Contained Cycles’ owner Jo Sinclair is inviting potential players to bike polo training in New Milton ahead of Birmingham Hardcourt Bike Polo’s New Forest mini-ABC bike polo tournament in Bransgore

A New Milton bike shop owner is inviting potential bike polo players to come along and try a new sport in a fun and friendly environment.

Jo Sinclair, the proprietor of Contained Cycles, hosts bike polo training every Friday in New Milton, and he is inviting new players to come along ahead of a national bike polo competition in Bransgore at the end of May.

Bike polo is a team sport, similar to traditional polo, except bicycles are used instead of horses.

“We’ve been trying to start this for a while,” said former Arnewood School pupil Sinclair. “I used to play in teams in Bournemouth and London, and my co-owner Mike Knight used to play in Oxford, but that was years ago, and there aren’t any clubs near us now. The nearest ones seem to be Bristol and London.

“Bike polo is so much fun. It’s a great social team game. You don’t need to be a super keen cyclist or a racket sports guru. It looks far more complicated than it really is.”

Contained Cycles – located at 12f Queensway, New Milton, BH25 5NN – recently celebrated its third anniversary. The store recently competed in the London Open against players from as far away as Europe and the USA.

The 34-year-old added: “It would be great if players could arrive early enough for a 7pm start. The only other thing we ask is for players to bring a helmet – no helmet, no playing. We will provide all the other equipment, and anyone 16 and over can come.

“On the first stages of the night, we will focus on teaching beginners the fundamentals of the sport, with games played afterwards.”

Anyone wanting to come down and watch is welcome. The polo sessions will be held on the multi-use sports area at New Milton Recreation Ground off Whitefield Road on Fridays at 7pm. Spare bikes and mallets will be available.

For more information, contact 07707 216060.

The New Forest mini-ABC bike polo tournament will be held from 23rd to 25th May at Bransgore Recreation Ground, 116 Burley Rd, Bransgore, Christchurch BH23 8AY. It is a mixed/shuffled team format – teams decide on the day to encourage team play and social interaction – and entrance is expected to cost £25.