prisk and Max Charlton
Play will open on Sunday 11th January at 12.15 when defending 2014 champions Black Eagles meet Chopendoz. The rest of the tournament schedule is as follows:
Tuesday 13th January, 13.30 Hedonism Wines v Four Quarters
Thursday 15th January, 12.00 Four Quarters v Chopendoz
Saturday 17th January, 13.00 Four Quarters v Black Eagles
Tuesday 20th January, 12.00 Black Eagles v Hedonism Wines
Thursday 23rd January, 13.00 Hedonism Wines v Chopendoz
Saturday 24th January, 11:15 Subsidiary Final and 13.45 Final
In the National Club Championships 1-3 goal tournament, also to be played at the Royal Berkshire Polo Club, two leagues of four teams will be competing over the next two weeks.
Matches begin on Saturday 1th January at 11am with Red Kites v Print on Demand, followed at 14.00 by Tally Ho Farm v Vaux Park. The Final will be played at 12.30 on Saturday 24th January.
League 1:
RCSPC Cool Riders: Genevieve, Meadows, Saskia Meadows and Nell Jacob
MHF Tally Ho Farm: James Mann, Alexandra Edwards and Alan Ruzzaman
Vaux Park: Hannah Parry-Jones, Will Penfold and Tom Parry-Jones
RCSPC Gaucho: Izzy McGregor, Faisal Al-Rifai and TBA
League 2:
RCSPC Cofina: Colin Johnston, Terence Lent and Mark Hayden-Kellard
Black Hound Polo Team: Harry Hutchings, Ricky Cooper and Nick Beitner
Red Kites: Elise Bailey, Adolfo Casabal Jnr and Josh Clover
HPC Print on Demand: Andy Cork, Marcus Cork and Stuart Beetles