Friends of Water Polo

The rules of water polo date back to 1870 when the London Water Polo League was formed - one year after the inception of the Amateur Swimming Association (ASA). The sport was developed as a game that emphasised swimming, speed and ball control. As such it was the first team event in the Modern Olympics in 1900 and even though GB was last represented at the Games in 1956 it is still one of the most successful teams in Olympic Water Polo history. Since the inception of the Modern Games only one host nation (Finland in 1952) has failed to enter a team. Britain is after Hungary the second most successful team in Olympic Water Polo history. In 1962 the National Water Polo League was formed with eight teams spanning the length and breadth of the country. There are now four Divisions in the NWPL with 37 teams taking part plus two GB Junior Squads who compete in the first division, giving them valuable experience of top flight water polo.

Approximately five years ago an academy system was put into place which has led to greater participation in the sport throughout Britain. GB now has Mini Polo, Regional Training Centres, National Academies, English Schools Swimming Association tournaments, British University Swimming Association tournaments, University polo leagues as well as the NWPL.

All of this has produced resurgence in the sport after a period of decline. As a result many young people from inner city areas now play the sport. It is accessible to them because of the fact that no equipment needs to be provided by their parents.

The National High Performance Centre in Manchester is now in place and is the base for the men’s and women’s GB squads in preparation for the London Games. A savage reduction in funding has put participation in the Games in jeopardy. The young men and women at the High Performance Centre are dedicated elite athletes who train a minimum of 20 hours a week. These young people and their families have made considerable personal, social, financial and academic sacrifices since they were selected for the GB Academy in 2003. It is a requirement of the High Performance Centre that the player’s all live and train as a team in Manchester. Some members of the team are reading for their degrees in Manchester, whilst others have had to put their academic lives on hold whilst they train. Their training and playing schedule makes it very difficult for them to commit to any form of paid employment and means that few sympathetic employers are prepared to engage them. As a consequence there has had to be considerable family financial support which has proved difficult for some parents. The teams have had very little time off.

These men and women have been happy to put their lives on hold in order to follow their dream. Those efforts are now reaping their own reward in improved results, in 2008 alone the City of Liverpool women's enjoyed the best ever result for a British club competing in a European competition when they finished fourth in the LEN European Trophy. The Junior Men’s team (half of which now make up just under half of the current senior men’s team) drew with Spain and beat both France and Holland for the first time in living memory over the Summer of 2008.

The Olympic Games in London offer the unique opportunity of a wild card entry as host nation. This will provide the impetus for a legacy beyond 2012 and the continued renaissance of the sport. To hold an Olympic Water Polo competition in London without the GB teams being represented would be a tragedy given the history and tradition of British Water Polo.

The Olympic Games has never been a competition but a festival of sport. The final medal table is only one aspect of a successful Games. How will other nations and the International Olympic Committee view London’s Games if a third of the disciplines do not have British representation particularly when it is the team sports which are on the whole missing out? In a country which prides itself on its team sports it is very sad that they are not seen to be providing value for money (because over 30 athletes are being funded to compete for 2 medals) whereas multiple medal opportunities are available to individual athletes.

Playing team sport teaches children valuable lessons for life which our government and society as a whole should encourage. No one in our discipline expects to be pampered or cosseted by funding. All that we ask is sufficient funding to get to the starting line in London 2012.

We note that Canada sent upwards of 800 athletes to Beijing. Maybe a young country such as Canada still has dreams and aspirations for its sportsmen and women not solely dependent on the number of medals achieved.

In response to UK Sport's funding announcement virtually all of 2009 planned men’s events have been cancelled.