With only one RN player able to get away for overseas winter training, the Navy season began with a training session run by Martin ffrench-Blake and attended by Richard Mason, Adrian Aplin, Arnie Lustman, Ian Annett, Allan Wilson, Peter Meigh, Sarah Parker and Dean Bassett. A thoroughly useful afternoon, it was agreed that more such events should be arranged throughout the season but, as always is the case when arranging programmes in the Navy, we were unable to find further dates when everyone could attend. It also became apparent that several of our established players would miss some if not all of the season due to seatime / deployments. Nevertheless it was a promising start for the season where our aim remained to introduce as many people to the sport as possible and to ensure the RN could continue to field competitive teams in Low Goal Polo.

The first match of the season was the Admiral Kumar match against Eton. The RN team of Aplin, Lustman, Wilson and Meigh faced a well drilled, young squad from Eton and despite taking the lead in the first chukka with an excellent goal from Wilson, were trailing 2 - 1 by half time. In the second half the Navy pressed hard and were unlucky not to score on several occasions but it was Eton who found the posts twice and won the match 4 - 1.

The next event in the fixture list was the RN weekend at the beginning of June, starting with the Sacher Cup against Millfield. Played at Perham Down the team of Aplin, Annett, Wilson and Meigh faced a young, strong and well mounted Millfield side whose advantage was clearly weight and agility. There were sparks of performance from the RN, although they lacked cohesion and struggled to play as a team, nonetheless gaining an early lead in the first chukka through a penalty converted by Aplin, only to see it ebb away in the following two. The Navy failed to assert itself in the last quarter but Aplin managed to carry the ball the length of the ground to score mid way through the chukka but the final score was 5 - 2. It was the first time the RN had played this configuration of players and, against a well disciplined and practiced side, was certainly outplayed.

On the following day, the second day of the RN weekend, a team of Mason, Aplin, Lustman and Annett faced Taunton for what is traditionally a fun but fiercely contested match. On paper the weaker side, Taunton started with a goal advantage but the Navy were the first to score with a penalty goal by Mason early in the first chukka. The pace then accelerated and Taunton scored next but another penalty from Mason had the RN leading by half a goal at the end of the 1st quarter. The 2nd chukka continued in the same vein but Taunton scored the only goal which had them leading 2 - 2 at half time. The second half found the Navy increasing the pressure and a good backhander from Lustman allowed Mason to take the ball up to the Taunton goal before Annett neatly slotted it between the posts. Despite many more RN attacking runs, Taunton scored the next goal, having them leading 3 - 3 at the end of the 3rd quarter. The final chukka was perhaps the most exciting with end to end polo and Taunton were the first to score. However, the Navy were quick to respond and two excellent goals from Aplin and Mason restored the RN lead. Unfortunately a penalty in the last moments of the game allowed Taunton to score, thereby winning the match 5 - 5. This was, however, a strong team performance in an excellent game from the main RN side.

The next fixture was the Duke of York Cup where the Royal Navy secured another win against the RAF. The RN line-up consisted of Peter Meigh at point, Ian Annett at two with Richard Mason the pivot and Mike Bowen backing him up at four. With a half goal start to the RAF the Navy put in an aggressive start in the first chukka, notching up three goals courtesy of Mason and Annett who squeezed the third in on the bell. In the second chukka the RAF rallied and defended the continued Navy attack although an error by Mark Smith resulted in a penalty score by Mason. Despite ranging the RAF goal on a number of occasions in the third chukka, including two penalties of which one was stolen out of the goal by the RAF Captain, Tim Brown, the Navy failed to consolidate and the RAF responded with a goal from Tim Brown. With renewed vigour the RN upped the pace in the final chukka with two further goals from Mason, one from the field and one from a 30 yard penalty, to leave the final score at 6 - 1 to the RN. The Duke of York cup and prizes were presented by Mrs Biddy Guy.

The winning streak continued on Tuesday 21 July when the RN met the Royal Wessex Yeomanry for the first round of the Inter Regimental Tournament. Drawn against the same team that beat us in the semi-finals last year, the Navy line-up of Lustman, Annett, Aplin and Mason knew they would have to work hard to progress through to the next round. The chukka started with an RN attack that had the Yeomanry on the back foot but they were the first to score. The Navy immediately responded and an excellent pass from Mason allowed Lustman to score, opening the account for the Navy. The RN kept up the pressure and Aplin found the posts two minutes later to leave the RN leading 2 - 1 at the end of the chukka. In the second quarter both sides fought hard, the Yeomanry scoring but then conceding a penalty at the end of the chukka which Mason converted at the start of the third. Good teamwork by the RN in the last chukka had the Yeomanry unsettled for the rest of the match and the Navy were unlucky to miss the posts on three occasions. Just before the final whistle a determined attack had Aplin scoring again to end the game 4 - 2, a good result that reflected a well disciplined game by the RN.

Early July found the RN participating in the annual Cornwell Affiliates tournament at Ascot Park. Drawn against the Army in the first round, the Navy team of Mason, Annett, Lustman and Meigh worked hard and were unlucky to lose the 2 chukka match 1 – 0. In the second round the RN faced the RAF and comfortably beat the Crabs 3 – 0. As is usual at this event, the Navy excelled at the post match celebrations!

Four days later the second round of the Inter Regimental was scheduled to be played at Cirencester. Facing last year’s tournament winners and the outright favourites, an 8 goal Household Cavalry side, the RN team of Mason, Aplin, Lustman and Annett knew that they had little chance of winning but recognised a good opportunity to practice for the Rundle Cup three days later. Unfortunately, early in the first chukka, Lustman was knocked unconscious and spent the night in Gloucester Hospital. The match was conceded but the remaining RN players joined the HCR in a useful and very sporting practice . The 9th July saw a return to sunny weather for the Rundle Cup. The 2 goal RN team of Mason, Aplin, Annett and Lustman faced a 3 goal Army side who were well drilled and determined to avenge their recent run of defeats. Starting with a half goal on handicap the Navy got off to a good start with Aplin taking the ball to goal only to be fouled on the line. Mason made no mistake with the resultant penalty and we were 1 - 0 up. Sadly, fortunes changed quite quickly and the Army had taken the lead 3-1 by the end of the first chukker, adding a fourth goal in the second. There was no score in the third and there was a sniff of a Navy come back early in the fourth when Mason scored a good field goal. However, it wasn’t to be and the Army came back hard to make the final score a disappointing 7-2. In a messy game dominated by fouls on both sides, the Navy lacked their normal cohesion and were overcome by a better side on the day, but with many lessons learned, the hard way, for next year! Most importantly, the day itself was a great success, with a strong crowd producing a good profit for RNPA funds.