Students from Langley school's junior polo team (white tops) take part in its first ever fixture against a team selected from the UEA at Langley Abbey. Picture: Nick Butcher

A GROUP of schoolchildren went head-to-head against a team from the University of East Anglia on Wednesday as they took part in their first competitive polo match.

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Langley School pupils Fergus Gregory, Tom Townsend, Charlie Tighe, Max Platten, and Ellie Hayes, all aged 12 and 13, saddled up to take on a more experienced student group, aged between 19 and 27, at the Norfolk Polo Club at the Langley Abbey Estate, as the new team practised ahead of a national school championship.

The school started offering PE lessons in the sport in September and has seen a lot of interest among the children, with many already having experience with horses.

As the school is the only one in Norfolk to offer the sport, they asked the UEA team for a match to warm up before next month’s competition in Gloucestershire.

Sarah Barker, captain of the UEA team that trains at the club once a week, said they were happy to play them in two 10 minute chukkas.

She said: “I think it is a good idea. It is a great opportunity for a lot of fun competition.”

Polo club secretary Shelli Wright added that although there was a large age difference.

She said: “Whatever size or gender you can play on an equal footing.”