RAFPA END OF SEASON 2010



END OF SEASON REPORT 2010 The Royal Air Force enjoyed another excellent season with the highest number of players ever, polo being introduced to Cranwell IOT cadets, the Cranwell Tournament extending to eight participating teams, more players becoming horse owners and even some success on the field of play! There were 33 paid up members of the RAF Polo Association in 2010 of which 15 represented the RAF at some level and four had their handicaps raised at the end of the season. Seven players are pony owners with an eighth actively seeking to start his own string. Whilst the centre of gravity in terms of handicap remains below zero the base membership is constantly expanding and significant emphasis is and will continue to be on player development. The elusive plus goal players will come sometime! Tidworth Polo Club remains the home club of RAF polo but an excellent relationship has been built with Leadenham Polo Club, not far from RAF Cranwell, which has proved very beneficial not least in introducing IOT Cadets to the game. 2010 was the first season to see high levels of interest from IOT cadets; 13 cadets took up the sport attending regular lessons at Leadenham Polo Club and culminating in a Senior v Junior Course matchette. This will continue in 2011. The Cranwell Weekend tournament was extended this year to include a three-day training camp on the Wednesday, Thursday and Friday before. This was based at Leadenham polo club and was extremely well attended. The Tournament itself was again structured to emphasize player development and attracted a record eight entries, a mixture of Service and civilian teams. This year's Tournament and training camp will take place along the same lines except that the handicap level of the Tournament will be adjusted to allow a maximum of two 0 goal players (no plus handicaps) and at least one -2 player per team. The social activity will revert to being based at College Hall Officers Mess. In addition to the training camp at Cranwell a number of team training sessions were run which proved to be of great use. Similar systems of subsidised instructional chukkas, club chukkas and match chukkas with bigger discounts targeted at encouraging match play are operated both at Tidworth and Leadenham Polo Clubs. This will continue in 2011. A training tour to New Zealand took place over the winter of 2010/11. A full fixture list was again played with wins at the Cranwell Tournament, Crabs v Cav, the Captains and Subalterns Tournament (Div 2) and against the Army in the now established Sassoon Cup. In addition a very good performance saw the RAF as runners up in the Cornwell Affiliates. Polo is alive and well in the RAF. Despite Operational commitments we continue to attract more and more Service players into the game and develop the ones that we have. This will remain the basic strategy. The RAF PA acknowledges the support given to it by the RAF Sports Board, the CSPA and Tidworth Polo Club. We are very grateful and look forward to the 2011 season in good heart and anticipating yet another summer of this wonderful game amongst Service and civilian friends alike.

END OF SEASON REPORT 2010

The Royal Air Force enjoyed another excellent season with the highest number of players ever, polo being introduced to Cranwell IOT cadets, the Cranwell Tournament extending to eight participating teams, more players becoming horse owners and even some success on the field of play!

There were 33 paid up members of the RAF Polo Association in 2010 of which 15 represented the RAF at some level and four had their handicaps raised at the end of the season. Seven players are pony owners with an eighth actively seeking to start his own string.

Whilst the centre of gravity in terms of handicap remains below zero the base membership is constantly expanding and significant emphasis is and will continue to be on player development. The elusive plus goal players will come sometime!

Tidworth Polo Club remains the home club of RAF polo but an excellent relationship has been built with Leadenham Polo Club, not far from RAF Cranwell, which has proved very beneficial not least in introducing IOT Cadets to the game. 2010 was the first season to see high levels of interest from IOT cadets; 13 cadets took up the sport attending regular lessons at Leadenham Polo Club and culminating in a Senior v Junior Course matchette. This will continue in 2011.

The Cranwell Weekend tournament was extended this year to include a three-day training camp on the Wednesday, Thursday and Friday before. This was based at Leadenham polo club and was extremely well attended. The Tournament itself was again structured to emphasize player development and attracted a record eight entries, a mixture of Service and civilian teams. This year's Tournament and training camp will take place along the same lines except that the handicap level of the Tournament will be adjusted to allow a maximum of two 0 goal players (no plus handicaps) and at least one -2 player per team. The social activity will revert to being based at College Hall Officers Mess.

In addition to the training camp at Cranwell a number of team training sessions were run which proved to be of great use. Similar systems of subsidised instructional chukkas, club chukkas and match chukkas with bigger discounts targeted at encouraging match play are operated both at Tidworth and Leadenham Polo Clubs. This will continue in 2011. A training tour to New Zealand took place over the winter of 2010/11.

A full fixture list was again played with wins at the Cranwell Tournament, Crabs v Cav, the Captains and Subalterns Tournament (Div 2) and against the Army in the now established Sassoon Cup. In addition a very good performance saw the RAF as runners up in the Cornwell Affiliates.

Polo is alive and well in the RAF. Despite Operational commitments we continue to attract more and more Service players into the game and develop the ones that we have. This will remain the basic strategy. The RAF PA acknowledges the support given to it by the RAF Sports Board, the CSPA and Tidworth Polo Club. We are very grateful and look forward to the 2011 season in good heart and anticipating yet another summer of this wonderful game amongst Service and civilian friends alike.