Now here’s a sport we’d wager most of you haven’t heard much about before: bike polo.
Swapping a horse for two wheels, the leading lights of women’s Hardcourt Bike Polo, sponsored by Brooks saddles, will hit London next month for the Hell’s Belles - Vol 1 tournament. Taking place over the weekend of 15-16 October in Newington Gardens, Southwark, it’s the first time the world's finest have been brought together in London.
But it's not just women who can take part. The theme for the tournament is 'women's majority', which means as long as you have at least two female members on your three person team, you'll be eligible. Friday 14 October is designated a 'meet and greet' and registration day, where anyone who doesn't have a team can go along and form one with others in the same boat. Competition begins at 9am on Saturday and Sunday, running until 9pm.
The ladies of the London Hardcourt Bicycle Polo Association strapped on their armour to create the video below, which draws attention to the style and social scene surrounding the sport. It first emerged in 2003, reaching Europe two years later and thousands of teams around the globe have taken to the sport.
To find out more or register to take part, visit the LHBPA website.
Women's hardcourt bike polo
