IRISH polo team patron Richard Fagan is in the midst of ambitious Olympic plans for the Irish team who earned the silver medal at the Federation of International Polo tournament at the World Equestrian Games last September.

The top of the list is an arena high-goal team to compete at Hickstead against England in the HPA International next March, followed by the inaugural Coronation Cup at Sotogrande against Spain in April with a 14-goal team.

From there, it’s intended that the Irish polo team will compete on an invitational tour in Florida with a 16-goal team. Fagan has ultimately set his sights on bringing polo back to the Summer Olympic Games. It was last played in Berlin in 1936.

“The optimism is there,” said Richard Fagan, “We already have a reasonable team, a winning team and there is potential.”

HIGH-GOAL TOURNAMENTS

From early next year and with help from Irish captain Sebastian Dawnay and the rest of the team including Max Hutchinson and Stephen Hutchinson as well as Siobhan Herbst and Michael Hutchinson, Fagan intends to create an up-to-date and detailed list of Irish polo players with the potential to represent Ireland at high goal tournaments abroad.

Additionally, a placement programme is in the works for up and coming Irish players, the selection of candidates to be placed in Argentina to learn polo from the ground up.

“We have three Irish families in Argentina that have confirmed a commitment,” said Richard Fagan. “There is a great love for Irish polo in Argentina where if you were to pick [a selection of players] it would mean so much. They would work hard but it would be worth it. We are trying to raise the profile of Irish polo.”

The placement programme envisaged by Fagan is expected to yield a team worthy of competing in the renowned Coronation Cup against England as early as next year.

By 2016, an Irish high-goal team is anticipated to be in place to take part in international invitations while a renaissance of sorts is envisaged for the presently low-goal Patriotic Cup to return to the former high-goal tournament of old.

Played against England since the 19th century alternatively at the All Ireland Polo Club and Ham Polo Club, the Irish-made silver cup is known in England as the Empire Cup.