Townsend Trophy team selection 2017
The Arena International Selection Committee has chosen a 24 goal arena team with a line-up of Chris Hyde (Captain, 10), Max Charlton (9) and Ed Banner-Eve (5). The team will represent England against the USA in the Townsend Trophy on 14 January 2017 at Scottsdale, Arizona. The American team will be between 22 and 24 goals and will include the world’s other arena 10 goal player, Tommy Biddle.
Hyde and Biddle are not new opponents, they have faced each other a number of times over the years on both sides of the Atlantic. The last time England made the journey across the pond to play for the Townsend Cup at the Empire Polo Club in California it was minus England’s top 10 goal player. The 19 goal line-up in April 2015 was Oscar Mancini (6), Jonny Good (8) and Andrew Blake Thomas (5) and they faced the full force of a 22 goal team with Tommy Biddle (10) at the helm backed up by Kris Kampsen (7) and Jared Sheldon (5). England lost the game 17-12 and will once again be keen to reclaim the trophy this year.
As per previous years it is also expected that a SUPA university team will also play in a youth version of the cup on the same dates.
Photograph: England and USA in action during the 2015 Townsend Cup. Courtesy of the American Polo Association