England’s polo team will face the best in the world when they line up to play for the Coronation Cup on International Day this summer.
Argentina has been confirmed as England’s opposition on Saturday, 27 July at the Royal County of Berkshire Polo Club (RCBPC), and will field at least one 10-goal player as part of their team.
Argentina, which boasts almost all of the world’s best players, has beaten England to win the Coronation Cup on each of their past four meetings, in 2014, 2009, 2000 and 1995.
Adolfo Cambiaso
“It’s certainly going to be tough and a very difficult game for us, but it’s a challenge and we play polo in order to play against the best in the world,” England captain James Beim told H&H.
“We’re here on home soil, we’re going to get organised and prepared early and they will have to come here and beat us!”
Among Argentina’s arsenal of players are the world number one and two, Adolfo Cambiaso and Facundo Pieres, at least one of whom will feature on the team for the Coronation Cup, alongside slightly lower-ranked players. The England line-up will be selected later in the summer.
“We have some good players, who are mounted well and playing good polo; if we get everything right in our preparation and have a good day on the day, we can definitely go close at least,” said James, who will also be playing in the Queen’s Cup and Gold Cup high-goal tournaments for David Paradice’s Scone team earlier in the season.
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“The Coronation Cup is a step up from these tournaments with a different style of play, which Argentina are more used to as we don’t get as much exposure to it here. But we’ll get in plenty of practice to change our mentality a bit to play a more open game.”
This will be second year the International Day will be hosted by RCBPC, having moved from its previous long-term home, Guards Polo Club, in 2018. This will be the first time the Coronation Cup has been contested at RCBPC however — England beat the USA for the Westchester Cup on the 2018 International Day.
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