Text By ©R&B Presse/Pascal Renauldon
The week following the Argentine Open marked the beginning of the familiar — and sometimes ruthless — carousel of player movements and updated handicaps. This year, the reshuffle has been particularly eventful. Some lineups, despite outstanding individual talent, failed to deliver as expected, while others clearly exceeded all predictions. Among the latter, Ellerstina–Indios Chapaleufú will return unchanged for the 2026 season, as will La Natividad–La Dolfina, who will attempt to give Adolfo Cambiaso the opportunity to equal the all-time record held by Juan Carlos Harriott. As for the rest, it is now easier to refer directly to the confirmed list of teams entered for the 2026 Triple Crown.
On the handicap front, no male player was promoted to 10 goals, but one decision made headlines. After seventeen consecutive years rated at 10 goals, twelve Argentine Open titles at Palermo, and four Triple Crowns, Juan Martín Nero has been downgraded to 9.
On the positive side, several notable promotions followed strong performances: finalist Antonio Heguy moves from 8 to 9, while Lorenzo Chavanne and Beltrán Laulhé rise from 7 to 8. Conversely, South African Nachi du Plessis and Argentine Jerónimo del Carril have been downgraded.
In women’s polo, the main highlight is the promotion of Mía Cambiaso to the top rank of 10 goals, making her the third 10-goaler within the Cambiaso family. This distinction not only rewards her fifth Women’s Argentine Open title but also her victory earlier this year at the British Open, where she played alongside her father.
Teams Entered in the 2026 Triple Crown
La Natividad–La Dolfina
Jeta Castagnola (10), Poroto Cambiaso (10), Adolfo Cambiaso (10), Barto Castagnola (10) — Total: 40
Ellerstina–Indios Chapaleufú
Facundo Pieres (10), Antonio Heguy (9), Gonzalito Pieres (9), Cruz Heguy (9) — Total: 37
Las Monjitas
Rufino Bensadón (8), Lukin Monteverde (9), Pelón Stirling (9), Juan Martín Nero (9) — Total: 35
La Ensenada (TBC)
Juan Britos (8), Diego Cavanagh (8), Juan Martín Zubia (9), Jerónimo del Carril (8) — Total: 33
La Hache
Benjamín Panelo (8), Carlos María Ulloa (7), Hilario Ulloa (9), Tomás Panelo (9) — Total: 33
Team name TBC
Victorino Ruiz Jorba (8), Gonzalo Ferrari (8), Fran Elizalde (9), Teodoro Lacau (8) — Total: 33
Team name TBC
Bautista Bayugar (8), Alfredo Bigatti (8), Joaquín Pittaluga (8), Ignacio Laprida (8) — Total: 32
La Aguada (TBC)
Facundo Cruz Llosa (8), Kristos Magrini (7), Pedro Zacharias (8), Felipe Vercellino (8) — Total: 31
Teams Required to Qualify
La Irenita (TBC)
Pablo Pieres (9), Paco de Narváez (8), Pablo Mac Donough (10), Matías Mac Donough (jr.) (7) — Total: 33
La Zeta–Kazak
Lorenzo Chavanne (8), Beltrán Laulhé (8), Sapo Caset (9), Nicolás Pieres (9) — Total: 34
La Dolfina II
Lucas Criado (jr.) (8), Mariano González (jr.) (8), Isidro Strada (8), Ignatius du Plessis (8) — Total: 32
With the AAP’s somewhat… intricate points system, the upcoming qualifiers will feature two teams whose combined handicap is higher than that of five teams already qualified for the 2026 Triple Crown. Unusual, if not outright surreal.
© R&B Presse/Pascal Renauldon
