The AAP has announced the format of the 2019 Triple Crown, the most prestigious polo championship in the world. Four teams will play Tortugas, eight will play Hurlingham, with direct elimination, and Palermo will continue with ten teams. There will also be a professional league for teams between 28 and 34 goals.

In September, the AAP met with Triple Crown players and those competing in the qualification to discuss the format of the 2019 season and to present the new Professional Polo League.

The idea was well received by the players, who in the weeks following the meeting voted in favour of the creation of the league and the proposed format for 2019. Next year’s season will pan out as follows:

• A Professional League will be played between the Opens, or parallel to a few fixtures of the first Triple Crown tournaments. Up to twelve 28-34 goal teams will compete.
• The Tortugas Open will see a maximum of four teams in competition; the qualification will depend on the ranking from the previous year.
• The Hurlingham Open will include eight teams and will be played with direct elimination.
• Ten teams will compete in the Argentine Open. This will be the only tournament to provide points for the Qualification ranking for the following season.
• Qualification system: The top seven teams in the ranking from the results of the Argentine Open will automatically qualify for the following season, as long as they maintain 75% of their line-up. The eighth team will face a play-off against the winner of the Cámara de Diputados Cup. The last two spots will be filled by the best teams from the Qualification tournament (Remonta & Veterinaria).

The ranking system and details of the Professional Polo League will be further explained in the upcoming weeks via the AAP website and their social media platforms.