The Polo world’s first ‘International Club Series’ kicked off today (30^th May) at The London Polo Club (LPC) at Ham, nr Richmond, with the home side playing the first leg against a visiting team from The Moscow Polo Club.  In a closely fought battle of skill and goals, The London Polo Club emerged as the winning team, beating Moscow PC 7.5 goals to 7. 

Two years in the planning and the brainchild of the LPC’s Polo Director, Peter McCormack to create polo’s champions league, The King Power-partnerships in the series gives clubs and club members a chance to compete internationally using a league format.  Each club will host three games, one against each opposing city club, with points allocated for home and away wins as well as draws.  The tournament will run throughout the 2010 season, culminating in a final in Bangkok in November 

The competition launches with four international club teams from Bangkok Final at  which (VR Polo Club), Barcelona (Real Club de Polo de Barcelona), London (LPC) and Moscow (Moscow Polo Club).  Teams from other international destinations are signed up to join the exclusive series, with the four more international cites for 2011. 

The series is set as a maximum handicap 8-goal tournament, with each team limited to just one professional player, whose handicap must be no more than 5.  Teams must be made up of 3 amateur members from the club they represent; with 2 of the 3 being a national of the country they represent.

Commenting on the launch, Nicholas Colquhoun-Denvers, Chairman of the HPA and The London Polo Club, said, “This series is especially exciting as it gives true amateur members a chance to play internationally.  We are particularly proud to host the launch of this competition at the LPC.  It is about the club and not the teams who compete at clubs.  It promotes the same spirit of grass-roots talent and enthusiasm for which our club is renowned.”