Origins
Roller polo was introduced in the United States in 1882. Without roller skating roller polo would not have come about. The increasing popularity prompted roller rinks to be converted with boards and goal nets called cages. Roller polo sticks were a similar shape as field hockey. The players would use one hand to hold the stick with a leather strap attached through a hole at the top of the stick and around the wrist to prevent the stick being knocked away. They wore the same skates that recreational skaters used, metal “sandals” with straps and four wooden wheels. Two five-man teams (two rushers or wingman, a center, a halfback and a goalkeeper) tried to drive the ball with their sticks into the opponents' goal (cage). Goals scored were referred to as "caged". The ball was only put in motion by a stick, not the skate, otherwise a foul would be called. Roller polo was very popular in Rhode Island in the 1880's through the 1940's at venues: Olympian Club Skating Rink in Newport, Infantry Hall in Providence, Meiklejohn Auditorium in Pawtucket and later Marieville Gardens in North Providence. The Newports of Newport, Pawtucket Tigers, Providence Grays, Providence Gold Bugs and Providence Bears represented the state in leagues against teams throughout New England. In the post war era roller polo would continue as Roller Hockey.



