SA Polo Team announced

Excitement is growing ahead of the BMW International Polo Series 2012. The South African Polo Team will be captained by the experienced Gillespie Armstrong, who is also part of the team that won the Beresford Cup at the 2012 Inter-Provincials.

His team being represented at the BMW International Polo Series includes 26-year-old Leroux Hendriks from Pretoria, 21-year-old Duncan Watson (the eldest son of South Africa’s most capped international polo player Russell Watson), powerful striker in the back position, Bryan Hein, and 25-year-old reserve Lance Watson.

This year, the Indian Polo Association has accepted the South African Polo Association’s invitation to send their national side to participate in the Series. India have only played in the BMW International Polo Series once previously in 2005, which saw the home side emerging victorious.

SA captain Gillespie Armstrong in action on the field (photo by Shane Doyle)

The South African team will be pitting their skills against a rather mature Indian side this year with the youngest player on the Indian team being 29 years old.

“We have always enjoyed a very close relationship with our Indian counterparts and even though there has only been one previous International in this Series, we have had several social and competitive tours at a lower level handicap,” said Walter Grindrod, President of the South African Polo Association.

BMW International Polo Series takes place at the Shongweni Polo Club on Sunday, 19 August. Public tickets are not pre-sold and are only available at the gates on the day, which open at 10am. From R50 per person, or R30 if you arrive in a BMW. Children under the age of twelve are given free access.

For more information, visit www.bmw.co.za/polo or follow BMW on Twitter and join the conversation using #BMWPolo.

BMW is running a competition on Twitter where you can win a set of double tickets to the BMW Marquee. To enter this competition have a look at #BMWtakemetothePolo on Twitter from 13 to 19 August.