England’s long international year ends today, Monday 29 December, with a match against South Africa at Plettenberg Bay. It is the final international fixture of 2025, and England are hoping for a first win over the hosts this season after losing 8-6 at Val de Vie in November.
The England team
The HPA announced the team earlier this month. Tommy Severn is captain, and he is joined by two players who featured in England’s summer.
- Tommy Severn (5, captain)
- Louis Hine (5)
- Dom Lodge (4)
- Hugo Taylor (4)
Severn captained England in the Golden Jubilee against the USA at the Beaufort International in June, a match England won 9-8 after a fourth-chukka comeback in which Hine scored eight goals. Hine was named Most Valuable Player in that match. Taylor was part of the La Dolfina/Scone team that won the Gold Cup at Cowdray in July, playing alongside Adolfo and Mia Cambiaso. Lodge completes a team that has a nice balance of experience and form.
The opposition
South Africa won the Val de Vie Standard Bank Polo Test Match 8-6 on 15 November, with Jannie Steenkamp as captain. The match was played at the 16-goal level and drew about 2,000 guests. Matt Perry was England’s Most Valued Player in that game.
Why Plettenberg Bay?
Plettenberg Bay is a regular home for international polo in December. The Kurland International test match takes place there every year, and the combination of a coastal setting and a warm summer makes it a popular fixture at the end of the northern hemisphere’s calendar.
The year ahead
England’s next home fixture is the Bryan Morrison Trophy at Hickstead on 17 January 2026, against the USA, who last played there in 2023. The HPA’s 150th anniversary year is almost over, and it has delivered an England win over Brazil at Guards, a Golden Jubilee victory over the USA and some memorable days across the sport.
We will bring you the result from Plettenberg Bay in the new year. Thank you for reading in 2025, and we wish you a happy and healthy 2026.
Sources: HPA news, December 2025, Val de Vie, South Africa claims victory over England
