GARDEN ROUTE NEWS - The SWPSA Interprovincial Water Polo Tournament was hosted in Gqeberha from 9 to 13 December and the top water polo players in the country represented their provinces in various age groups. 

Participants and attendees witnessed an impressive display of teamwork and determination from Eden District, which sent four teams to compete in various age groups.

u.13 girls shine brightly

The u.13 girls from Eden had an exceptional tournament, finishing eighth overall out of 16 teams. Led by their captain, Rosslyn Squair, who made her third appearance for the u.13 girls, the team demonstrated prowess both in offence and defence.

Squair emerged as the team's top goal scorer, while Seren Viner's solid defence contributed to the team finishing second in their pool groupings. Goalkeeper Leah Penlington was spectacular, making the second most saves for the tournament. The top spot went to Western Province.

u.14 girls give thrilling performances

The u.14 Eden girls worked hard to secure their victories and posed a significant challenge to the bigger provinces.

Their matches were a thrilling classic of David and Goliath spectacles, where the girls were outstanding in their teamwork and organisation in defence. 

The Eden girls were edged out in the final quarter of each of their games against Western Province A and tournament winners Central Gauteng A, and lost closely in their quarter final to KZN. The team went on, heads held high, and lost to Zimbabwe in a nail-biting penalty shootout. 

Coach Robyn Cooper received high praise from opposition coaches for their tenacious play. Mia Gibson's impressive 14 goals placed her third on the top scorer log. They finished eighth overall in the tournament.

u.13 boys make waves

In the u.13 boys category, the team coached by Luke Crawford won three of their six games. Their 13th place finish out of 18 teams was a remarkable achievement given the limited pool of players available for selection.

u.15 boys make their mark

The u.15 boys, captained by Jacob Hersch and coached by Nathan Ward, faced tough competition from the bigger provinces.

They put up strong resistance and lost many of their games by narrow margins.

Luca Whitehead was superb, drilling in 14 goals for the tournament. Their final match finished on a high against Northern Tigers with an 11-4 victory, where gallant goalkeeper Sebastian Hiemstra scored a cracker of a goal from behind the halfway line. They eventually finished in 11th position out of 12 teams. Western Province took top honours.

Eden Water Polo a growing force

“What makes everything so much more spectacular and just outright brave from each player is that we have such few schools in our district to choose teams from, compared to the bigger provinces who have the luxury and beauty of choosing from many schools, who all produce top water polo players," said a spokesperson for Eden Water Polo.

"So, the task at hand for each player from Eden is a tall ask from coaches, and so, to come away from a national tournament with such great performances, as well as feedback on our players and their hard work, is the most rewarding feeling for our small group of coaching staff, and players.”

Eden water polo is driven and managed through the Southern Otters Water Polo Club, under the guidance of James Dodington, and supported by Nathan Ward and Robyn Cooper.

The club aims to grow the enthusiasm for the sport by providing aspiring players from all schools in the Eden District an opportunity to embrace the sport.

The practices are open to all groups - primary school and high school players. Practices are held from 17:00 to 18:00 twice a week for boys, and twice a week for the girls, at the heated pool of Glenwood House School. For details on how to join, message 071 193 2263. 

The district is nurturing the next generation of water polo champions.

Grateful

Eden Water Polo extends its gratitude to Glenwood House School for continuously supporting the sport by providing the beautiful facilities for training sessions and school buses for the transportation of the teams to and from tournaments. 

Special thanks are also due to Shell Garage, Plettenberg Bay, for its generous fuel donation for the nationals. The support received for this growing sport is much appreciated, seen, and valued by everyone at Eden Water Polo.

The SWPSA Interprovincial Water Polo Tournament not only showcased the talent within the Eden district, but also highlighted the resilience and sportsmanship of its young athletes. 

As the district continues to foster the love for water polo, they anticipate even greater achievements in the tournaments to come.

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