Sun 28th Sep 2025Ladies take the spotlight on Finals Day Rewriting history as a new queen of Romanian polo is crowned
After a wonderful players’ evening hosted at Singureni Manor lit by hundreds of candles, with exceptional live music, fantastic food and sparkling company, it was time for the historic Final for the Second Arena Singureni Manor Polo Cup in Romania.
Now in its second year, this event has become a ‘must have’ ticket for the Autumn season in Romania, and fittingly so. Hosts of the tournament Cristina Roșu, Founder of Singureni Polo Sports Club Association and polo event organiser extraordinaire Reto Gaudenzi and his World Polo team, have built on last year’s success to bring a world-class event to Romania. With the VIP stands running at 30 percent bigger than last year and the great and the good of Romanian society enjoying fantastic hospitality, alongside world-class polo, it really is the new hot ticket. It also brings the spotlight to Romania, with 250,000 polo fans watching online and with an impressive total of 13 Ambassadors in attendance on Finals’ Day, focussing the world’s attention to this beautiful and hospitable country.
With polo having been played for the first time in Romania last year, it is very exciting to see the sport blossoming in this polo pioneering country, as young players have taken up the sport with the help of Singureni Polo Sports Club Association and Polo School. Their talent and enthusiasm was celebrated in today’s ‘Beginners Challenge’ as two teams consisting of two new female players on each side joined up with their team trainers to compete in a three aside match. Their new-found love of this global sport was exciting to witness, and fantastic for the sport of polo as it reaches a whole new audience and participants. Team Pink (Simona Panait, Irene Anghel & Jonathan Peralta (Trainer)) faced Team Green (Teodora Streba, Cosmina Marin & Fernando Gomez (Trainer)). They enjoyed playing in front of the VIP crowd, a first for the new players and after an end-to- end chukka of action, the score was tied at an amicable 1-1 and no doubt inspired many in the crowds to take up the addictive sport of polo we all love and enjoy.
The main action of the day started with some of the best players in the world battling for The Subsidiary Final between Team AQUA Carpatica / Grand Champions Polo Club Wellington and Team CARPATHIAN / Norddeutscher Polo Club. Both teams came out determined to clinch victory, with the highest rated player on the field Nic Roldan showcasing the full catalogue of his 9 goal world-class handicap skill set. Delighting the crowds with his effortless style, he took control, scoring 8 of his teams total of 10 goals. With Nic on top form, it was hard for his opposition to stem the seemingly endless flow of goals and despite valiant efforts from Christian Grimm and his capable professionals, it was never in question that Team AQUA Carpatica / Grand Champions Polo Club Wellington would clinch the Subsidiary Final title with a convincing 10 – 5 ½ scoreline.
Once again, guests were delighted with an Arabian Horse Show, demonstrating the exceptional and prize-winning Arabian bloodlines produced by Singureni Manor – equestrian excellence is everything at Singureni Manor, so to be the birthplace of polo in Romania is a natural fit.
Match 2: Team CORINTHIA/SASS’ Restaurant & Lounge / Maltese Falcons vs Team OSCAR / Singureni Manor Polo Club
Then it was time for the big match of the day – the long-awaited Final, with teams having earned their place after two days of qualifiers between some of the best players in the world. Today was truly ‘Ladies’ Day’ as following on from the display of young female polo skill in the ‘Beginners’ Challenge’ it was two female Team Captains who faced each other in the Final with Team CORINTHIA/SASS’ Restaurant & Lounge / Maltese Falcons vs Team OSCAR / Singureni Manor Polo Club. Last year’s defending Champion and ‘Queen of Snow Polo’ Melissa Ganzi has played across the globe and last year became the first lady player to score a polo goal on Romanian soil. But keen to take Melissa’s crown this year was Cristina Roșu, with the home crowd cheering her on every step of the way.
It was a match that had spectators spellbound from the first throw ins which were (fittingly in a day celebrating femininity) done by Cristina Roșu’s daughters Carina and then Carla. The home team of Singureni Manor Polo Club firmly had the crowd behind them, with exuberant cheers from the crowd every time their players came close to the ball – it was wonderful to hear a crowd so enthused and captivated by polo. As in the qualifiers, Adrian Laplacette Jr. and Agustin Kronhaus formed a cohesive force to be reckoned with, making it hard for Melissa Ganzi and her team to be as effective as they would have liked. So, at the end of the first chukka, the Maltese Falcons had failed to score, whilst Singureni Manor had three goals on the scoresheet. It was a pattern that was followed throughout the match, with the Maltese Falcons failing to spread their wings, whereas Singureni Manor looked strong throughout – much to the delight of the home crowd. Melissa Ganzi kept her cool and successfully slotted two goals through the posts, but it was not enough and in a result that never looked in doubt, it was the Singureni Manor polo team who convincingly ran out the winners with a 6 – 3 final score. To the abject delight of the crowd, there was a new Queen of Romanian polo – Cristina Roșu – and rightly so, for all she has done to support the sport in her country.
Nic Roldan was named Most Valuable Player; Ryan Cronin received the Aqua Carpatica Best Playing Patron prize and Speedy, a 12-year-old gelding played by Adrian Laplacette Jr. in the first and third chukka and owned by Cristina Roșu, was awarded the Polo Times Best Playing Pony Award.
So, after three wonderful days of world class polo in Romania, new friends, new polo players and those who have enjoyed the fantastic hospitality at the Singureni Manor Polo Club said fond farewells. With plans for the 2026 event to take place on the world-class grass fields recently constructed at Singureni Manor Polo Club, and other massive plans in the pipeline, here’s to seeing more international standard polo in Romania next year! Will Cristina Roșu – the new queen of Romanian polo – be able to hold on to her crown next year? Join us on 25- 27 September 2026 to find out!
The 2025 Singureni Manor Polo Cup Teams:
Team AQUA Carpatica / Grand Champions Polo Club Wellington, USA (12): Ryan Cronin (2), Silvestre Novillo Astrada (1) & Nic Roldan (9)
Team CARPATHIAN / Norddeutscher Polo Club, Germany (10): Christian Grimme (2), Agustin Wagner (4) & Lukas Sdrenka (4)
Team OSCAR / Singureni Manor Polo Club, Romania (12): Cristina Roșu (-1)/ HE Massimo Baggi (0), Adrian Laplacette Jr. (7) & Agustin Kronhaus (5)
Team CORINTHIA/SASS’ Restaurant & Lounge / Maltese Falcons, Malta (12): Melissa Ganzi (0), Nacho Figueras (5) & Alejandro Novillo Astrada (7)
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