july-2012

TEXT CLAIRE MARTIN
Iron horseplay
It seems unlikely that a game created by Persian tribesmen in the sixth century BC and christened “the sport of kings” was ever intended to be played like
this. Motorised polo is a fast-paced, frenetic evolution of polo, where instead of riding on horses, players tear around a playing field on 125cc motorbikes.
While travelling on a motorbike taxi in Kigali four years ago, two Americans, Sam Dargan and Matt Smith, had an idea for a very African twist on the
traditional sport of polo. Rwanda has few horses but plenty of motorcycles, and spurred on by the discovery that auto polo (polo with cars) was a popular
pastime in early 20th-century America, the duo set the wheels in motion and created their first moto polo match.
The rules are scant. Each team has five players (not the usual four) and the game is played over 15-minute quarters. Locals drive the bikes (and are paid
€16 an hour for their skills) and the players – usually expats – sit on the back swinging the mallet. But instead of the traditional stomping of the divots
between play, spectators and players take a break from the action by swigging beer.
brussels airlines b.spirit! magazine jul-aug
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