First Ever Female Army Rundle Cup Player Stars In Win

The first ever female Army polo player in the Rundle Cup was victorious as her service won the competition with a 6-2 win over the Royal Navy. 

The Rundle Cup, a tradition going back to Malta in 1909, had never seen a female Army player until Captain Jess Wood from the 1 Royal Horse Artillery became the first woman to play in the tournament for the Army.

Capt Wood joined Captain Mossy Hamilton, Lieutenant Rishi Ahluwalia and Captain Paddy Selfe in the Army team who took on a Navy side missing their talisman, Lieutenant Hiro Suzuki.

The Navy went into the game with a two-goal advantage. 

They held off waves of Army attacks in the first chukka before Selfe scored the Army's breakthrough goal.

At halftime, two goals from Hamilton and one from Ahluwalia gave the Army a 4-2 lead.

While the Navy pressed for a way back into the match, the Army was able to rub salt into the wounds of the Navy through another Selfe goal and a historic Wood finish to give the Army a 6-2 victory. 

The Rundle Cup was then passed over to the Army - ending their three-year drought for the cup.

Captain Jess Wood says she hopes more women will now get involved with the sport:

"Fingers crossed...not just for other girls getting involved but for anyone interested in polo.

"Come for a lesson, get involved and the military aspect of polo is really building year on year, so great for anyone hoping to get involved."

Captain Paddy Selfe said: "It seemed a bit one-sided, the scoreboard says so but actually it was a tough fight.

"The Navy started with a couple of goals so we knew we needed to start fast and score the first couple of goals if we could as quickly as possible.

"To win it again is really pleasing."