54 and Sportgate International unite aiming to revitalise future of polo

Sports consultancy 54 has officially acquiredSportgate International, a leading sporting and lifestyle eventmanagement company and rights holder. The deal concludes with a view toforging a new future for the sport of polo. 

Jed Moore, 54 Group CEO, said, "Polo’s roots run deep; it carries asense of culture, history and connection that few sports can match. Butto sustain that magic for future generations, it must evolve. Bybringing Sportgate into 54, we’re combining their equestrian expertisewith our global advisory capabilities to establish 54 as the key allyfor polo’s growth, respecting its heritage while embracing innovationacross every dimension."

Together, 54 and Sportgate will form a unified platform capable ofsupporting polo’s entire value chain, steering investment and commercialstrategy, providing operational oversight to world-leading facilities,staging major events and delivering international promotions andvisibility. The shared vision is to elevate polo’s global standing,opening the sport to new audiences while deepening the passion ofexisting followers, and laying the foundations for renewed energy,growth and sustainable investment.

The move uniting the two organisations was announced at TheHurlingham Club in London – where polo’s official rules were codified in1875 – and officials from both organisations were joined by Englandinternational polo players, Millie Hughes and Malcolm Borwick, tocelebrate the milestone. The resulting creative photoshoot at thehistoric venue was used to symbolise “the moment when polo’s proud pastmeets its promising future.”

Symbolic shoot

Sportgate International brings a complementary depth of equestrianand polo knowledge. Founded by Rory Heron, the company has become arespected force in the design, delivery and commercial development ofworld-class polo events, whilst also advising companies, luxury brands,leading venues, tourism boards and rightsholders.

Heron said of the news, “The Hurlingham Club represents the veryorigins of polo, so to make this announcement here feels symbolic. It’swhere the sport found its structure and today, with 54, we’re givingthat structure new purpose. Together, we’ll bring modern thinking andglobal reach to a sport defined by elegance and legacy, helping itcapture the attention and imagination of a new generation."

Founded in 2015, 54 isa consulting firm which specialises in providing services to clients inthe sporting world. Having been in high demand in recent years, itsteam of more than 180 associates and partners are now engaged instrategic advisory, asset optimisation and activation and engagementwork across five regions and eight offices: the UK (London), Europe(Sotogrande, Spain), MENA (Riyadh, Saudi Arabia & Abu Dhabi, UnitedArab Emirates), APAC (Singapore & Adelaide, Australia) and the USA(West Palm Beach, Florida).

As it hopes to revitalise polo, 54 also describes itself as “thebrains behind LIV Golf”. LIV Golf is a professional men’s golf tour,financed by the Public Investment Fund, the sovereign wealth fund ofSaudi Arabia. On top of the accompanying human rights critiques of theorganisation, the group has also seen ratings tumble in 2025, along withseveral organisational bungles leading to critics to claim it is becoming “irrelevant” and a “waste of billions of dollars” – criticism LIV Golf CEO Scott O’Neil has suggested was at least partially “deserved”.