Canoe Polo

It was about 3 years ago when someone asked me if I would like to go to the University Canoe polo training night. I went along very dubiously as I had heard many things that I didn't think I liked. Things such as being allowed to be pushed in, having to wear face guards and padded boats as people were allowed to ram each other. When I went along I realised that those things really did happen.

The game is played between two teams of up to eight canoeists, men or women, five of whom may be on the pitch at any one time, there is no limit on the number of substitutions that can be made. It is played both in swimming pools and outdoors, on a pitch up to 35 metres long and 25 metres wide. Teams compete to score by shooting into their opponent's goal - a netted frame, one metre high and one and a half metres wide, suspended two metres above the water. The soccer-sized ball is thrown or paddle-flicked between players. Demanding the ball handling skills of basketball and tactical awareness of 5-a-side soccer, the physical aggression and effort draw comparisons with American Football. (A buoyancy aid, helmet and face-guard provide body protection, whilst the boats are heavily padded at both ends). But there is an extra requirement - the need to possess a high level of technical canoeing ability.

After a while I realised that the goal keeper couldn't be pushed over (the part I really didn't like) when their paddle was up defending the goal when being attacked. I decided I would start to play in goal. 3 months later the Leeds University Canoe Club went down to Stratford-Upon-Avon to play in the British University Sport Association Canoe Polo Competition. Somehow our team, Leeds Lasses, managed to come 2nd to Loughborough. This gave us a huge boost as we had been playing in a league and managing to lose 10-0 fairly often. When we managed to keep the goals against us in single figures we were really chuffed.

The next season we entered more leagues, all of us gradually getting better. We came 3rd at BUSA this year. In my final year at university, we decided for a bit of a laugh to enter 3 leagues, one of them being National Division 2. All 5 of us in the team were in the year of our finals, so we all had other pressures on us, but it took all our aggression out of us and kept us fit. This year we managed to win BUSA and we came 4th in National Division 2. Also we all graduated so we decided to go to some international competitions, we went to Hull International (the only other women teams were from Ireland and Wales, so not that International) we came 2nd there. We decided to spread our wings a little more and went to Dublin in September to the Irish International, where we came 3rd. We went to Ireland along with the brother team of Old Speckled Hens - White Rose from Leeds, we were lucky enough to be coached by a member of the Great Britain squad, who is a member of Old Speckled Hens. Having finished University we were asked if we would like to join the Old Speckled Hens - these were some of the people who had been beating us 10-0 only two years previously. Three of us decided to join them, the two other girls had moved back down south. We went and trained with them, a very steep learning curve started to get even steeper. Having moved back home by then I was using a tankful of petrol driving down to Leeds at least once a week and then going down to see my boyfriend who also plays polo and lives in Leeds, I decided that the way forward was to move back to Leeds.

Whilst we were playing at Hull last year, a lady of the Great Britain squad asked the three of us if we had thought of going for selection to play for Great Britain. Our responses were laughter and asking if they were that desperate for players. Our coach in Ireland spoke to us as well and asked if we would like to go for selection, we had thought about it more so we said yes, even if it was just for the experience. Two months later the forms to fill in for selection had come. We filled them in thinking that we probably wouldn't be invited to selection. Three weeks later we heard that all three of us were being asked to go for selection. After training hard for 2/3 months we eventually went to the selection weekend.

It was the last weekend in January, it was the hardest and most nerve-racking weekend I have ever had. I went as a goalie. The other two went as a defender and an attacker. After playing in freezing cold water, having our skills, fitness etc observed we sat down on the Sunday to find out the results. I whispered to my friend that there was no point in me being there as I wasn't going to be selected. A couple of minutes later I heard my name being read out as a member of the Great British Canoe Polo Squad. My friends have to go back for more trials, but I'm sure they will make it. The World Championships are held every 2 years. Last year they were held in Brazil. The mens senior squad came first and the womens senior squad came 2nd. But we will come first next year.

This means that I am going to the European Championships in Poland during August, and I am also going to Belgium and France, possibly also Holland. If I am good enough I could go to the World Championships next year. I even get a tracksuit and jacket with GB canoe polo squad written on the back. The only problem is that I have to pay for everything myself, only a small amount of the money required is subsidised by Lottery Funding. It is a very expensive sport with the kayaks costing at least £700 to £800 each. Never mind, it will be great and I'll love it no matter how skint I am.

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Canoe Polo

Ellie Bridgstock