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    World Polo Guide
    Polo in New Zealand

    Polo in New Zealand

    New Zealand offers polo in stunning natural settings from the Canterbury Plains to subtropical Northland. The sport has deep roots in pastoral farming communities, with over 30 clubs across both islands and a reputation for producing exceptionally talented ponies.

    Polo in New Zealand

    New Zealand has a tight-knit polo community with strong clubs in the North Island. The New Zealand Polo Open is the country's premier tournament, played each February. New Zealand breeders are known internationally for quality polo ponies.

    Season
    October – April (summer)
    Average cost
    NZ$80–$200 per chukka
    Governing body
    New Zealand Polo Association

    Season

    October to March, NZ Open in February

    Lesson Cost

    $100–$250

    Association

    New Zealand Polo Association

    Clubs Listed

    9 clubs

    Top Polo Cities in New Zealand

    Auckland

    Auckland serves as New Zealand's polo hub with several active clubs in the greater region. The scenic setting and welcoming atmosphere make it ideal for players of all levels.

    3 clubs

    Clevedon

    0 clubs

    Hawkes Bay

    New Zealand wine country with polo facilities

    0 clubs

    Club Locations in New Zealand

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    Showing 9 of 9 clubs with GPS coordinates

    Polo Clubs in New Zealand

    9 clubs

    Auckland Polo Club

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    Auckland Polo Club is New Zealand's premier polo club and the home of the New Zealand Open, the country's most prestigious polo tournament. Located in the Clevedon Valley south of Auckland — a rolling pastoral landscape that provides ideal conditions for polo — the club operates across multiple well-maintained fields with a stabling facility that supports visiting horses alongside resident strings. The club has a rich history in New Zealand polo, having hosted international test matches and provided the environment from which many of the country's finest players have emerged. The Auckland summer season runs from October through March, taking advantage of the warm northern New Zealand climate, and the club welcomes visiting players and teams who are drawn to the exceptional quality of the grounds and the warmth of New Zealand polo hospitality.

    Lessons from

    Contact for pricing

    Season

    Year-round

    Canterbury Polo Club

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    Canterbury Polo Club is the South Island's premier polo institution and the playing home of New Zealand's finest players. Located outside Christchurch in the Canterbury Plains — one of New Zealand's great agricultural regions — the club benefits from superb grass playing surfaces across multiple fields, well maintained on the fertile soils of this iconic New Zealand landscape. The club is the base for John Paul MacDonald, New Zealand's highest-rated player, and has been a breeding ground for some of the country's best polo talent across generations. The Canterbury polo season runs through the New Zealand summer from November to March, with the club hosting provincial tournaments and serving as a qualifying venue for national events. With good stabling facilities and a welcoming membership, Canterbury Polo Club represents the very best of South Island pastoral polo — unpretentious, serious about the sport, and deeply embedded in the agricultural community it serves.

    Lessons from

    Contact for pricing

    Season

    Year-round

    Canterbury Polo Club

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    Canterbury Polo Club is the South Island's premier polo institution and the playing home of New Zealand's finest players. Located outside Christchurch in the Canterbury Plains — one of New Zealand's great agricultural regions — the club benefits from superb grass playing surfaces across multiple fields, well maintained on the fertile soils of this iconic New Zealand landscape. The club is the base for John Paul MacDonald, New Zealand's highest-rated player, and has been a breeding ground for some of the country's best polo talent across generations. The Canterbury polo season runs through the New Zealand summer from November to March, with the club hosting provincial tournaments and serving as a qualifying venue for national events. With good stabling facilities and a welcoming membership, Canterbury Polo Club represents the very best of South Island pastoral polo — unpretentious, serious about the sport, and deeply embedded in the agricultural community it serves.

    Lessons from

    Contact for pricing

    Season

    Year-round

    Kihikihi Polo Club

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    Kihikihi Polo Club is New Zealand's most storied polo club and the heartbeat of the country's national polo circuit, situated in the Waikato region of the North Island — the agricultural heartland of a country whose pastoral traditions and equestrian culture have made it one of the world's finest polo-playing nations relative to its size. The club has been a venue for New Zealand's National Polo Championships across multiple decades, and its grounds have witnessed some of the defining moments in New Zealand polo history. Kihikihi's polo community is passionate, knowledgeable, and deeply rooted in the Waikato's farming culture — producing players of genuine international quality, including members of the Hyde family dynasty, from a small but intensely committed polo population.

    Lessons from

    Contact for pricing

    Season

    Year-round

    Polo Club Auckland

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    Polo Club Auckland is the North Island's principal polo venue and the gateway to polo in New Zealand's largest metropolitan area. Located in the fertile Waikato-adjacent countryside south of Auckland, the club offers easy access to the sport for the country's largest urban population. The Auckland polo season runs through the New Zealand summer from November to March, with the club hosting provincial tournaments and serving as a key venue in the NZPA national polo calendar. The club maintains multiple well-kept grass fields and stabling facilities, and its close proximity to Auckland's vibrant equestrian community provides a steady supply of talented horses and riders. Polo Club Auckland has been instrumental in the recent growth of polo in New Zealand, introducing the sport to a new generation of Auckland residents and contributing players to the national circuit.

    Lessons from

    Contact for pricing

    Season

    Year-round

    Wellington Polo Club

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    Wellington Polo Club serves New Zealand's capital city and the Cook Strait region, bringing polo to the political and cultural heart of the nation. The club maintains playing fields suited to the conditions accessible from Wellington, and the membership includes public servants, lawyers, diplomats, and farming families from the Wairarapa and Marlborough regions. The Wellington polo tradition is serious and unpretentious, deeply embedded in the professional community that defines the capital's social life. The club's fixture list includes contests against Canterbury, Manawatu, and Auckland — the core rivalries of New Zealand's inter-regional polo. With good stabling and regular chukka sessions through the summer season, Wellington Polo Club is an essential part of New Zealand's polo landscape.

    Lessons from

    Contact for pricing

    Season

    Year-round

    Rules in New Zealand

    Follows HPA rules. Strong connections with Australian polo.

    Full Rules Guide

    Handicap System

    NZ handicaps with Australasian reciprocity.

    Handicap Guide

    Frequently Asked Questions

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    Polo Costs in New ZealandRules in New ZealandBrowse All Countries

    Last updated: 2/18/2026 · Our methodology

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