SAVILE CUP POLO

New Zealands premier polo tournament for the Savile Cup was held in Hastings in March. The Poverty Bay team of (from left) Colin Kirk patrick, Patrick McIldowie, Rob Sherratt and Randall Sherratt played Auckland, Hawkes Bay and Cambridge on their way to the final and beat a strong Auckland side to win the Savile Cup 6 goals to 5 The trophy was theirs for the first time in eighteen years and Colin Kirkpatrick had been a member of that team also. The Savile Cup was firstplayed for in 1891 and Poverty Bay were previous winners in 1913-14 and 1974-75.

Polo in Poverty Bay is very much a family affair as this photo shows. Proud fathers Woodbine (left) and Wynne (right) pose with their sons Rob and Randall after Poverty Bays' victory at the Savile. Although Woody and Wynne played many games for Poverty Bay and represented NewZealand in the Polo World Gold Cup in Mexico in 1956, they were never in a winning Savile Cup team. Their father Randall was a member of the Mangaheia team from Poverty Bay who won the Savile in 1913.