Copenhagen Cup

COPENHAGEN CUP

WELLINGTON COLLEGE STAY TOP OF THE CLASS

SUNDAY 12TH SEPTEMBER 2021 COPENHAGEN CUP

TEAMS WELLINGTON COLLEGE, STOWE SCHOOL RUGBY SCHOOL, RADLEY COLLEGE

Wellington College confirmed that they are the stand-out schools team after retaining the Copenhagen Cup in mid-September. They beat Stowe School (rec 2½ goals on handicap) 9-6½ in a fast-paced game on one of the Club’s top grounds.

Incredibly, five of the eight players in this final were already playing members of Guards Polo Club and so were very familiar with the high standard of polo field. Such experienced players also highlighted the impressive standard of schools’ polo today. In fact two players in this final, Wellington’s Louis Hine and Stowe’s Noor Khadra found themselves in action later that same day, playing in Noor’s winning Green Gates team in the final of the 12-goal Autumn Nations tournament.

Amr Sheikh, co-founder of this tournament with his brother Mo, presented the prizes including the La Martina Most Valuable Player prize to Louis Hine. Louis had also received this honour when Wellington had won two years ago. Meanwhile Stowe’s Rafi Mahmood returned to school with the La Martina Sportsmanship Award, while his team-mate Noor received the Best Playing Pony prize for his own Cereza.

This two-day tournament had not been played in 2020 as the schools had been closed due to the pandemic and so all the teams were delighted to have the opportunity to play at Guards Polo Club once again. The sub final featured Rugby School versus Radley College (rec 1 goal). The higher-handicapped Rugby School won this contest 7-5, retaining the trophy they last won in 2019. ✸

TEAMS

Wellington College: Amar Anand / William Grayken (-1); Max Sponer (0); Will Drewitt (1); Louis Hine (2). Stowe: Rafi Mahmood (-2); Archie Heseltine (-1); Luca Natella (0); Noor Khadra (0). Rugby School: Toby Bradshaw (1); Fred Thame (1); Beatrice Leyland (-1); Sadek Rehman / Bruno Bradshaw (-2). Radley College: Benjamin Fleming (0); Eugen OettingenWallerstein (-1); Zac Butterworth (-1); Jose Trenar / Harry Pitt (-1).