AMBASSADOR

Europe, Polo News

GONZALO QUESADA continues as the POLO RIDER CUP Ambassador

12. April 2022

Gonzalo Quesada, the Argentinian former rugby player, professional coach of Stade Français Paris and a passionate polo player, continues as the POLO RIDER CUP Ambassador for the second year.

Gonzalo Quesada was pleasantly surprised with the high level of the teams, players and ponies that came to the tournament and the amazing quality of the pitches in all the games of the POLO RIDER CUP’s first edition.

He believes there are two main reasons for the success of the POLO RIDER CUP. First, the originality of being a club competition – this might sound standard for other sports, but it’s unique in polo. And second, the professionalism of the whole organization, with great attention paid to detail, that made the experience extraordinary for the spectators, players, and teams.

While talking with many players who took part in the first edition, Gonzalo Quesada realized how keen they were to win the tournament, putting in a lot of preparation and effort.

For Quesada, there are two similarities between rugby and polo. One is the commitment to your team and your role in the pitch, with each player being essential for the team and dependent on the others. And the other, that they are both contact sports, with a lot of adrenaline, it is all about winning the line and fighting for the position.

Quesada sees polo as having an exciting future, with a lot of people passionate about the sport, especially in France. He believes the POLO RIDER CUP is a great tool to increase the popularity of polo worldwide, with teams from all around the world competing in this unique 10-day international event.

Gonzalo Quesada, Ambassador of the POLO RIDER CUP, comments: “I’m thrilled and honored to continue as the POLO RIDER CUP ambassador for the second year, and fully committed this international competition. This year the tournament is bound to be even better than the first edition!’’

Benoît Perrier, CEO & Co-Founder of GAME POLO, comments: ‘’We are very happy to be able to count again on Gonzalo as the Ambassador for the POLO RIDER CUP. He has shown his passion for polo and done great work for the promotion of the POLO RIDER CUP. Gonzalo represents our sport and the gentleman spirit perfectly. He brings us the culture of rugby and a strong sense of family, two values that FIP founder Marcos Uranga also defended and brought to Polo. We feel it’s important to continue to share these values.’’

For more information, please contact GAME POLO at: neus@game-polo.com

Gonzalo Quesada, the Argentinian former rugby player, professional coach of Stade Français Paris and a passionate polo player, continues as the POLO RIDER CUP Ambassador for the second year. Gonzalo…

North America, Polo News

U.S. Polo Assn. Announces Matt Coppola, Professional Polo Player, As Brand’s Newest Global Brand Ambassador

6. August 2021

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (July 27, 2021) – U.S. Polo Assn., the official brand for the United States Polo Association (USPA), welcomes American polo player Matt Coppola as the multi-billion-dollar, sport-inspired brand’s newest global ambassador. Now 26, Coppola has been playing professionally since he was 14 years old and played in the semi-finals of the 2011 U.S. Open Polo Championship at the age of 16. Today, he is one of the highest handicapped American players.

The scope of Coppola’s year-long role as global brand ambassador is broad and designed to shine the spotlight on the dynamic crop of young and talented polo players coming up through the ranks. Coppola will be outfitted in U.S. Polo Assn. apparel and gear both on and off the field, will post regularly about his polo-related and other daily activities on social media, and will engage in media requests for interviews and campaigns.

“U.S. Polo Assn. is proud to welcome professional polo player Matt Coppola to our outstanding roster of global brand ambassadors for 2021,” said J. Michael Prince, President and CEO of USPA Global Licensing, which manages the multi-billion-dollar U.S. Polo Assn. brand. “Coppola is an exceptional polo player who has come up the ranks quickly in the U.S. He is an excellent representation of what our brand is all about – sport-inspired, youthful, vibrant and fun.”

Born and raised in Wellington, Florida by show jumper Jesse Coppola and professional polo player Tony Coppola, he developed a love for horses at a very young age. Today, Coppola travels the United States and Argentina to play professional polo throughout the year and works with his father to help give racehorses a second career in polo. Coppola is also a graduating member of Team USPA, a prominent program developed and managed by the USPA to develop young American polo players for the highest levels of competition.

“I could not be more excited to represent U.S. Polo Assn., with whom I have worked over the years through the brand’s sponsorship of the GAUNTLET OF POLO,” said Coppola. “As a professional polo player, it’s meaningful for me to represent a brand that’s authentically connected to polo and gives back to the sport and its players.”

Coppola has competed in the 2019, 2020 and 2021 GAUNTLET OF POLO® competitions in Wellington and has triumphed in many of these prestigious tournaments. With a shooting accuracy of more than 70 percent, Coppola, who played for Las Monjitas, ranked second out of all the players in the 2019 GAUNTLET and first for shooting accuracy in the U.S. Open Polo Championship. In 2021, he played in the GAUNTLET with Park Place, alongside Andre Borodin, Hilario Ulloa and Juan Britos, winning the prestigious C.V. Whitney Cup and making the finals of the U.S. Open Polo Championship.

To learn more about Coppola and to see him play in these exciting events, visit globalpolo.com.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (July 27, 2021) – U.S. Polo Assn., the official brand for the United States Polo Association (USPA), welcomes American polo player Matt Coppola as the multi-billion-dollar,…

Personalities & Clubs, Polo News, POLO+10 TV

Gonzalo Quesada, Ambassador for the 2021 POLO Rider Cup

1. October 2020

Gonzalo Quesada, born May 2, 1974 in Buenos Aires, is an Argentinian rugby union player and coach. He played mainly as half-fly, winning 39 caps for the Argentina national rugby team between 1996 and 2007, which included playing in two World Cups (1999 & 2003). He was best scorer and won the Golden Boot at the 1999 World Cups.

As a player, Gonzalo Quesada started his career playing with the Hindù Club (ARG) where he played till 1999. He then moved to France from 1999 till 2007, and played for R.C. Narbonne, A.S. Béziers, Stade Français Paris, Section Paloise and R.C. Toulon. From 2007 till 2008, he returned to Argentina to end his career with his debut club, the Hindù Club.

After a very successful career as a player, Gonzalo Quesada was appointed Assistant Coach of the French national rugby team (2008-2011). In such capacity, he won the 2010 Six Nations Grand Slam and was Finalist of the 2011 World Cup. He then moved on to become Head Coach of the French teams Racing Métro 92 (2011-2013), Stade Français Paris (2013-2017), and Biarritz Olympique (2017-2018). In 2015, he won French Championship with Stade Français Paris and in 2017, with the same team, he won the European Rugby Challenge Cup, In 2019, he was appointed Head Coach for the Super Rugby team Jaguares, and brought the teamto the final of the 2019 Super Rugby. In 2020, Gonzalo Quesada returned to Stade Français Paris to take up a new challenge.

Gonzalo Quesada (polo handicap 0) has had a real passion for the sport of polo from a very young age on. He was taught by his father, also a rugby and polo player. Gonzalo Quesada put this passion for polo on hold during his rugby career, but in the last couple of years, he has resumed playing again and enjoy the game.

Benoît Perrier, CEO & Co-Founder of GAME Polo, comments: “We are delighted that Gonzalo has agreed to become the Ambassador for the POLO Rider Cup. His passion and love for polo made him an obvious choice and we are excited to be working with Gonzalo on the promotion of the POLO Rider Cup.”

Gonzalo Quesada comments: “It’s an honour for me to become the Ambassador for the POLO Rider Cup as I have a real passion for the game. As an Argentinian, polo is in our DNA. Also, the concept of the POLO Rider Cup is similar to that of the Rugby Champions Cup, a club competition.”

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lKj7KrO_juc[/embedyt]

Gonzalo Quesada, born May 2, 1974 in Buenos Aires, is an Argentinian rugby union player and coach. He played mainly as half-fly, winning 39 caps for the Argentina national rugby…

Polo News, South America

Global polo star Ignacio “Nacho” Figueras unveiled as Brand Ambassador for Saudi Arabia’s AMAALA ultra-luxury resort destination

29. January 2020

Argentinian polo legend to help develop world-class equestrian facilities at AMAALA

Global polo star and Ralph Lauren model, Ignacio Figueras, has been named a brand ambassador for AMAALA, the ultra-exclusive tourism destination under development on Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea coast.

More commonly known as ‘Nacho’, Figueras is ranked one of the top 100 polo players in the world. A regular on international TV programmes, the star has a huge global following and was once voted the second most handsome man in the world by the readers of Vanity Fair magazine. In his latest role, Nacho will help shape the world-class polo facilities at AMAALA and represent the brand at international polo matches.

“I have always said my mission in life is to bring polo to the world a little more, so the chance to help shape what will be the world’s best polo facilities is an incredibly exciting opportunity and one that I simply could not turn down,” commented Figueras. “I will consult on the overall strategy including design, construction, operations, marketing and event planning of polo facilities at AMAALA.”

As an AMAALA Ambassador focused on the sport of polo, Nacho will be tasked with establishing prestigious polo events at AMAALA, as well as around the world through team sponsorships and other activations. He will help establish the AMAALA Polo Training Academy, encouraging youth participation in the sport and provide select guests with the chance to train with him as their personal polo coach.

Commenting on the agreement, AMAALA Chief Executive Officer Nicholas Naples said, “Our partnership with Nacho demonstrates how seriously we view polo as a component of the AMAALA sport and lifestyle experience. Nacho regularly ranks among the world’s top players with a profile that transcends the sport itself earning him the moniker as the ‘David Beckham of polo’. He is the ideal ambassador for the world-class facilities that will help grow the sport of polo in Saudi Arabia.”

Design of all polo facilities will be based on international benchmarks, and will include a suitable number, size and location of polo assets and other equestrian facilities to make it a world-class venue. Amenities will include an equestrian-themed hotel and a country club, paddock villas and estates, horse stables, horse-boarding facilities and horse spa/recovery treatment areas. The facilities will also feature visitor areas, horse trails and horseback riding for recreational purposes. There will also be pony camps for children.

“This is very exciting for the sport of polo in the Kingdom,” commented Chairman of the Saudi Polo Federation Amr Zedan. “The facilities being planned at AMAALA are truly world-class and will inspire a new generation of young Saudis to take up the sport and to learn from global stars like Nacho.”

Following the official partnership signing, Nacho led an AMAALA polo team to victory at the historical AlUla Desert Polo Championship. The first match organised in association with the Saudi Polo Federation, as well as the Royal Commission for AlUla, was staged as part of the Winter at Tantora festival. Featuring four teams of three players including Team AMAALA, Team AlUla, Team Al Nahla Bentley and Team Richard Mille, the championship saw Team AMAALA’s historic victory, culminating in an award ceremony presented by His Royal Highness Abdulaziz bin Turki bin Faisal the chairman of the General Authority for Sports.

AMAALA is anchored around the three pillars of wellness and sports, arts and culture, and sun, sea and lifestyle. It is also dedicated to sustainable building and operational practices, with environment preservation and enhancement paramount to the success of the ambitious project.

Photos: AlUla Saudi Polo Federation

AMAALA Chief Executive Officer Nicholas Naples pictured (l-r) with Polo Superstar Ignacio ‘Nacho’ Figueras.