First all-women polo match to be played at Marsa on Saturday

Eight mounted players to compete for the historic Du Cane Cup

The first-ever all-women’s polo match will be played in Marsa on Saturday, bringing new life to a historic cup match steeped in tradition. The match will be played at 11am at the Malta Polo Club.

The players will be competing for a chance to have their names added to the coveted Du Cane Cup.

The historic trophy, kept under lock and key in a bank vault, was first presented to the Malta Polo Club by H.E. General Sir John Du Cane, who served as the Governor of Malta in the 1930s.

The Veuve Clicquot Team, captained by Sarah Manduca, is made up of Rebecca Gera, Nicola Fenech Conti, and Petra Vella. They will be matching up against the Gauchas Team, sponsored by Finestral, captained by Serena Galea, who is lining up alongside Nicole Fenech Adami, Emma Aquilina, and Christie Massaloux.

Polo in Malta is deeply rooted in tradition, with the polo club in Marsa being considered one of the oldest polo clubs in Europe.

The Marsa polo ground has hosted British royalty and nobility over the decades.

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‘A first for Malta’

An all-women’s match is a first for the Malta Polo Club which works to keep the game alive.

Speaking ahead of the match, Malta Polo Club president Matthew Borg said the club was thrilled to have a group of dedicated female players who, along with the male contingent, are dedicated to keeping the historic game of polo alive and kicking in Malta.

“Malta is an integral part of the history and development of the game of polo in Europe. In fact, it is a great privilege for the club to hold many prestigious historic cups, and seeing the Du Cane Cup competed over by two all-women’s teams for the first time is very exciting for us as a club,” Borg said.

Spectators are invited to watch the match from the Malta Polo Club clubhouse (formerly Chukkas restaurant). Entry is free of charge and live commentary will be delivered from the clubhouse.

One of the world’s oldest known team sports, Polo was brought to Malta by British forces from India. ‘The game of polo’ In fact, the Cawnpore Cup, which is the highlight of the polo calendar in Malta, was first raised in India in 1901 and brought to Malta in 1947 when it was gifted to the club.

The game of polo is played by two opposing teams with the objective of scoring goals using a long-handled wooden mallet to strike a small hard ball through the opposing team’s goal.

Each team has four mounted riders, and the game is divided into four quarters, known as chukkas, lasting seven minutes each.

Teams are given handicaps based on the goal-scoring capabilities of their players.

For more information, contact the Malta Polo Club or visit www.maltapoloclub.com.