Wellington rookie polo umpire brings a wealth of experience

Polo umpiring has changed dramatically in recent years with the advent of professional umpires, developments in technology and changes in attitude. No one is more aware of this than Argentina’s Guillermo Villanueva, newly-recruited to Umpires LLC this season, bringing over a decade of umpiring experience to the Wellington high goal polo scene.

A former professional player as well as a breeder of polo ponies, timing was everything for Guillermo when he was asked to join the team of USPA umpires. “Breeding horses – that’s my passion,” he said. “But the truth is that these days, I am so enthusiastic with the umpiring and the way the whole operation of Umpires LLC is working that I’m super happy, and I’m glad that I made this choice to come over [to the States].”

Guillermo was born into polo, playing serious chukkers by the age of nine. He played polo professionally for many years in Argentina – following in the footsteps of his father, a renowned 8-goal player. After he finished school, he traveled as a professional player to the UK and then further afield when a job with the Prince of Jordan saw him play in Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Jordan and Dubai.

He has umpired for 15 years in recent years doing a one-month annual stint in Sotogrande. He has also umpired regularly in the Argentine Open and he remembers his first time taking the field for the Open Final in Palermo in 2018.  “I was anxious. Before you start a game like that you have some nerves in your stomach but I love being under pressure,” he said. “Those important games like semifinals or finals of big tournaments bring me that feeling and I love it.”

Being in the business so long, he has witnessed a lot of changes – the biggest of which is technology. “We started using radios, which meant we could communicate with each other during the game – the two referees on the field and the third umpire on the sidelines.” he said. “Then came GoPro cameras on helmets which changed everything.”

Even with the certainty afforded by access to instant replays fieldside, umpiring can be flawed at times and to live with this, umpires need to have a thick skin. “You have to be sure of yourself and your decisions,” said Guillermo. “You have to know the rules inside and out, and be able to communicate clearly and assertively.”

Beyond technology, professional umpires now have training in sports psychology, which has also had implications in the way the game is played. “We started to make a change in the way we were talking to the players – talking to them with a lot of respect,” said Guillermo. “And they got that, so we could expect the same thing coming from them. That was a very big change. Before umpiring was more of an individual thing, now it’s all about teamwork.”