LESSONS learned from the teachings and writings of the late Major Hugh Dawnay, widely regarded as the father of modern Irish polo, made all the difference for the Rits team in the Mumms Cup tournament at Ballyhenry Polo Club in Wicklow.

The tournament, hosted by Joe O’Connell of Ballyhenry, was a showcase of playmaking – defined by the Major as, ‘a player whose role is to create scoring opportunities for their teammates’.

While Rits earned the trophy as the outright winners when they swept through qualifying rounds and the final to earn an accumulation of goals, the skills involved in playmaking were evident among all three teams but none so clearly defined as those of James Connolly.

The young playmaker, who finished the summer polo season with a three-goal handicap epitomised the skills taught by the late Major that led to scoring opportunities for the rest of the team including Caroline Keeling and twin brother and sister Alex and Jennifer Reynolds. The team never lost a single match but instead finished the final with a cumulative score of five goals, while their last opponent, El Nino finished with just two.

ALL ABOUT team

Visiting professional player, Sandeep ‘Sandy Cash’ Singh described what the role of a playmaker is, a position he exemplified even when it meant giving up individual scoring opportunities that almost certainly would have led to a very different outcome for Rits.

“Polo is 100% team,” Sandy explained just after the Mumms Cup was presented to Rits. “If you play as a team then you will win. Polo is talking with each other. If you are talking to each other then you know where you are and you can hit the ball.”

LHK’s Colm Kelleher, Elaine Monahan, Robert Patton and Jack Woods played their hearts out through the tournament, earning the most goals but losing out with three goals to four on the trophy in their final match against Rits.

Playing with Sandy Cash for El Nino was Paul Monahan, Naomi Zwier and Senan O’Connell.

“We followed what James (Connolly) told us to do, the playmaker’s instructions,” said Alex Reynolds just after he accepted the trophy for Rits.

“He instructed us all and told the team when to hit the ball.”