The three-team national canoe polo squad heads back home this week after a ground-breaking World Championships in Duisburg, Germany, with South Africa sending its biggest ever squad and the first time an U21 women’s team had been entered from Africa.
Entire squad, credit Karen Nel
All three teams faced slick, well-organised opposition in the six-day tournament, but all the sides were able to secure some impressive victories against teams that were way more experienced in the highly-technical, physical and action-packed discipline of canoeing.
The senior men – with the most experience of playing at this level and an experienced coaching staff – finished 19th out of 24 teams after beating Malaysia 4-3 in their final playoff match. Earlier the side finished third in their group in the preliminary round by beating Hong Kong and then losing to quality sides Great Britain and Switzerland.
The team then ended their six-team playoff group in fourth, following two wins and a thrilling 3-3 draw with Brazil – which, had the South African team won, would have placed them within the top 16 and a coveted guarantee of a place in the next World Champs. Other highlights of the tournament were the superb 5-4 and 4-2 wins over Canada and the United States respectively.
Overall, the men’s team came out with a solid 50% record after playing nine and winning four with one draw. For the men, the top scorers were James Truby, who found the net an impressive 14 times in nine games, and the two Kyles, Buchler and Hardy, who scored six each.
The young U21 men finished 17th in their category, following a 4-1 win over China in the playoff pool matches and a 5-1 victory over Malaysia in the final cross-pool match. The top scorers for South Africa in the U21 division were Dru Guberman and Ayden Gething with nine and five goals respectively. Much like the senior men, they came close to automatic qualification for the next World Championships, and will aim to break into the top 14 in 2028.
Despite the entire U21 women’s team being World Championship debutants, they secured a victory against Canada to finish 13th. The highlight of their campaign was their game against eventual U21 women’s champions Spain, who put them under huge pressure, but the team showed maturity beyond their years with a resolute defence. The young team has gained loads of much-needed experience which is sure to hold them in good stead in future tournaments. Top scorers for the young South African women were Lila Webster and Abigail Bottger with six and three goals respectively from their nine matches.
Only one player in the men’s U21 side will be moving out of the age group before the 2028 World Champs, while the women’s U21 squad was the youngest at the tournament with an average age of under 17, which bodes well for the development of the squad and the sport in preparation for future international competition. The growth of the U21 women’s category has been a priority of the canoe polo committee and this tour was seen as an important step in that journey.
Overall the men’s tournament was won by Italy who beat Germany in the final, while Germany beat France to claim the women’s title. In the under 21 sections, France ended top with New Zealand as runners-up, while the U21 women’s competition went to Spain with New Zealand again losing out in the final.
