One thing is for sure—2019 is going to be action-packed. The first quarter promises a lot of polo in the States, including the highest level of play of the year, as well as a very competitive medium and low goal. Dubai and Thailand are also getting ready for a busy season.
We will continue to follow polo in Argentina, of course, as the autumn season begins. The hope is that the weather will not disrupt play so much as it did in 2018, when the Nation’s Cup was unable to conclude properly, and the finals of the Santa Paula and Evolution Cup had to be pushed back to the spring.
The English season will certainly be special, but there is uncertainty caused by Adolfo Cambiaso’s absence, who has chosen to play in Denver instead. France will be thriving, with polo in Paris, Saint Tropez, Deauville and Chantilly, with the 125th Open de Paris as the highlight of the French calendar.
Sotogrande is prepping for its ‘Torneo Internacional de Verano’, which culminates with the Gold Cup. The Bronze and Silver Cups, however, never disappoint. And then it’s back to Argentina for another season of the best high goal in the world—but with a twist. Tortugas and Hurlingham will have a new format, and it is yet to be seen how the Professional Polo League fits into the season. Little is known about the intended format of the league, which will be played in parallel to the Hurlingham Open.
Lastly, this will be the third consecutive year in which ten teams compete in the Argentine Open. La Dolfina will be looking to continue growing their legacy, but they now will have to contend with both Las Monjitas and Ellerstina.
All this and much more will form part of the World Polo Tour, the international polo circuit, which follows professional and amateur players. In 2018, Adolfo Cambiaso and Michael Bickford were chosen as the best players in their respective categories.
The latest news regarding the World Polo Tour for the upcoming seasons is the following:
Entering the circuit:
–International Polo Cup & Polo Master (Saint Tropez Polo Club): Both have been included as WPT Challenge Cups. The players of the winning team will earn 10 points each.
Score going up:
-Thai Polo Open: To stay in the same category, but the score will go up. The players of the winning team will earn 20 points each.
-Copa Cámara de Diputados: To stay in the same category, but the score will go up. The players of the winning team will earn 150 points each.
-Dubai Silver Cup: To stay in the same category, but the score will go up. The players of the winning team will earn 50 points each.
-Open du Soleil: To stay in the same category, but the score will go up. The players of the winning team will earn 40 points each.
Score going down:
-Sotogrande Silver Cup: Passing to a lower category, from WPT Championship Cup to WPT Cup. However, it maintains its current score.
-Sotogrande Gold Cup: Passing to a lower category, from Grand Slam to WPT Championship Cup. The players of the winning team will now earn 125 points each.
-Pacific Coast Open: Stays in same category, but the score has been lowered. The players of the winning team will now earn 40 points each.
-Jockey Club Open: Stays in same category, but the score has been lowered. The players of the winning team will now earn 50 points each.
-Warwickshire Cup: Passing to a lower category, from WPT Cup to WPT Challenge Cup, and the score has been lowered as well. The players of the winning team will now earn 40 points each.
-East Coast Open: Stays in same category, but the score has been lowered. The players of the winning team will now earn 70 points each.
Some other WORLD POLO TOUR rules:
-Every player starts the calendar year with half the points he scored the year before.
-A tournament needs to be played once at least in order to enter the WORLD POLO TOUR ranking.
For more information, go to WorldPoloTour.com