With Centennial Parklands awarding a five-year term contract to F3 Polo and no alternative sites available, Gazecki was effectively locked out of the city\u2019s key grounds.<\/p>\n
A conceptual image of F3 Polo’s upcoming event in Sydney’s Centennial Park.<\/p>\n
F3 Polo\u2019s Sydney and Melbourne events remain scheduled as planned. <\/p>\n
Polo in the City said on Facebook that the decision to cancel its 2025 season was \u201cdevastating\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe cause is the unexpected loss of our flagship event venue in Sydney, which had a negative cashflow effect on the remainder of the series, augmented by the costs of our legal action in the Federal Court.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs per our standard policy, all tickets have been refunded. More information will be provided in due course.\u201d<\/p>\n
Urban Events Ltd founder and managing director Simon Wilson told the Herald the collapse of Gazecki\u2019s operations across the ditch is the result of \u201chealthy competition\u201d and the strength of F3 Polo\u2019s professional standards and international ties.<\/p>\n
He dismissed any concerns around Gazecki\u2019s ongoing federal lawsuit against F3 Polo, alleging \u201cmisleading conduct\u201d and \u201ctrademark infringement\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cGood luck. We\u2019re a competitor … This is just healthy competition.\u201d<\/p>\n
Urban Events managing director Simon Wilson with Karen Walker at the Lexus Urban Polo in Auckland in 2022.<\/p>\n
Gazecki, whose previous push to turn a portion of Bondi Beach into a private day club drew backlash from across Sydney, told the Australian Financial Review that F3 Polo \u201ccame in and took the event off us\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe still don\u2019t know how they did it because no one does these events better than us, if you don\u2019t mind me saying.\u201d<\/p>\n
The resulting collapse has effectively left F3 Polo as the dominant player in Australia\u2019s urban polo industry.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve got access to players and ponies he could never hope for,\u201d Wilson said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe top players in the world are coming to our event, and we\u2019ve got the Ashes of Polo – England playing Australia on November 8 at Centennial Park for the first time ever in the city.\u201d<\/p>\n
Urban Polo has built its success on partnerships with key organisations. The company\u2019s brands are affiliated with the New Zealand Polo Association, the Singapore Polo Club, and both the New South Wales and Victorian Polo Associations.<\/p>\n
Lexus Urban Polo began in Auckland in 2017 and has rapidly expanded since.<\/p>\n
Unlike traditional club polo played on full-sized rectangular fields, Urban Polo runs a compact city format. The festival-style event has become a permanent fixture in New Zealand and Australian social calendars over the last decade.<\/p>\n
Its format allows a high-speed version of the game , with a hexagonal field and high-walled boards that bring audiences as close as possible.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have what I call an arena on grass,\u201d Wilson said.<\/p>\n
\u201cMost arena polo is played on sand. And that\u2019s not that glamorous and not that fast.\u201d<\/p>\n
Urban Polo\u2019s story began at Auckland\u2019s Shore Road Reserve in 2017. It expanded south to Christchurch\u2019s Hagley Park the following year, while securing Auckland Domain as a venue from 2020 onwards.<\/p>\n
Previous iterations have also been held in Wellington, Hamilton and Tauranga.<\/p>\n
A Singapore version has been staged at a prime Marina Bay site since 2019, and a New York City debut is planned for next year, helping turn Urban Polo into a worldwide brand.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe next steps after we conquer a few global cities is the F3 Polo world cup,\u201d Wilson said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe need 12 consecutive fixtures to make it a truly global entertainment product.\u201d<\/p>\n
Here at home, Lexus Urban Polo next takes place in Christchurch on February 21, 2026, with the Auckland event following on March 7.<\/p>\n
Tom Rose is an Auckland-based journalist who covers breaking news, specialising in lifestyle, entertainment and travel. He joined the Herald in 2023.<\/p>\n