Introduction to the Kihikihi Polo Club

Kihikihi Polo Club is one of the oldest polo clubs in the  Waikato  being formed in 1892. The Kay family has been involved since its inception and the fifth generation of Kay’s play today.

In its early days, for some unknown reason the Press referred to the club as the Te Awamutu Polo Club despite the members describing themselves as Kihikihi and it wasn’t until after World War II, in 1946 it converted back to being Kihikihi after playing as Te Awamutu the year before so called Alpha and Omega.

The Te Awamutu club affiliated with the APPA (Auckland Provincial Polo Association and NZPA in 1910 and at that time they played on William Taylor’s Greenhill Estate, the site of the Waipa Racing Club. The club also held a sports meeting where the bowling and croquet greens in Te Awamutu are now.

Polo was played at Orakau and they have also played at Waikeria. Prior to the second World War , they played on Mr. Allan Kay’s property at Parawera and after the war a meeting held in 1946 suggested the club play polo at the Kihikihi Domain where their base has been ever since.

The first time the club challenged for the Savile cup was in 1913 when they traveled to Palmerton North by train. They beat two stronger teams but lost in the finals to a more experienced team from Mangahaeia. The Club then hosted the APPA for the first time which was played at “Greenhill” and beat Ohaupo for the Provincial Cup.

The Club featured strongly in the 1930’s winning a series of Cups.

The glory days of the Kihikihi Polo Club were in the 10 years from 1952 when they first won the Savile Cup. They went on to win 7 times in the next ten years and played in 9 finals in that time. It was thirty years before the club had any more success when the next generation won at Tangimoana in 1991. The players were in many open finals in that period but only had the one success but a number in the Handicap finals and Hamish Wilson Cup.

In the early years the handicap system rated individual players from 0 to 10 and it wasn’t until the middle 1950’s when a NZ went to Australia in 1954 and England in 1956 and found the team over handicapped by about 3 goals so in 1957 the NZPA  decided all handicaps be reduced by 3 so the new system started players at -2 which became universal.

Ponies are an integral part of the polo game and must have ability to be quick to stop, to turn and accelerate quickly when called for and be able to win a ride off when demanded of it.

International Day has become a main feature of the Kihikihi Polo Club calendar. The inaugural tournament was held in 1994 when Kihikihi played an English side and for a number of years Kihikihi challenged and overseas team but the NZPA stepped in and put up a NZ side in 2003. It has become the showcase of polo in NZ encouraging crowds of over 2000 to 3000 coming to enjoy the cream of NZ players contesting an overseas team, last year, England.

Kihikihi Polo Club 1913 (Standing) Orakau Kay,  Jim Kay, Willie Kay (Seated) Frank Taylor, Allan Taylor

1952 Savile Cup Team

L-R Len Kay, Edward Kay, Allan Elliott, Tony Kay

Club Players Handicap List