The HPA’s Stewards met on Tuesday 15, July 2025 and after a wide-ranging and positive discussion, the following points were discussed with some changes made to the rules for 2026. We would like to share these with our members now ahead of team decisions being made for next season.

Home Grown Player Rule Updates

1. The Stewards agreed that the Home Grown Player (HGP) Rule, introduced in the 12-goal VL in 2025, would be rolled out to include both the 15-goal and 18-goal VL in 2026. This rule specifies that each team must have at least one Home Grown Player other than the patron.

2. The Stewards agreed to introduce a rule in the 22-goal Victor Ludorum which mandates that any player (who is not the team patron) with a handicap of 5 goals or below must be a Home Grown Player.

A Home Grown Player is defined in Part 2, Annex C, Rule 1c. as follows:

Home Grown Player.  To qualify as a Home Grown Player, a player must either:

(1) hold a British or Irish passport;

OR

(2) for a period of three years before reaching 3 goals AND before the age of 18 have:

 (a) been a member of (i) the HPA and an HPA club or (ii) the Pony Club; AND

(b) been resident in the UK for a minimum of 18 weeks between 15th April and 15th September; AND 

(c) played at least five UK tournaments in each calendar year (can include the Pony Club, Schools and University Polo Association, HPA Victor / Victrix Ludorum and domestic club tournaments). 

The Under-16 Rule update

3. Amendments to the U16 rule as follows:

For 8 Goal – A player under 16 who is not a patron must have a minimum handicap of 3 2 goals.

For 6 Goal – A player under 16 who is not a patron must have a minimum handicap of 2 1 goal.

It was also agreed that further requirements around Home Grown Player status and being handicapped in previous season(s) for U16s in VL tournaments would be considered for possible inclusion by the end of the year.

Patron Substitution update

4. The Stewards also resolved to review the rules around patron substitution in high goal VL before the end of the year, taking on board patrons’ views.