On Friday afternoon at noon the All Pro Lolo League will make its North American debut at the Valiente Polo Club in Wellington. According to their website (http://allpropololeague.com/) “the All Pro Polo League is an association formed with the aim of organizing wholly professional polo tournaments around the world. The league will work with a new set of rules in order to encourage fast, open polo.”
The All Pro Polo League (APPL) stems from founder Javier Tanoira’s ambition to take polo back to the glory days. His aim is simple: to encourage dynamic, open polo and motivate a professional attitude towards the sport.
The APPL hopes to make polo a simpler, more enjoyable spectator sport by enhancing the qualities that make the game so thrilling. A new set of rules has been put in place to simplify the game, not only for spectators, but for players and umpires as well. The league fosters principals of respect and camaraderie, while allowing the game to grow in speed and skill.
Young up-and-coming polo players are invited to form part of the only professional league of its kind — the All Pro Polo League is formed exclusively of full-time professional polo players. Sponsors are invited to join the league by supporting a team or tournament. As polo becomes increasingly competitive and exclusive, the APPL presents a unique opportunity for brands to form an authentic relationship within the world of polo.
A separate Pro-Am League has also been formed to give patrons the chance of playing with the new set of rules. This league allows amateur players to get more involved on the field. With only one horse permitted per chukker, the APPL and Pro-Am league give patrons and players the occasion of competing without the obligatory economic strain now synonymous with traditional high-goal polo tournaments.
The support of the Argentine Association of Polo (AAP), the Federation of International Polo (FIP), the Hurlingham Polo Association (HPA) and the United States Polo Association (USPA) allow the APPL to grow internationally, hosting tournaments in Argentina, the US, England, Spain, and Dubai, with the goal of creating a Polo World Tour.
This league stands out from traditional polo tournaments thanks to its innovative approach to the game; free from speculation and economic exclusivity, the APPL aims to rebuild the purity of polo on foundations of professionalism.
Friday’s afternoon exhibition match will feature two 19-goal teams composed of
A pair of 19-goal teams comprised of players young up and coming players will take the field at Valiente on Friday pitting Valiente (Santi Torres, Roberto Zedda, Juan Martin Obregon and Wesley Finlayson) against Travieso (Tony Calle, Jared Zenni, Tommy Collingwood and Alfredo Capella).
An indication of some of the new league’s rules are:
-Teams are to be made up of five players (four starting and one substitute).
-The four starting players must submit their list of horses at least an hour before the game; only one horse is allowed per player per chukker. Players will not be allowed to change horses during the chukker, neither will they be permitted to change the order of play of their horses once the match has begun.
-If a horse or a player is injured, both must leave the field. No reserve player will be allowed in on another horse. Play will resume 3 vs 4.
-A reserve player can only enter in the case of player injury. He will enter the field on the same horse the injured player was playing.
A short and simplified list of several additional rules can be found on the league’s website, but for now, it might be a good idea to just show up and watch the action.
http://polonews.com/2016/04/all-pro-polo-league-to-debut-at-valiente-friday-afternoon/