Polo represents one of the biggest sporting juxtapositions: it is the oldest sport in the world and yet, it seems, only a few people understand it. To outsiders, it offers a great day out during the social season, akin to cricket at Lords, or horse racing at Royal Ascot; to insiders, it provides a summer of nail-biting, high-adrenaline sport featuring some of the most elite athletes in the world. 

Don’t know your chukka from your bowl-in? You’d be forgiven (by some) if your knowledge extends only as far as what you’ve seen on Rivals. As polo season kicks off this weekend, here’s everything you need to know about the poshest sport in the UK (including why it’s posh in the first place) and which tournaments you can still nab tickets for. 

What is polo? 

Let’s start with the basics. Polo requires a horse, wooden ball, mallets and goal posts. The aim of the game is, quite simply, to put more balls through the posts than the opposing team. Sounds easy? Not so. Two teams of four players take to the field in six seven-minute periods known as chukkas – the Hindi word for ‘circle’ – and have to score within that time to win. To add to its complexity, teams change direction every time a player scores, while balancing and riding a horse at speed and with precision in order to strike the ball with force and at the right angle. It is, essentially, the ultimate hand-eye coordination game – played while riding at roughly 35mph. 

The history of polo

The English name of the game derives from the Balti word for ‘ball’ and is largely thought to have been conceived in India, however, a form of polo was played in Central Asia around the 6th Century BCE. This version of the game was more about combat readiness and military training than sport, and was played by up to 100 noblemen, warriors and elite cavalry at a time. It became the national sport of Persia and expanded into other countries, such as Constantinople (modern day Istanbul), Tibet, China and Japan, becoming especially favoured by royal courts. 

The game we know today was born in Manipur, a northeastern state of India, and had been played by locals for years. In 1859, British military officers watched a match unfold and lieutenant Joe Sherer famously declared, “We must learn the game!” Sherer was nicknamed ‘the father of modern polo’ and his efforts expanded the sport beyond Manipur, starting with the founding of the Silchar Polo Club by British military officers and tea planters, and then across the country in Calcutta and Cachar. The world soon cottoned on, and records state that the sport started to be played in Malta in 1868, England in 1869, Ireland in 1870, Argentina in 1872, and Australia in 1874. As Winston Churchill once said: “A polo handicap is a person’s ticket to the world.”

Why is polo considered a posh sport? 

As the history books show, this colonial sport was once the reserve of elitist officers and aristocrats – and given that you had to have a horse, playing was simply out of the question for many poorer classes. Today, polo is often referred to as the ‘sport of kings’ – naturally, King Charles III was introduced to the sport by his father, Prince Philip, and great-uncle, Lord Mountbatten, and began playing competitively at 15. He is widely regarded as a highly skilled, dedicated player and even achieved a four-goal handicap, a number which sums up a player’s overall value to their team, ranging from -2 (novice) to 10 (elite). 

It is also an extremely expensive sport to play. Given the speed and energy required by the horses, players often need to swap mounts up to four times per game, which is known as their ‘string’. Shipping, feeding and caring for these animals is no small bill. 

Finally, like the aforementioned Ascot and Lords, elitist sports and, more so, their venues provide a stage for high fashion, spectatorship and sponsorship. Veuve Clicquot famously sponsored the Gold Cup at the Cowdray Park Polo Club for two decades; Princes Harry and William have been active in polo’s charity circles; and the sport is favoured by celebrities such as David Beckham and Chris Hemsworth. Beloved late author Jilly Cooper staged many scenes in her novels around polo games, and even named one of them after it. She told The Independent in 2005: “Oh, the dreaded commercialisation, it means the crowd will change. But then the old and bold will always grumble. Secretly I think they rather like the place to be full of film stars: it makes them feel superior.”

Commercialisation, indeed. Once the reserve of the elite, polo is progressively becoming a sport for the masses, with more and more ticketed tournaments launching around the UK. Not sure where to get your fill? Here are the polo events to know this summer. 

The biggest polo events in and around London

Chestertons Polo in the Park, Fulham

The UK’s most accessible tournament, Chestertons Polo in the Park returns to Hurlingham Park every year on the first weekend of June, bringing three days of fast-paced polo, food, and summer socialising to Fulham. While it features world-class polo teams, it uses modified City Polo rules which makes the game faster and more audience friendly compared to the slower, formal pace of traditional games. 

Running from 5-7 June 2026, this year features a lineup of eight international teams including Disney+’s Team Rivals, which starred in the series, as well as the New Equity Team London, IBV Gold Team Cape Town, Kohn, Loeb & Co Team Zurich, Icon Global Team Texas, Team Riyadh, South Africa and England. Highlights include a headline England vs South Africa clash for the Olympic Trophy on Friday, while Saturday features a Ladies Day and Sunday is orientated around families. Off the pitch, discover the Fulham Food Festival, Champagne Pommery Garden, a shopping village, and new immersive bars from Patrón and St‑Germain. Go for the polo, and stay for the socialising. 

Visit polointheparklondon.com 

Cowdray Park Polo Club, West Sussex

Boasting an extensive and illustrious history, and set in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty within Viscount Cowdray’s 16,500-acre estate in West Sussex, this is the home of British polo. Having been played here for more than a century, becoming the birthplace of the British Open in 1956 – a cup that forms the sport’s holy trinity of tournaments alongside the US and Argentinian Opens – the club hosts weekly tournaments from May until September, which have boasted spectators such as King Charles, Prince William and Sophie Turner.

The main cup is the Cowdray Gold Cup, aka the British Open, and remains Europe's leading high-goal (22-goal) tournament. Naturally, this tournament boasts the most sought-after tickets, but you can buy entries for the 1921 Cup, Park House Cup and Farewell Cup. Aside from the bigger tournaments, the club hosts more than 450 matches for spectators to enjoy until the autumn, with some tickets priced from just £7.50. 

Visit cowdraypolo.co.uk 

Guards Polo Club, Windsor

Another club which boasts close links to the British Royal Family is Guards Polo Club, just a stone’s throw away from Windsor Castle. It was originally opened by Prince Philip in 1955 as the private Household Brigade Polo Club, before changing its name in 1969 and then becoming a fully civilian club in 2000. As the largest polo club in Europe, both in terms of membership and grounds, the club hosts more than 600 matches per year, with the premier, high-goal Cartier Queen’s Cup running across a series of weeks from 19 May until 14 June 2026. Guests can buy tickets from £45 for any tournament excluding the Cartier Queen’s Cup, which requires a membership. 

Visit guardspoloclub.com 

Ham Polo Club, Richmond

Images: Ham Polo Club

Founded in 1926, Ham Polo Club is the last remaining dedicated polo club in London, having been one of 12 during the mid 20^th century. From conception, it offered a more relaxed, less-formal approach to the game and was built for players who enjoyed the game, rather than showcasing the pomp and pageantry that came part and parcel with other major tournaments. For example, in the 1930s, this club – alongside Stoke d’Abernon, Worcester Park, Kingsbury and Crystal Palace clubs – provided polo for Londoners who did not compete regularly at the ‘Big Three’ (the now-closed Hurlingham, Ranelagh, and Roehampton). Located on a 23-acre site in Richmond, it has evolved from a small satellite ground into one of the UK’s most distinctive sporting venues.

Now in its centenary season, Ham Polo Club continues to bring together sport, hospitality and community across polo, dining, lessons and private events. Fancy spectating? Head to the clubhouse and panoramic roof terrace to enjoy vistas of London’s last remaining club, whether for Friday Night Polo or Sunday fixtures. The former offers access to matches before the sun sets and pitch-side bars, while the latter is one of the most accessible, inviting guests to enjoy picnics for a relaxed experience, or purchase a guest pass, offering clubhouse access so you can live like a member for the day. 

Visit hampoloclub.com 

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