Auckland’s first-ever beach polo matches were played on Takapuna Beach before Christmas. With the reduced-sized polo ground laid out on the firm sand, a separate “stabling” area for the horses being rested between chukkas, and a beautifully fine summer’s day, the scene was set.

The crowds enjoyed the spectacle VIP-style from the Takapuna Boating Club (with several local companies combining polo with their annual Christmas party), or more casually on rugs and loungers on the grass with a polo picnic hamper.