US to play in BMW Polo Series

This year the South African Polo Association is delighted to announce that the USA has accepted their invitation to participate in this year’s BMW Polo Series.

The first Test will be played at the Durban Shongweni Club on Sunday, 7 September and the second Test, Sunday, 14 September at the Waterfall Polo Estate in Sunninghill, Johannesburg.

The BMW International Polo Series is played against a touring international team each year. 2014 marks the 25th year of partnership between BMW South Africa and the SA Polo Association, this being one of the longest-running consecutive sports sponsorships in South Africa.

The visitors from America have toured South Africa five times previously for this Series and have been victorious on three of these occasions. Their most recent tour was in 2002. The US team is to include the world renowned Memo Gracida whose international career includes several record-setting achievements, including the most US Open victories (16) and the most consecutive years as an American 10-goaler (21).

He was due to be playing alongside his brother Carlos Gracida, but Carlos was tragically killed in a polo accident on 25 February at Everglades Polo Club in Florida. Carlos was one of the most accomplished players in the history of polo and in 1987, 1988 and 1994, his teams won polo’s major tournaments in Argentina, the United States and Britain, a feat that had never been accomplished before, and no one has done it since.

The US team is also to include Scott Devon, who is patron of the Catamount Team which participates in high goal polo in the US, Mike Azarro, an American professional polo player from San Antonio, Texas who also held polo’s highest handicap of 10 goals for over 10 years and Tomas Collingwood who will be arriving in South Africa after completing the Santa Barbara, California polo season.

The SA team will consist of Tom de Bruin (Captain),Davey Evans, Dirk Van Reenen, Gareth Evans and Reserve: Mike Osborn.

Programme of events:

10am – Gates Open

11.30am to 12.30pm – BMW Development Trophy Curtain Raiser

12.30pm to 1.20pm – BMW Motorcycle and Car Parade

1.20pm to 1.40mpm – BMW Static Car Display

2.10pm to 2.20pm -Stick and Ball Demonstration

2.20pm to2.25pm – National Anthems

2.30pm – BMW International: South Africa vs USA

4.15pm – Prize-Giving Ceremony

Tickets cost R80 West Bank and R50 East Bank. For more information contact Bridget Macduff on bridget@sapolo.co.za.