How English royal family helped strengthen the game

“Polo is a sport that has been through many ups and downs since the second world war,” Hobday, who joined Guards having worked for IMG and Donald Trump, told me, as the club plans a special season. There are also major announcements due to be made in the coming week.“To have a club enjoying its […]

“Polo is a sport that has been through many ups and downs since the second world war,” Hobday, who joined Guards having worked for IMG and Donald Trump, told me, as the club plans a special season. There are also major announcements due to be made in the coming week.
“To have a club enjoying its 60th anniversary in this sport and this business is an extraordinary achievement.
Without the Royal patronage, Hobday believes polo would not be in the healthy position it enjoys in 2015.
 “I think it’s undeniable, from Lord Mountbatten to the Duke of Edinburgh to the Prince of Wales to the Duke of Cambridge,” he said. “All of them have been incredibly enthusiastic polo players and very supportive of the sport and the development of the sport in this country.
“I think English polo is extremely fortunate to have that involvement over many generations.
“I think it made a difference because they certainly attracted a great deal of media interest. They attracted sponsors, huge crowds to events they were playing in, they were able to raise money for important charities, so I think they have played a very significant role in the sustainability and growth of the sport.”
Like many within the sport, Hobday would delight in seeing the Princes play more. “I think everyone who knows their public and work commitments knows why they can’t play more but would like to see them play more. I think they’d like to play more. If they could, they probably would. They just have to manage it with all their other duties,” he explained.