Polo clubs celebrate 'Rivals bounce' as new fans sign up after success of Jilly Cooper hit series starring David Tennant, Bella Maclean and Danny Dyer

By FRANCINE WOLFISZ, NEWS REPORTER Published: 20:10, 19 June 2026 | Updated: 20:26, 19 June 2026 Polo clubs are reporting a surge in first-time visitors, as fans of TV drama Rivals clamour to saddle up and try out a sport long perceived as only for the rich and privileged. The Disney+ series, based on Jilly Cooper's steamy 1988 novel, is set in the Cotswolds countryside and revolves around the tense rivalry between roguish TV executives Rupert Campbell-Black (Alex Hassell) and Lord Tony Baddingham (David Tennant). Amid the lavish parties, country piles and steamy affairs, is an unhealthy dose of rivalry, which comes to a head in Cooper's fictional Rutshire Cup polo final. Now enthusiasts of the show, which also stars Bella Maclean, Danny Dyer and Aidan Turner, are discovering the sport is 'not just [for] a bunch of toffs riding around', according to leading polo clubs experiencing an uptake on inquiries. Described as the 'Rivals bounce', Cowdray Park Polo Club, in Easebourne, West Sussex, said it had experienced a 15 per cent increase in hospitality sales this year. Meanwhile London's only venue for the sport, Ham Polo Club, has reported young people are flocking to their Friday polo evenings, followed by cocktails and a DJ afterwards. Martine Hartridge, Cowdray Park's managing director, said polo can be perceived as 'niche' nowadays, but back in the 1980s it was not uncommon to get crowds of more than 10,000 watching the sport. Hartridge credited the series with 'portraying the fun side of polo'. Polo clubs are reporting a surge in first-time visitors, as fans of TV drama Rivals clamour to saddle up and try out the sport. Pictured: Alex Hassell as Rupert Campbell-Black in the series The late Jilly Cooper pictured with cast members of Rivals, which has become a huge hit for Disney+ - and has been renewed for a third series Prince William is a keen enthusiast of polo, having followed in the footsteps of King Charles She told The Times: 'It is sexy — you know you've got handsome, sweaty men on beautiful horses, rocking around, whilst ladies are quaffing champagne in summer dresses,' Hartridge added. 'There's nothing nicer, in my personal opinion.' Meanwhile polo enthusiast Abi Bamlet, who regularly visits Ham Polo Club said: 'The show has been brilliant for getting people through the gate who otherwise might have thought polo wasn't for them.' The sport, popular among royals and the super-rich, involves a combination of professionals and amateurs at club level, with two teams of four or more players taking part in a chukka - seven-minute periods of play. Players have physical contact during 'ride-offs' many times over the course of a chukka, where they attempt to push opponents and their horses out of the way. They can hook sticks with another player in an attempt to spoil their shot. The Cartier Queen’s Cup — the Champions League of the polo world - was first established in 1960 and is held every June at the Guards Polo Club in Windsor Great Park. King Charles, then competing as the Prince of Wales, won the prestigious trophy with his team, Les Diables Bleus, in 1986.  Other prominent royal players of the sport include the late Prince Philip, Prince William and Prince Harry. Meanwhile Rivals has been renewed for a third season, after the first half of its second run broke Disney+ ratings records, it was announced this week. The series is set to return with a second batch of episodes in November, but it's been announced that fans of the Jilly Cooper bonkbuster will be treated to even more 80s drama in coming months. The first part of the second season debuted in May, becoming Disney+'s biggest EMEA original premiere in the UK and Ireland.  No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.