Daniel Pope’s HEMA Ratings record spans 41 events in four countries

Daniel Pope’s HEMA Ratings profile spans 41 events, four countries and 16 divisions, with 238 opponents from 16 nationalities in the ledger. That is not the record of a one-off specialist padding one local bracket; it is the footprint of a fencer who has kept showing up across separate HEMA scenes and still stayed relevant.

The spread matters because Pope is not locked into one weapon. His HEMA Ratings period pages show entries in mixed and men’s steel single rapier, sword and buckler, singlestick, longsword, rapier and dagger, sabre, and single sidesword. He is also listed with Scholar Victoria as his club and Australia as his nationality, with badges for The nylon x 85 and charity tournament participant at Oktoberfecht 2022. Scholar Victoria identifies itself as a Melbourne-based non-profit community organisation promoting historical fencing as both a martial art and modern sport, and Historical Fencing Australia lists it as an affiliate club.

That kind of range is exactly what makes a profile like Pope’s useful as a map of HEMA’s international infrastructure. HEMA Ratings’ July 2026 longsword data shows 7,766 active fighters in that set, with 7,759 on the main island and 53 on islands. The same July snapshot says 723 fights from five tournaments at three events in three countries fed the longsword rating changes. In sabre, the July 2026 view lists 48 active fighters in the patreons-only pool, with 168 fights from one event contributing to the month’s changes. The system rewards volume, but it also rewards who you have already crossed paths with, which is why Pope’s movement through the rankings reflects more than attendance.

Pope’s results page also shows he can still turn that spread into wins. HEMA Scorecard’s Swordplay 2025 final results put him first in single rapier, ahead of Alex Roberson, Joshua Purnell, Benjamin Pope, Aleks Roseneder, Brad Williams, Ethan Jones, Katie Livingston, Jonata Prevost and Jasper Sirris. A separate fight breakdown also identifies him as a Melbourne-based HEMA coach, which fits the profile of a competitor who keeps one foot in coaching and another in the tournament circuit.

That is what 41 events across four countries looks like in a fragmented sport: not just medals, but durability, adaptation and a ratings record that keeps surviving different rule sets, different pools and different opponents.