Fun, crazy, friendly and mad are just some of the words used to describe this former Olympic sport that you have probably never heard of.
Bike polo is a grassroots team sport, that follows similar rules to traditional polo, except that bicycles are used instead of horses. There are two variations of bike polo, one played on grass that featured at the 1908 London Olympics, and a hardcourt version, which is cropping up in cities across the world, including Inverness, and just so happens to be the newest sport to join the community sport hub network.
Matthew Lafferty became hooked with the sport 12 years ago when walking past a game in Glasgow and immediately became intrigued.
“I stumbled upon a game happening when I lived in Glasgow and became fully immersed. It looked like so much fun, so I went along the following week to a training session and that was it. I thought to myself, I have found my sport!”
10 years later, Matthew moved back to Inverness and wanted to give other people the opportunity to try the sport he loves, and so he formed Inverness Bike Polo Club.
“My experience of bike polo has been so positive that I wanted to support other people and showcase the friendly community within bike polo. The international ethos for bike polo is ‘anyone is welcome’ and we are trying to instill this culture within our club. I firmly believe there is a sport out there for everyone, no matter how wacky it might be!”
So, what makes bike polo so fun?
Matthew said:
“The ridiculousness of it. When you see it being played it looks crazy and dangerous. But that is far from the case. It’s actually really methodical and you start to pick up the skills really quickly.
“The bike polo community is very welcoming and we’re all one big family which I think makes it appealing. It isn’t necessarily about the competitive aspect, but more having fun with friends.”
Welcoming approach
The club is still relatively new, with a small pool of members and is striving to create a positive inclusive environment to attract new members.
Matthew said: “Bike polo is a mixed gender sport and can be low-cost to join. We have a small fleet of bikes if people are looking to give it a go, as well as other equipment like mallets and helmets. The only requirement is the ability to ride a bike, but even still we can provide some training to make people more competent.”
“At the moment our strategy is to tell everyone about the club and share what we do. Anyone can turn up. We know that is can be daunting to rock up to a new club. Even when you say ‘club training sessions’ it can sometimes sound very official and put people off turning up, so our sessions are more just rock up, learn, play and have fun.”
Last year the club held their first tournament, welcoming nine teams from across the UK. The club will host another tournament this year, but with a difference. Participants will register individually rather than entering a team. Teams will then be balanced out based on varying abilities giving new participants the opportunity to play alongside more experienced players, which in turn will help to encourage newer participants to enter. This will focus more on the community aspect rather than the competitiveness.
The club are also hosting a new beginners session on Wednesday 3 April at Merkinch Primary School, a month before the tournament, to encourage newbies to take part. This session will be free to come along, with no experience required.
Club support
The club has recently joined the Inverness Royal Academy Sport Hub, that is part of the national sportscotland community sport hub network and funded by the National Lottery. The CSH network brings sports clubs and community organisations together to improve the contribution sport and physical activity has within communities across Scotland.
Over the last few months, Matthew has been attending the hub meetings and has seen real value in attending.
He said: “It’s been really nice to meet other member clubs in the local area and be part of the bigger picture in growing the sporting offering in Inverness and the surrounding area. Rather than working in isolation, it has been helpful to speak to some of the other clubs who have provided us with support and advice on how we can grow, develop and find ways to work together.
“Everyone has been so positive and their expertise have been invaluable for us as a smaller club.
"I believe we have a real opportunity to grow the sport, but we need those connections and partnerships to be able to make it happen.
“Hugo Crush (community sport hub officer for High Life Highland) has been a real help in steering us in the right direction and has put us in contact with the Active Schools team with a view to beginning a junior section, which will give us a sustainable pathway to continue to grow the club.”
What have they said
So what do some of the members think?
Beth Harwood said: “Bike Polo is not just a sport but a community. Since I started playing, everyone has been so welcoming and encouraging. Every week I get together with my friends and since starting, I have learned to be more comfortable on a bike, making me a more confident cyclist.”
Tom Fricker said: “I was looking to take part in a team sport that was casual, fun and more skills based than other sports I do. The people are what make bike polo such a great sport! Everyone is very friendly and supportive.”
Find out more
- Follow Inverness Bike Polo Club on Instagram
- Learn more about the community sport hub network
