SA Polo

February 2010

LETTER FROM PIETER POTGIETER

Pieter and Antoinette Potgieter (New Scotland Polo Club) Lothair. We praise the Lord for helping us through the traumatic armed robbery on 11/12/2009 while our two grandchildren Danika (6), and Ankia (3) Uys were visiting at the time. Our thanks goes out to all our friends and family for each prayer, call and donation we received. We are overwhelmed with all your support during this horrific experience that we went through. We are humbled and proud to be part of the Polo family.
Miss you all!
Many Thanks and God Bless
Pieter & Antoinette Potgieter

FIXTURE LIST 2010

Go to the Fixture List page to see the new 2010 tournament schedule

NEWSLETTER - JANUARY 2010

Greetings all!! I trust you had a good festive season and now preparing for the 2010 polo season. By all accounts 2009 was a success but there are areas ear marked for improvement.

SAPA Conference:
The SAPA Conference was held towards the end of 2009 where Exco delegates were presented with a strategic review of the 2008/2009 year. Decisions were then made on SAPA’s national and provincial macro policies going forward to the 2010 season and beyond.

Provincial Grants:
SAPA agreed to distribute profits from the BMW International Series to worthy projects motivated and submitted by the Provinces. In view of the large funding requests, allocations were made on the basis of those most deserving, taking into account the Province/Club’s history and immediate needs. Considerable sums of money have been paid to provincial projects substantiating the importance of BMW’s continued sponsorship and the success of the Internationals each year.
SAPA adopted the policy of allocating “grants” to Provinces for the distribution of funds on the basis of requests received from Provinces via their Clubs or Executive Committees. These are, as the name infers, a “grant” and are therefore not repayable. Provinces receiving grants will be required to submit annual financial statements to SAPA to ensure transparency indicating where and how the funds have been utilized.
Provincial grants should not be confused with “Loans” which are paid directly from SAPA and loaned over a three year period interest free. Generally these are paid out in January each year to enable Clubs to effect whatever improvements planned for the new season. Unlike grants, loans are a contract between the Club and SAPA and are repayable.
Approximately R500k will be paid to various provinces during 2010 in accordance with their requests. Obviously not all applications could be met in full and requests were dealt with on merit.
Allocations were also made for the revamp of the Main field at Karkloof – levelling and a replant eradicating the foreign grasses and weeds. Bridgemead’s playing surface will receive a facelift with correct fertilization and an application of sand. SAPA have taken steps to ensure it is mowed regularly and will purchase a new mower to achieve this.
In order to assist Cape Town polo SAPA has allocated money to fund tours/visits from other provinces to take place. These will be organised under the auspices of the Cape Polo Association.
The Sir Duncan McKenzie fund has been increased (almost doubled) whilst a new fund known as the Mike Rattray Fund has been established to provide provinces recourses for the coaching of junior players at Club level. Details of this can be obtained from the SAPA office.

Affiliations:
The good news is 2010 affiliation fees will remain the same as 2009. However, the downside of this is any late affiliations will be severely dealt with and Provinces not complying with the dead lines will face penalty fees as well as lose all complimentary BMW Test tickets. Only affiliated players will carry an official SAPA handicap.
Newcomers into polo will be granted a year’s moratorium to enable them to decide whether they would like to continue playing. This should encourage new members to polo.
Clubs will be responsible for the affiliation and payment of non affiliated players used to make up or fill teams in country tournaments. The Club can levy the player/s concerned if they so wish. All Clubs will have to email team lists to the SAPA office prior to their tournaments and no team will be permitted to win a tournament with a non affiliated player.

Inter Provincial:
It was agreed that IPT is an important and prestigious tournament and must be retained. The tournament venue will be rotated on an annual basis with 2010’s IPT to be held at East Rand Polo Club. Points will be awarded to the winners of all sections to produce an overall provincial winner. The Prince of Wales trophy will still be contested by the “A” section.

Umpiring:
SAPA allocated a national umpiring fund to cover the costs of professional umpires officiating at all SAPA run tournaments. In addition a set of two way radios has been purchased allowing both on field umpires to communicate with each other and the third man. These have been in use over the Plettenberg Bay season have proved highly successful. It is intended to use them at all major tournaments. Mike Griffith has very kindly donated a sophisticated video camera which will assist in umpire training and more importantly provide footage for disciplinary procedures.
In addition to the national umpiring fund, SAPA has allocated R50k to a provincial fund for the employment of professional umpires at provincial level. A condition of this fund is that the provinces match SAPA’s sum and it is envisaged that professional umpires will be utilized at all major tournaments in SA.

Development Polo:
SAPA agreed to a slight change in strategy in its development policy. A fund of R143k has been allocated for the education of 6 to 8 children in the Ficksburg area. These children all play polo at Catherine Cairn’s Polo Africa polo school and a condition of their participation is that they achieve academically. SAPA bursaries will thus be awarded to deserving pupils who will receive polo tuition at the same time. The costs of these development players participating in the curtain raiser matches during the BMW series will also be covered by this fund. The project will be known as the “SAPA Development Program” and naturally has the blessing of our sponsors.
The importance of the BMW International Series and others cannot be over emphasised if we want to continue upgrading and improving our facilities and polo. SAPA has allocated just on R1.5 million for different projects during 2010. Without these profits this would not be possible. The support of South Africa’s player base in providing ponies is paramount and the Association is forever grateful to these players.

Plettenberg Bay Summer Season:
A very successful season concluded on the 10th January despite fears that the economic meltdown might scupper team entries. Most tournaments were well subscribed with the exception of the 16 goal which was reduced to four teams. Nevertheless it was still a great tournament with a very exciting final eventually won by Kurland.
The Kurland International was the highlight of the season with a young South African side edging out Australia 12 – 10. This event is in its ninth year and this was the first time a South African team has been victorious on the Pavilion field. The only other victory South Africa has had at Kurland was played on the Baron after the match had to be postponed due to heavy rain in 2006.

BMW International – Val de Vie:
This will take place on the 27th February at Val de Vie. A fourteen goal South African team will compete against Italy over five chukkas. The SA team comprises Tinker Makhane, Chris MacKenzie, Guy Watson and Gareth Evans (Capt). We still await the composition of the Italian line up.
Cape Town polo is now in full swing so if you are visiting the Mother City please give Pawel Kanigowski (Chairman of Cape Polo) a call. They are keen to host visitors and expand their player base even if only for a day or two. Like any small polo playing community they are wonderful hosts and have a fantastic spirit amongst Club members and visitors.

Ladies Polo:
SAPA in conjunction with Julia Holley are working hard at procuring sufficient sponsorship to stage a glitzy ladies international during 2010. SAPA is committed to improving ladies polo and last year’s tour by the Argentinean ladies proved a great success. A similar tour will be arranged for 2010 with or without a sponsor.

General:
On a sad note we were devastated to hear of our dear friend and colleague Jamie Bruce’s illness. Jamie gave us an extremely enlightening presentation on Arena polo at the SAPA conference and looked fit and well. No one could have imagined that in just a few months his health could deteriorate so quickly. Our best wishes and prayers go out to Jamie and his family and we wish him a speedy recovery.

Kind regards
CLIVE PEDDLE
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR - SAPA

NEWSLETTER - OCTOBER 2009

Umpiring:
During the early part of October we conducted two umpiring clinics – one in Cape Town which was very well received and from the feedback proved a very positive exercise with many of the players gaining an understanding of the field rules of polo. These courses are aimed at players with little umpiring experience and the intention is to provide a basic concept of the line of the ball and right of way. Due to time constraints, it is not possible to cover all the rules as per the rule book but the meetings are held on an informal basis with participation from the floor welcome.
The Cape Town clinic was followed by one in the Eastern Free State with similar results. The intention is to conduct clinics in the Highveld and KZN/EG early in the new year before the commencement of their domestic seasons.
The concept of professional umpires officiating at the SAPA run tournaments worked well and can hopefully be expanded during the course of next season. Obviously we don’t have enough qualified “professional” umpires to cover all sections at tournaments hence the need to improve umpiring at all levels. We are continually looking for more personnel to volunteer for this so please contact me if you’re interested.
We would like to acquire a set of “veldt ore” where the third man and umpires can be in contact during the match. Obviously cost will prohibit this being applied across the board but it will serve as a useful aid in high goal matches.
Foul for thought!!

Is the striker allowed to hit away the stick of an opponent who is attempting to hook him before he strikes the ball?

No – the rule states that you may only hook an opponent if he is in the act of striking the ball. Nevertheless, even though the player is not in the act of striking the ball in this case, it is fairly common play at the high goal level overseas and often goes unpunished.

Another poser!!

Can you umpire on a pony that is blind in one eye??

The rule states that “a pony may not be played if blind in an eye”. The conclusion therefore is that a pony blind in one eye may be used to umpire though the rider should be warned. It is a useful way to employ a pony which otherwise might have to be pensioned off.

Strategic Planning Meeting:
The SAPA Executive will be meeting over two days next weekend to evaluate and plan future policies pursuant to the Association. As always we welcome any changes or ideas from you the players so please feel free to contact either your Provincial Chairman or myself in relation to this important meeting. There are a number of innovative plans for the future so watch this space in the next news letter.

Cape Town Polo:
Cape Town polo is now in full swing so if you are visiting the Mother City please give Pawel Kanigowski (Chairman of Cape Polo) a call. They are keen to host visitors and expand their player base even if only for a day or two. Like any small polo playing community they are wonderful hosts and have a fantastic spirit amongst Club members and visitors.

Polo SA Magazine:
Polo SA magazine is due to be launched on October 30th at the Val de Vie polo estate. This promises to be an informative quality polo magazine concentrating on matters relating to South African polo. The publication is free to all affiliated members and all that you need to do to subscribe is to supply Sarah Jane Carr with your postal details. Many of you have already done so but for those that haven’t please do so asap.

Kind regards
CLIVE PEDDLE
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR - SAPA

NEWSLETTER - SEPTEMBER 2009

BMW Series 2009:
My congratulations to the South African team on their series win over Canada – the first for some years now and certainly a big boost for our sponsors. From a selection point of view it was gratifying to see the SA players combining as a team and capitalizing on each other’s strengths. My thanks to the management and coaching staff – to Donavan and Paula for their team management and Duncan Ellis in coaching the team. Also the pony masters who had to endure some difficult Canadian players and to the young aspirant polo players in the Highveld who assisted the Canadian players on Test day. Special mention must go to Brad MacGibbon for his efforts in ensuring the visitors were well mounted in Johannesburg. Last but not least the pony lenders without whom these tours would not be possible. Your generous support is key to the success of any tour and keeps your Association financially viable.

Tour to Zimbabwe:
A SAPA sponsored tour to Zimbabwe was undertaken last weekend (28-30 August) by an eleven goal team selected from the pony lenders of 2008. The team acquitted themselves well and were narrowly beaten in extra time on the last day. A reciprocal six goal team will be visiting South Africa (possibly hosted by East Rand Polo Club) on a similar basis. SAPA’s selection policy for these tours is to favour players who have generously lent ponies each year and whilst it is difficult to accommodate all pony lenders it is the Association’s intention to give as many pony lenders as possible the chance to tour. Next season there will be tours to Zambia and Zimbabwe where the 2009 lenders will be considered.

Umpiring:
Now that the busy end of the polo season is behind us, it is probably a good time to conduct umpiring clinics around the country to enable players to brush up on the rules. We already have one scheduled for Cape Town early in October and the Free State have expressed interest in holding one during the spring. Please feel free to contact me if any other Provinces/Clubs wish to follow suit.
The concept of professional umpires officiating at the SAPA run tournaments worked well and can hopefully be expanded during the course of next season. It was particularly gratifying to have Guy Benson back who did a great job in the lower handicap sections. Many thanks Guy.

Waterfall International:
The international polo match against England scheduled to take place on October 18th has been postponed to May 2010. The event managers had difficulties securing the venue leaving planning and marketing of the event too late for it to attain the high standard required by the Association. May will probably not suit England due to it being the start of their summer season so we may need to look for an alternate visiting team.

2010 Fixture List:
This important aspect will be dealt with by Exco at the forth coming October meeting. We urge Clubs to contact their Provincial Chairmen with suggestions/proposals re their club tournament dates for 2010. Bear in mind that this is World Cup football year and will need to planned very carefully.

Strategic Planning Meeting:
The SAPA Executive will be meeting over two days during October to evaluate and plan future policies pursuant to the Association. As always we welcome any changes or ideas from you the players so please feel free to contact either your Provincial Chairman or myself in relation to this important meeting.

Plettenberg Bay Season:
There has been much speculation as to whether this will go ahead as normal. Please be assured that the summer season in Plett will commence on 3rd of December with a 6 and 12 goal. This will be followed by a four, ten and sixteen goal as has taken place in past seasons.

Cape Town Polo:
If you are visiting the Mother City please give Pawel Kanigowski (Chairman of Cape Polo) a call. They are keen to host visitors and expand their player base even if only for a day or two. Like any small polo playing community they are wonderful hosts and always do South African polo proud.

Polo SA Magazine:
A publishing firm in Cape Town are in the process of compiling a quarterly glossy magazine along similar lines to the British publication “Polo Times”. They aim to publish the first edition early in November and will cover all aspects of South African polo. We have negotiated free issue to all affiliated players – all you’re required to do is provide SAPA (Sarah Jane Carr) with your postal details to have this publication mailed to you. Remember, unlike the past where affiliation forms included postal details we now only have telephone and email data so please submit your addresses and Polo SA will do the rest.

Kind regards
CLIVE PEDDLE
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR - SAPA

NEWSLETTER - JULY 2009

Umpiring:
I believe we are moving in the right direction with professional umpires not only officiating the high goal sections but also at lower levels. This is as a result of broadening the base of professional umpires and I’m especially delighted to have Guy Benson back. Guy has umpired at the highest level and together with Steve and Campbell we now have three very good umpires. We are now able to filter their duties down to the lower handicap levels without exhausting their concentration abilities each day. Other players who have shown interest in professional umpiring are Matthew de Gersigny, Murray Spark, Craig James, John Lister, Martin Peddle and Crispin Cheadle. There is always room for more so if there are any players who would like to participate please contact me.
Penalty 3, 4 and 6 – there has been some confusion over the dynamics of these rules thanks largely to rumours spread by a certain player claiming that an article appearing in a UK polo magazine categorically stated that if the penalty striker missed or mishit the ball such striker or his team mates were not allowed another “play” on the ball until such time as it had been played at or hit by the defending team. Whilst the official wording of the rules might appear a little confusing I have cleared with the HPA’s Chief Umpire Rule 39 (e) which reads thus – “The striker must have intent to carry out Penalties 3,4 and 6 in only one hit and may not make a preliminary hit for himself or a team mate. If he mishits or misses the ball, he or any member of his team may not subsequently hit or hit at the ball with more than a half shot until the ball has been hit or hit at by an opponent, nor in such a way that the umpires consider dangerous”. What this means is that the penalty striker or his team mates must play a half shot after mishitting or missing the ball and only after the defending team have played at the ball can the attacking side revert to a full swing provided they observe Rules 36 (b) iii and iv. What is important is that umpires must satisfy themselves that the striker had intent to score the goal. In some high goal matches in the UK, the penalty is given to the “patron” to strike who have been known to deliberately mishit the ball allowing his high goal team mate the chance to play a half shot through the goal. Bottom line is that the striker must have intent to score the goal and if he mishits, he or a team mate can have a second half shot irrespective of whether the defending team have hit or hit at the ball or not.
This is an important rule so please ensure you all understand it to avoid confusion during polo matches.
The third umpiring DVD’s produced by Gavin Chaplin is now available and in the process of delivery to Club Captains. Please ensure they get distributed to fellow Club members as this DVD has some important information regarding impeding and/or blocking the right of way.

SAPA Cup:
This tournament witnessed some very good eight goal polo played by ten competing teams. The format was such that after the first day only the top four teams progressed to the semi finals leaving the bottom 6 to fight it out for a place in the “Plate final”. I think the format was successful in that it created “needle” every day with no second chances. Our gratitude to all those senior players who supported this tournament thereby giving junior players the chance to play/compete with them.

SA Champs:
Entries for SA Champs were a little disappointing with a total of only 20 teams. The “A” section was evenly contested with no large “run away” victories and our congratulations to Team Holley in winning the Beresford Cup. There were many requests for players to enter Rover teams in the lower divisions. Traditionally these have always been “Club” sides but if it is the consensus of players to play in Rover teams throughout the tournament then please feel free to comment via return email. Your input as players is invaluable to the SAPA administration.

President’s Cup:
This prestigious tournament is the last chance the squad players will have to show the national selectors their worth and endeavour to gain a place in the SA team. With good field conditions we should witness some spectacular polo between four evenly matched 19 goal teams. Please support this tournament and come and watch some exciting polo. Lions River has arranged entertainment in the form of a comedian/hypnotist on the Saturday evening so it promises to be a great weekend.

SAPA Coaching Clinic:
This year’s Clinic attracted 61 children. We were delighted to host 6 Kenyans, two boys from Ghana and one from Zambia. As usual Selby and Jeanne Williamson hosted all the children - our sincere gratitude to them both as well as Alan and Merle for their tireless work. The final pony parade was quite a spectacle with teams from four sections all in their different coloured team shirts. The Kenyan girls managed a 3 all draw against our local girls whilst the boy’s team also drew in the dying seconds of their game. Of the six Kenyan’s four were sponsored by SAPA in an effort to give some of our younger boys and girls the opportunity of playing against international kids of the same standard. It is planned to repeat this initiative in the future.
As most of you are now aware no SA Schools colours were awarded this year due to some appalling behaviour by certain children. A letter to this effect has already been circulated to all players and parents. Schools will also be advised of such.

Young England vs Young SA:
Traditionally after the final of the Cold Cup at Cowdray a young England team take on a young team from another country. This year SA has been invited to participate – we beat England convincingly a few years back with Gareth Evans, the two du Plessis brothers and Tom de Bruin. This match will be played off international handicaps and is capped at 14 goals. The young SA team will consist of Jean du Plessis (4), Tom de Bruin (4), Chris MacKenzie (2) and Sbu Duma (2). England has yet to settle on their combination but will definitely field a 14 goal team who will be hard pressed to beat the SA team. Both Ignus du Plessis and Chris MacKenzie have progressed to the semi final stages of the Gold Cup – it is gratifying to see our young polo talent making their mark overseas.

Handicaps:
The SAPA Handicapping Committee met last weekend to review all handicaps. There has been a general feeling that handicaps in the “middle” brackets were too congested. This is a worldwide phenomenon and needs to be addressed by administrators globally. A substantial number of players were increased and I challenge those players to put in the time and effort to justify such a move. From a handicapping point of view we would like to see those players maintain their high standards vindicating our faith in them and hopefully moving on to higher levels in the future.

SAPA AGM:
This important meeting took place on Friday 10 July at the Karkloof Club. Our congratulations and thanks to our President, Walter Grindrod on his re election to office and for his vision and forward thinking on polo matters. Your Executive will continue to strive to improve polo and to keep this wonderful asset of ours alive and well.

Kind regards
CLIVE PEDDLE
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR - SAPA

NEWSLETTER - JUNE 2009

Umpiring:
This continues to dog our polo with poor decision making especially in the lower handicap divisions. Having a “professional umpire” officiating with a player in the higher goal sections has been a step in the right direction and seems to have been well received but this now needs to be taken to the next level in the lower divisions.
A major problem in achieving this is the lack of funds in remunerating these umpires as well as the reluctance of players to do the job. Our appeal to all players through their Provincial Umpiring Chairmen yielded very few candidates willing to give it a go. Anyone wishing to improve their umpiring skills and take part in the “semi professional” scheme please contact me. Clubs should give careful consideration to imposing an umpiring levy onto entrance fees to generate sufficient funds to pay professional umpires. As you are aware all official SAPA run tournaments will be run on these lines.
The umpiring DVD’s produced by Gavin Chaplin have been a big help in clearing up many of the rules and interpretations of the line of the ball versus the right of way. Unfortunately, distribution of the first two DVD’s to players in some provinces seems to have been a problem. The delay in the production of the last two has further exacerbated our woeful umpiring and poor knowledge of the rules. Gavin has assured me these will be complete by the middle of June. The third DVD is dedicated almost entirely to the illegal entry of a player into the right of way – a problem which has caused problems in the flow of our polo particularly in the high goal sections. The last DVD will deal with the one tap rule which has also caused confusion. Once these DVD’s are to hand we will run a series of umpiring “clinics” in each province to discuss these and any other rules. Obviously the success and benefit of these will depend on players making the effort to attend and provide input. Details of these will be circulated via email once the DVD’s are in our possession.
Any players having input/suggestions regarding umpiring or ways to improve the system are welcome to contact me.

SAPA Cup:
As you are aware entries for this tournament close at the conclusion of the Classic weekend. Players wishing to play in the eight goal can either enter their own teams or their names individually. Please enter these either to myself or Sarah Jane Carr.

SA Champs:
The “A” Section of SA Champs will consist of 4 teams of approximately 17 goals. The make up of these will be released shortly in order to give Clubs sufficient time to formulate their own entries in the lower sections.

Provincial Tournaments:
All provinces have now held their provincial tournaments and selected their teams to participate at Inter provincial. Congratulations to those players selected and in accordance with the new format adopted by SAPA the Prince of Wales trophy will be equally contested by all the provinces at a standard twelve goal level. As per the April news letter the high goal section will consist of the national selected team, a SA “B” team and two President’s teams to enable the South African side to prepare for the BMW series.

Overseas News:
It appears our polo players abroad are not letting us down with Ignus du Plessis winning the EFG International Player of the month award – I quote from PoloLine.com “Ignatius du Plessis was the winner of the EFG International award for May’s best player. South Africa’s du Plessis who is a six gaoler, is based in Cowdray and named MVP due to his great performances in the first stages of the Queen’s Cup which led his team Sumaya to a place in the semi finals”.

Coaching:
Of concern to SAPA is the emergence of polo coaches all over South Africa with no formal training and very often limited polo experience. Your Exco is considering implementing a proficiency test for prospective coaches whereby once attained they would be registered with SAPA as qualified coaches and posted to a page on our official website. This could in turn be linked to their own coaching school website. Your views and/or ideas on this would be greatly appreciated.

Raising the Bar:
Another consideration is to raise the level of our “junior” players in the one to three goal bracket to the next level. A possible solution would be for provinces to nominate one or two players they feel have the interest and potential to attend a coaching clinic specifically designed to improving polo skills under the tutorship of specialized coaches. This could be done over a weekend (Friday to Sunday) at a central venue where all aspects of the game could be dealt with. It may even necessitate a follow up course. Only a chosen few professionals have this opportunity by playing polo overseas and whilst we have numerous courses for our school boys there appears to be a void in the lower goal bracket. Funding for such could be achieved through surplus profits from our International test series every year. Any comments or ideas on the above please feel free to call me.

Kind regards
CLIVE PEDDLE
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR - SAPA

NEWSLETTER - APRIL 2009

I am writing to all players and interested parties to give some insight on the Winter polo Calendar, events and SAPA Exco policy changes.

Your executive has been working hard to consider how best we continue the positive atmosphere created during 2008 and to this end we have agreed the following aspects for the “traditional” polo season.

Starting with the most recent, Free State Champs – this was a very successful tournament held at Harrismith, with 18 teams. The A section was played at a 10 goal level and the D section had teams at minus 5. It was extremely encouraging to see all the young and enthusiastic children playing in the D section being assisted by one or two senior statesmen.

The Free State AGM was held on Saturday 18th April and it was wonderful to see the meeting so well attended. I am able to advise that Denton Osler (Chairman) and Angus Yeats (Vice Chairman) have succeeded Lou Van Reenan and Cas Human respectively.
Our gratitude is expressed to Lou and Cas for the enormous contribution they made to polo.

Cape Champs was held on the same weekend and had 6 two goal teams. It was a great weekend and a fitting end to the Cape season. The Plett season saw some great 16 goal polo, a 20 goal international against Australia at Kurland, a 14 goal international against Chile at Val de Vie for the first time and various other subsidiary tournaments.

During May - East Griqualand , Natal and Highveld shall host their provincial championships. I believe that EG champs will see teams of 16 to 17 goals , whilst Natal and Highveld will be around the 10 goal levels. May will also see the opening of the new Undeberg facilities, and I am advised that they anticipate an entry of up to 28 teams. I am sure that visitors will be warmly welcomed.

At the end of May , we shall be hosting the Zambian’s , who are bringing a men’s 10 goal and ladies 2 goal side. Underberg have generously offered to host the weekend. We shall be using this weekend to play some friendly Internationals and the aim here is to accommodate the pony lenders from Natal and EG to play the visitors. If you have been a pony lender and are interested in playing, please advise Clive Peddle or Sarah Jane Carr. We cannot guarantee everyone a place but it will be good to receive your interest in this event. We are aiming to make this an annual event for pony lenders.

Zimbabwe are keen to send a 10 goal team to play an “International” in South Africa with a reciprocal tour to Zimbabwe later in the season. Dates for these events will be finalized shortly. The SA leg of this tour will be hosted by the Highveld Polo Association and like the Zambian tour, pony lenders from the Free State and Highveld will be selected to participate against Zimbabwe.

June see’s Bergville , the Karkloof Classic , Lions River and SAPA cup. The Karkloof Classic has, with mutual agreement from Karkloof been set at 12 goals with the local ruling of no more than two players of 4 goal or more per team being applied. It is hoped that this rule will encourage more teams and will assist in getting a greater number of lower handicapped players into the mix.

The SAPA Cup is set at 8 goals and entry for this is on an individual basis. Every effort will be made to accommodate all players but in order to secure your place, please enter with Sarah Jane Carr ASAP. We hope to have the full support of our senior players. SAPA officials shall select the teams to ensure they are balanced and fair. To cater for lower handicap players, a 0 to 2 goal section will run concurrently with the 8 goal.

In addition, we are hosting a ladies team from Argentina. It is hoped that we shall be able to provide 3 friendly Internationals. One in the Highveld, one in the Free State and one in Natal. This creates a great opportunity for our ladies to test themselves.

July – has Shongweni, SA Champs ( Karkloof - selectors tournament) , Otto’s Bluff and the President’s Cup (Lions River - selectors tournament). Please note that the selectors will be monitoring form from as early as EG Champs in May and the squad of eight will be announced at the conclusion of the Underberg Opening weekend. This squad could change depending on the form of players and possible injury.

Probably the most contentious issue might be the make up of the “A” section at SA Champs. Our decision is to put the top 16 players together in SAPA selected teams who will contest the Beresford Cup. Based on availability these players will also play at the President’s Cup. The SA national side shall be announced at the conclusion of the President’s Cup. In addition an SA “B” side and two President’s teams will be announced to play at Inter Provincial. It may be necessary to bring in one or two players in the 5 to 6 goal category to make 4 x 20 goal sides. Our policy will be to firstly offer any available positions to qualifying SA players either from the Cape or those playing abroad. If there is no interest from these players then it is likely that we will bring in other foreigners to fulfill that role.

It is hoped to have these four teams playing at a twenty / twenty one goal level in the “A” section of Inter Provincial. This should create a great opportunity for the National side to prepare themselves ahead of the BMW tests.

July also sees the SAPA Coaching Clinic taking place at Jurassic Park Polo Club. As is customary a SA Schools team will be selected to play in the curtain raiser match to the BMW International at Shongweni. To cater for the younger children Exco has invited a young Kenyan schools team to attend the clinic and play a mini International against some of our younger boys. This team will be selected at the clinic and will play a match against Kenya either at the conclusion of the Clinic or at the Underberg mini taking place that weekend.

Whilst on the subject of children’s polo, Inanda have come up with a great initiative for promoting kids polo in Johannesburg. Suitable ponies will be housed at Inanda where interested children can be coached in riding and polo skills after school. This project is still in its infancy and has the total backing of SAPA.

The Cape also has an ongoing children’s program in place with mini tournaments being run concurrently with the Plett December and Easter seasons. The improvement witnessed in the skills of these children irrespective of age has been remarkable.

August – Inter Provincial and BMW Test Time – as mentioned above the A section shall be the National side, The SA (B) and 2 President’s teams. The B section will be contested by genuine provincial sides and shall compete for the Prince of Wales Trophy. The “juniors” will be set at 6 goal level while the ladies section will be played over 5 chukkas with a maximum handicap limit of 0 goals.

This year’s BMW series will be hosting a 20 goal Canadian team. We are determined for a series win and will be preparing our national side to achieve this – hence the re structuring of some of the tournaments outlined above.

At the request of the Chairman of Umpires, Exco approved an umpiring levy to be added to tournament entry fees at all SAPA run tournaments. Such a levy will be used to pay a professional umpire to officiate all matches along side a player in the tournament. It is envisaged this will provide a measure of consistency and should also improve the player’s umpiring abilities. Depending on availability of professional umpires it is hoped to implement this through all sections of the tournaments. Some provinces have expressed interest to do likewise at their provincial championships.

We are also conferring with the provincial umpiring representatives to arrange clinics for all interested players.

Development Polo - Exco in conjunction with the Rowe Setz’s and the Maybach Foundation are looking at ways of promoting development polo in SA. Obviously funding is a concern for development polo and sustainability is a key issue to be addressed.

On a less positive note player affiliations continue to be a problem with players participating in tournaments without affiliating for the year. Clubs who permit such practices will be penalized in the future and provinces not complying with due dates will not be eligible for SAPA loans or grants. Furthermore no free Test tickets will be issued to defaulting provinces.

Kind regards
CLIVE PEDDLE
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR - SAPA

NEWSLETTER - MARCH 2009

Amended HPA Rules:
HPA have introduced a number of rule changes which must be implemented this season. The most important revolve around penalties 2 to 6. These rules are posted on the SAPA website under “Umpiring & Rules” so please take a minute to familiarize yourselves with them. All Clubs will be required to implement them effective 15 April 2009.

Umpiring:
We have been in contact with the Provincial Umpiring Chairmen to identify interested players who would be prepared to take on umpiring duties at major tournaments. The aim is to identify competent personal that would be paid to officiate matches at tournaments in return for a fee. The net result of this will, hopefully, broaden the base of competent professional umpires. Funds will be derived from an “umpiring levy” added to the entry fee for a particular tournament. Should you be interested please contact your Provincial Umpiring representative. They will also be identifying a date to hold a clinic where the rules and correct umpiring procedures will be outlined.

Selection Tournaments for SA team:
The SA team to take part in the BMW International series in August will be announced at the conclusion of the President’s Cup (24 – 26 July) This tournament together with SA Champs (10 – 12 July) will be used as a selection tournaments for the choosing of the SA side as well as the Blesboks North and South teams. Furthermore, the national selectors will be keeping a close watch on form from as early as May.
It is envisaged that the national selectors select all the high goal teams leading up to the President’s Cup i.e. Underberg Opening, SA Champs and President’s Cup. That would enable them to experiment with different combinations and/or positions.

Inter-Provincial tournament:
This takes place a week before the first BMW International and should therefore provide the pony master’s with an adequate supply of fit ponies for the tourists.
In view of the handicap disparities between the provinces, it has been suggested that the Prince of Wales trophy be contested at 12 goal level. The former “A” section of this tournament be replaced with a round robin section played on handicap between the selected SA side, the Blesboks North, Blesboks South and a “President’s” quartet which would include the SA reserve player. This would give our national team valuable high goal match practise and ensure ponies are adequately fit for the BMW series.
The above matter will be discussed at the next SAPA Exco meeting on April 15th where after all the Provinces will be advised.

SA Champs:
The new format of the “A” section of this tournament means that the Beresford Cup is no longer contested by genuine affiliated Clubs as was its original intention. A possible solution to this could take the form of a challenge from any Club to the last genuine Club winner of the trophy. Example – if the last “Club” team to win the Beresford Cup was Underberg “A” then any South African Club, who felt they could field a team to beat the holders, be entitled to challenge the holders at a venue and date acceptable to the holders. For obvious reasons the holders should be entitled to home ground advantage. Food for thought!!!
Again , a final decision regarding this will be made at the forth coming Exco meeting.

Please feel free to forward any comments or suggestions on any polo matters whether related to the above topics or not – the more we think about and endeavour to improve our sport the more it will grow.

Kind regards
CLIVE PEDDLE
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR - SAPA

ADVERTISING ON SA POLO WEBSITE

We will be setting up a new "Suppliers" page on the SAPA website on which we will be offering advertising space. Companies will be given space for their logo, the name of their company and a link to their website. The cost for this will be R500 per month (minimum 6 month contract). We will be limiting the number of spaces available. If you are interested please contact Bridget on bridget@sapolo.co.za

SAPA ENDORSEMENT OF TOURNAMENTS

The Executive Committee wishes to place on record with every club that the SA Polo Association is the recognized national body representing polo in South Africa. All tournaments, internationals, friendly and exhibition games must be sanctioned by SAPA prior to their taking place. No player may participate in a tournament wearing the South African colours or be billed as “South Africa” without first gaining sanction from the SAPA Office. It is only our National side that retains the right to wear the green & gold colours with the Protea and represent themselves as “South Africa”. A player participating in any non-sanctioned event will lose his or her handicap. This would have a drastic effect on that player’s ability to play anywhere in the world as all International Polo Associations recognize the sole authority of each country’s National Association.

Any polo news that you would like to submit like babies, marriages - please e-mail to bridget@sapolo.co.za