19 January, 2026 – For Standing Rock’s first World Tour trip of 2026, the team headed to Kitzbühel, Austria, to compete in the 23rd Bendura Bank Snow Polo World Cup against eight other teams.
Now in its 23rd year, the Snow Polo in Kitzbühel is renowned as one of the most prestigious tournaments played on snow, attracting top players and patrons from around the world, as well as large crowds of spectators.
Playing as team Allianz, the line up of Philipp Müller, Nacho Gonzalez and Raul Laplacette first faced team AIX – Glenn Lostritto, Juan Redlich and Gonzalo Ferrari – in a closely-fought and thrilling game that saw Allianz get off to a brilliant start in the tournament with a convincing 9 – 7 win.
The next game, against S. Pellegrino – Otto Blank, Lukas Sdrenka and Max Charlton – was another tough match that pushed both teams to the limit, but Allianz showcased true warrior spirit to win the match 7 – 6.5 and take a coveted place in the final.
On the final day, a showcase of true teamwork and determination saw Allianz play a spectacular match against team Pommery, consisting of father and son James Beh and Garvy Beh, along with Tomas Delfino. With each player giving it their all, and 5 goals scored by Raul Laplacette, Allianz stormed to victory and lifted the illustrious trophy at the end of the tournament. Raul Laplacette also won the MVP award for the most valuable professional player of the final.
After a fantastic start to the year, the Standing Rock team is now going to Switzerland in great form to compete in the Snow Polo World Cup in St. Moritz.
Image credits: Lifestyle Events GmbH
