The Rhinos men’s and Elephants women’s teams charged their way to overall victory in the inaugural edition of the South Africa Water Polo Winter Series, which hit the waters of the Newton Park Indoor Pool in Gqeberha this weekend (August 8 to 10).
The three-day national tournament, sponsored by Jendamark Automation, saw 112 of the country’s best senior water polo players draft-picked for four franchise squads – the Rhinos, Buffaloes, Elephants and Lions – that went head-to-head for a share of the R224 000 total prize purse.
The men’s final ended in dramatic fashion, as the Rhinos held their nerve in a nail-biting (8-7) penalty shoot-out against the previously unbeaten Lions to clinch gold after a 13-13 draw at the end of regular time.
Rhinos captain Jonathan Swanepoel, 24, said his team could not have scripted a more exciting finish and that they were delighted with the result.
“It’s unbelievable. To have a game of such swings – up by two, down by two – and then an opportunity to win it at the end with three rounds of penalties – that was definitely one for the spectators!”
Swanepoel, who has represented South Africa at a trio of world championships, said he was hopeful about the future of water polo.
“A tournament of this level of quality and professionalism is exactly what this country needs, and what the world needs, so I’m feeling really inspired and looking forward to many more of these to come.”
In the women’s division, the Elephants did not drop a match as they stormed into the final, where they held the lead from the first chukka against the Rhinos. Despite a valiant fightback by the Rhinos in the final chukka, coach Ismaeel Essa’s side claimed a one-point victory with a final score of 11-10.
Winning captain Nicola Macleod, 28, said her team had been unsure what to expect from their opposition after facing off against them in the last of the pool games.
“I’m so proud of the team. Last night we had to play catch up, so we weren’t going to do that again. Being out in front gave us a lot more composure, as you don’t necessarily need to score, you just have to make sure you don’t concede,” said Macleod.
Macleod, who represented South Africa at the 2020 Olympics Games in Tokyo and in four world championships, said the franchise format had ensured a competitive balance of up-and-coming talent and experienced players. “It’s so great. Every single game has been tight.”
In the bronze medal matches, the Buffaloes took a closely contested 13-11 win over the Elephants to claim the bottom step of the men’s podium, while the Lions women beat the Buffaloes 10-8.
Tournament director Siegfried Lokotsch, who is also Jendamark’s director of operations, said the new format had been well received by players and fans alike.
The matches followed World Aquatics rules, with the addition of mandatory penalty shootouts in the pool games giving teams the opportunity to earn bonus points that could move them up the standings.
“The standard of water polo on display and the level of intensity was incredible. I haven’t seen water polo like that in at least 15 years,” said Lokotsch.
“For a first event, the vibe was also fantastic. With water polo not being a mainstream sport, it was really encouraging to see that we got much more support than we anticipated.”
The Winter Series is the first national tournament run under the auspices of the newly formed South Africa Water Polo (SAWP), which successfully challenged Swimming South Africa in court for the rights to promote the interests of this growing sport.
One of the highlights of the weekend was a development clinic where 68 up-and-coming players, including learners from under-resourced communities, received coaching from the likes of former Olympian and SA men’s captain Lwazi Madi, former SA women’s captain Kelsey Thomson, and national player Chad Roman.
FULL RESULTS
Day 1:
Men:
Rhinos 10(9) – 7(8) Buffaloes
Lions 18(3) – 11(5) Elephants
Women:
Rhinos 8(2) – 6(4) Buffaloes
Elephants 13(1) – 12(2) Lions
Day 2:
Men:
Buffaloes 16(4) – 17(2) Elephants
Rhinos 14(4) – 15(2) Lions
Lions 22(3) – 11(4) Buffaloes
Elephants 10(4) – 12(1) Rhinos
Women:
Elephants 13(3) – 6(1) Buffaloes
Rhinos 14(4) – 12(3) Lions
Buffaloes 11(7) – 10(6) Lions
Elephants 12(5) – 11(6) Rhinos
Day 3:
Men:
Buffaloes 13 – 11 Elephants (3rd/4th)
Rhinos 13(8) – Lions 13(7) (Finals)
Women:
Buffaloes 8 – 10 Lions (3rd/4th)
Elephants 11 – 10 Rhinos (Finals)
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