The All Pro Polo League (APPL) is proud to announce their collaboration with Cowdray Park Polo Club (CPPC) during their 2018 WORLD TOUR. For the first time in polo history, an All Star 40-goal match will be played in England, and Cowdray Park, widely considered the home of British polo, has been chosen as the venue for the event taking place on 23rd June.
The APPL first hosted a 40-goal match in Argentina in 2017, and it is the aim of Javier Tanoira, founder of the league, to see this level of polo played around the world. Many 10 goal players have shown their support for the league, including Facundo Pieres, Gonzalito Pieres, Nico Pieres, Polito Pieres, ‘Sapo’ Caset, Hilario Ulloa, Pablo MacDonough, Juan Martin Nero and ‘Pelon’ Stirling. All of these star players have confirmed their commitment to the Cowdray Park match.
Roderick Vere Nicoll, Chairman of Cowdray Park Polo Club, says: “We are proud to be hosting the first ever APPL 40-goal polo match in the UK. To be the venue for such an exhibition of human and equine skill is a privilege. The APPL is trying to speed up the game and make it easier to understand, especially for those who are not familiar with the sport. One of our goals at CPPC is to take polo to a wider audience and show what a fantastic spectacle it truly is.”
“We are very happy to support the league,” adds 10-goal superstar Facundo Pieres. “The APPL has put forward a number of good things that we would do well to implement in polo. I agree with Javier that it should be a parallel league, one that does not compete with patron-based polo and important tournaments. The Associations have been taking ideas from the league and trying them out in professional polo. Several have worked well—like the elimination of the throw-in from the boards or shorter timings between fouls and chukkas, as well as the time you have to take a penalty.”
‘Sapo’ Caset also voiced his enthusiasm for the upcoming event: “I think that hosting a 40-goal exhibition in England is a great idea. Javier has been taking the league all over the world and there is no better way of putting the concept across than by getting the 10-goalers involved. We want to get as many people watching as possible so that we can popularise the sport. We all have commitments and it’s not easy to get everyone together, but a 40-goal game in England will be historic.”
Tanoira founded the APPL with the intention of professionalising polo and providing a pure sporting spectacle for polo fans around the world. “Matches like these are very important,” he explains. “They not only show that the best players in the world support our project, but that the best clubs in the world are getting involved, too. Cowdray is undoubtedly one of the most important clubs in the world, and it is wonderful that they are giving us this opportunity. We are going to put on a real spectacle. The Cowdray audience knows a lot about the sport so we are going to do our best to keep them happy.” The programme on 23rd June will also feature a match starring eight young professional players from the major polo playing countries.
