Regulations of the ‘Arena Polo Club’ section

Title I – Establishment and aims

Art. 1 – Establishment and name

1. ENSI Social APS ® (hereinafter ‘ENSI’), a social promotion association (associazione di promozione sociale) entered in the Registro unico nazionale del Terzo settore (RUNTS, the Italian national register of Third Sector organisations) under register number 138362, with registered office at Via Guido Banti 34, 00191 Roma, international office at Rue de la Colonne 1A, 1080 Bruxelles, tax code and VAT number 17549421000, establishes the section named ‘Arena Polo Club’ (hereinafter ‘the section’).

2. The section always presents itself as ‘an initiative of ENSI Social APS’. The name and the brand ‘Arena Polo Club’ are owned by ENSI.

Art. 2 – Nature

1. The section is an internal division of ENSI, without legal personality or financial autonomy.

2. All legal relationships arising from the section’s activities (contracts, receipts, payments, insurance, processing of personal data) rest with ENSI.

3. For all matters not provided for in these regulations, the statute and regulations of ENSI and the Third Sector Code (Codice del Terzo settore, Legislative Decree – D.Lgs. 3 July 2017, no. 117) apply.

Art. 3 – Aims

The section pursues, on a non-profit basis and within the activities of general interest provided for in the ENSI statute (art. 5, paragraph 1, D.Lgs. 117/2017), the following aims:

• promoting knowledge and practice of arena polo, polo played three-a-side in a sand arena enclosed by boards (letter t);
• organising amateur sports activities, meetings, events and arena polo fixtures, including in temporary venues such as stadiums, squares, harbour quaysides and beaches (letters t, i, k);
• training players, volunteers and enthusiasts through schools, clinics and introductory sessions (letter d);
• spreading a culture of welfare of and respect for the horse (letter e);
• enhancing the local areas, cultural heritage and landscape of the places that host the events (letters f, k);
• encouraging inclusion, fair play and the participation of young people, women and new enthusiasts.

Art. 4 – Activities

1. In pursuit of its aims, the section may:

• organise matches, training sessions, tournaments and amateur meetings for members;
• design and organise arena polo events, directly or together with clubs, organisers and public and private bodies;
• organise schools, clinics and taster days with instructors qualified under the rules of FISE (Federazione Italiana Sport Equestri, the Italian Equestrian Sports Federation);
• promote cultural, educational and communication activities on arena polo and on the horse;
• enter, through ENSI, into agreements with equestrian and polo clubs, stables, local authorities, partners and sponsors.

2. Activities that the Third Sector Code classifies as secondary activities (attività diverse, art. 6), such as sponsorship, hospitality and the sale of branded products, are carried out only if the ENSI statute permits them and within the limits of Ministerial Decree (D.M.) 19 May 2021, no. 107.

Title II – Sports system

Art. 5 – Relations with FISE and FIP

1. In Italy, polo, including arena polo, comes under the Federazione Italiana Sport Equestri (FISE, the Italian Equestrian Sports Federation), Polo Department; internationally, it comes under the Federation of International Polo (FIP).

2. The section adopts by reference the playing, technical, veterinary and disciplinary regulations of FISE and the FIP arena polo rules in force. It does not issue rules of play of its own, does not issue licences, qualifications or handicaps and does not award federal titles.

3. The section does not use the words ‘federation’ (federazione), ‘league’ (lega), ‘national’ (nazionale), ‘Italian championship’ (campionato italiano) or similar, nor the logos of FISE, FIP or CONI (the Italian National Olympic Committee), without written authorisation.

4. The Board of ENSI decides whether and how to apply for affiliation or aggregation to FISE and for entry in the National Register of Amateur Sports Activities (Registro nazionale delle attività sportive dilettantistiche), or whether to carry out the activities in collaboration with affiliated clubs and organisers.

Art. 6 – Registered participants, horses and competitions

1. Only persons who hold the registration, rider’s licence or permit and the medical certification required by FISE for that activity take part in mounted activities.

2. Horses must be identified and comply with health and veterinary regulations, as well as with the Horse Welfare Charter set out in the Membership and Participation Rules.

3. Competitions included in the federal calendar are held in accordance with the rules and with the officials provided for by FISE.

Title III – Organisation

Art. 7 – Section Manager

1. The Board of ENSI appoints the Section Manager, who remains in office until removed or until the expiry of the term of the Board that made the appointment.

2. The Section Manager:

• coordinates the activities and proposes the annual programme and budget to the Board;
• submits a report and the accounts of the activities every year;
• manages relations with members, participants, clubs and partners, but may not bind ENSI except under a written delegation (art. 11).

Art. 8 – Section Committee

1. The Board may appoint a Section Committee, of three to seven members chosen from among the ENSI members belonging to the section, chaired by the Section Manager.

2. The Committee has advisory and proposal-making functions: sports programme, events, training, communication, relations with the local area.

Art. 9 – Technical and oversight roles

1. The Board, on a proposal from the Section Manager, designates:

• a Technical Director, holding an instructor or coach qualification recognised by FISE;
• a Horse Welfare Officer, who is a veterinary surgeon;
• an event Safety Officer;
• where required by sports legislation or by affiliation, the Officer against abuse, violence and discrimination (safeguarding, art. 16 D.Lgs. 28 February 2021, no. 39), with the related organisational model.

2. These roles may also be entrusted to external professionals, under a contract entered into by ENSI.

Art. 10 – Volunteers

1. Volunteers working in the section’s activities are entered in the ENSI register of volunteers and insured as provided for by arts. 17 and 18 of D.Lgs. 117/2017.

2. Volunteer work is unpaid; only expenses actually incurred and documented may be reimbursed, within the limits set by ENSI.

Title IV – Representation, resources and accounts

Art. 11 – Representation and contracts

1. Legal representation lies with the legal representative of ENSI. Contracts, sponsorship agreements, conventions and appointments are signed by the legal representative or by a person delegated in writing, within the limits of the delegation.

2. No one may assume obligations in the name of the section or of ENSI without that signature.

Art. 12 – Financial resources

1. The section’s resources are:

• the membership fees and contributions of the members belonging to the section, set each year by the Board of ENSI;
• payments for activities provided to members and participants;
• public and private contributions, donations and fundraising (art. 7 D.Lgs. 117/2017 and the related Guidelines);
• income from secondary activities (sponsorship, hospitality, branded products), within the limits of the law.

2. All receipts and payments go through ENSI’s accounts and are recorded in a cost centre dedicated to the section.

3. Any surpluses remain with ENSI and are allocated to its statutory activities; any distribution of profits, even indirect, is prohibited (art. 8 D.Lgs. 117/2017).

Art. 13 – Programme, budget and accounts

1. Within the deadlines set by ENSI, the Section Manager submits to the Board the programme and budget for the following year, indicating for each event the expected income from secondary activities.

2. The section’s accounts are incorporated into ENSI’s financial statements. If income from secondary activities risks exceeding the limits of D.M. 107/2021, the Section Manager reports this immediately to the Board.

Title V – Brand, communication, data

Art. 14 – Brand and communication

1. The ‘Arena Polo Club’ brand, the logo, the website arenapoloclub.ensi.it and the social media profiles belong to ENSI. Partners and sponsors use them only under a written agreement and in accordance with the guidelines in the Media kit.

2. All communications state ‘an initiative of ENSI Social APS’ and do not suggest endorsements, patronage, accreditations or records that are not documented.

3. Event proposals are presented as such until dates, venues and authorisations are confirmed.

Art. 15 – Protection of personal data

The controller of the personal data of members, participants, volunteers, partners and website visitors is ENSI Social APS, which provides the information notices required by Regulation (EU) 2016/679 and appoints, where necessary, data processors (for example event organisers and suppliers).

Title VI – Final provisions

Art. 16 – Development into a dedicated sports organisation

Should the section’s activities so require (regular competitive activity, its own horses or staff, significant commercial income), the Board of ENSI may promote the establishment of a dedicated amateur sports association or company, with ENSI among the founders, governing by agreement the use of the brand and the transfer of the activities and of ongoing relationships.

Art. 17 – Amendments, suspension and closure

1. These regulations are amended by the Board of ENSI, including on a proposal from the Section Manager or the Section Committee.

2. The Board may suspend or close the section. In that case, the assets, funds and rights, including the brand, remain with ENSI, which completes or terminates ongoing relationships.

Art. 18 – Entry into force

These regulations come into force upon the resolution of the Board of ENSI approving them. In case of doubt, the ENSI statute prevails. Versions in other languages are courtesy translations: the Italian text prevails.