The HPA’s Stewards have announced changes to the Home Grown Player rule, and they are likely to shape British high-goal polo for the next few seasons. The announcements came after the Stewards met on 15 July and were followed by a member update at the end of the month.
Where the rule began
The HPA defined a Home Grown Player, or HGP, in July 2024 after work by the British Opportunities Working Group and consultation with lawyers. For 2025, the rule that each team must field one HGP applies at 12 goal Victor Ludorum level. The HPA’s chairman said in December that the rule would apply at 12 goal and below from 2025, with any extension to other levels subject to consultation.
What is changing
- The one HGP per team rule will extend to the 15 goal and 18 goal Victor Ludorum leagues in 2026.
- Each team must have at least one Home Grown Player other than the patron.
- In the 22 goal VL, any player with a handicap of 5 goals or below, other than the patron, must be a Home Grown Player.
- Under-16 non-patron players now face raised minimum handicaps in the 8 goal and 6 goal leagues, with further under-16 requirements to be considered by the end of the year.
Who counts as home grown?
A player qualifies by holding a British or Irish passport, or by passing a residence and membership test before the age of 18. That test looks at HPA or Pony Club membership, UK residence for at least 18 weeks between 15 April and 15 September, and playing at least five UK tournaments in each calendar year, over a three-year period before reaching a handicap of 3 goals. The HPA has also opened an application process.
Why it matters
The changes will not please everyone, but they reflect a clear aim: to make sure British players, especially young ones, can compete at every level and have a route to the top. The pairing of the HGP rule with the under-16 limits and the new Victor Futurum series shows how the pieces fit together.
Clubs and patrons now have a season to plan, particularly at the 15 and 18 goal levels. It is a significant change to team composition in British polo, and we will follow how it plays out.
July’s International Day, with England’s win over Brazil and a Young England side in the Whitbread Tankard, showed what a good crop of English players can do. The HPA is clearly hoping to see more of them.
Sources: HPA, Stewards’ update, HPA, Chairman’s vision
