SOUTH AFRICA – South Africa’s Elevate Water Polo U23 men’s team is making history with its debut at the prestigious Nordic League tournament qualification round commencing today – Friday 28 November. It will end on Sunday 30 November. The tournament takes place in Lisbon, Portugal, and features 34 clubs representing 18 countries.
Duncan Woods, head coach of Elevate Water Polo, said the squad completed a comprehensive six-month training programme preparing for the tournament. The preparatory programme began in April. Woods believes the Nordic League, now in its eighth edition, will give the South African team a much-needed competitive edge. He says it is designed to offer competitive exposure to emerging senior-level players.
“Elevate’s decision to field an U23 team reflects a strategic effort to bridge the gap between school-level and senior international water polo. We have intentionally chosen the U23 age group as the vital bridge between our very strong local schools water polo segment and the challenging international senior level.”
“We have identified that many of our top players in this age band have had a development gap between their national U20 competition and senior men’s international level. This we need to address. Failure would mean there are no steps provided in between those important milestones,” Woods explained.
He believes this tournament is fundamental for the players to gain experience. “This tournament offers a unique opportunity for our rising stars to experience high-level senior competition, pushing them to make the jump from U20 to international senior status effectively,” said Woods.
“These types of tours are crucial for the development of water polo in our country, especially for the under-23 age group, which is often described as a ‘lost’ age group in our current system, as you’re too old to play for the under-18 side, but too young for the men’s national team,” said Elevate team captain Sam Hanssen. “This tour is a great way to bridge that gap and keep players in this age group engaged in the sport,” he said.
Members of the touring U23 Elevate Water Polo team:
- Tayne Beswick (right-hand side);
- Andy Botha (left-hand side);
- Joshua de Villiers (centre forward);
- Warwick Field (left-hand side);
- Sam Hanssen (centre back / captain);
- Matthew Hayes (right-hand side);
- Nathan Jacob (goalkeeper);
- Mark Mansvelt (centre forward);
- Sebastian Riley Nielsen (utility);
- Richard Skeeles (centre forward);
- Stefan Swart (centre back);
- Ross van Breda (centre back / utility);
- Thomas Wiltshire (utility); and
- Jack Woodburn (goalkeeper / vice-captain).
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