Name: Katy Cutler
Age: 20
Height: 176cm
Weight: 85kg
Home base: Bristol/Taunton
Club: Otter
Also played for: University of Bristol, Taunton, Basingstoke Bluefins, Southampton Sirens, Exeter, Salisbury Stingrays
How did you get into water polo? I was part of a swimming club when I was younger and first tried water polo at a ‘fun’ session as part of this. My swimming teacher at the time also coached water polo and he told me to give it a go! As I got older, I got bored with swimming, so started playing water polo more and everything else started from there.
Position: CB or 4/5
Best player played with: Rosie Morris – one of the Olympic GB goalkeepers for 2012. Rosie also coached me when I was training with the 1997s and I learnt so much from her during that time
Best player played against: Maria Myriokefalitaki – she’s a Greek CF that I played against in the U19 European Championships in 2018
Most influential coach: Nick Hume and Sue Webb. As a pair, they were my coaches for over four years and took me to two European Championships and supported me to becoming the player I am now. I’m also very thankful to Theo Nousious who was my coach at my first European Championships and gave me my first chance to play for GB.
Most memorable match: Beating Serbia in the U17 European Championships in 2017 to come in the top 6, which is the best GB have ever done at a European Championships. We were one goal down with around two minutes left to play and I scored the equalising goal to finish 9-9 before we went in to penalties. It was one of the scariest but most exciting games I’ve ever played in and, despite being in Serbia in front of a home crowd, we were able to pull through and win!
Best song/music to get you in the right frame of mind for a match: It changes depending on the day/opposition but anything that makes me feel ready to play – sometimes I need more energy other times I need to sit down and focus a bit more
How did you find University polo? It’s a lot of fun and a great opportunity for people that have never played before to get in to the sport! I haven’t been able to play much for the uni yet as there haven’t been any matches this year – hopefully next year there will be more opportunities to play
How do you see your role as captain of a team? To lead and support the team as a whole as well as all the individual players. It varies between each team depending on who the players are to enable you to get the best from each of them as this will give you the best team performance overall
Best venue played at for water polo: Funchal Swimming Pool in Madeira. I competed there for the U19 European Championships in 2018
Your representative honours? I have competed in three European Championships. My first was in the U19 tournament in 2016 when I was 15, then the U17 tournament the following year where we came 6th and lastly the U19 tournament in 2018. Unfortunately, the last junior European Championship that I was eligible for, the U19s, was cancelled in 2020 due to Covid so we’ll never know what would’ve happened. I have also played for England in multiple EU Nations tournaments from U17 up to senior women and for English schools as well as competing in the Pilva Cup in Croatia and the Escad Cup in Slovakia.
Any other thoughts on a return to competition? I can’t wait to get back to playing properly again! Everyone has been away from competing for so long that anything possible is a great opportunity for everyone to get back to playing matches.
Age: 20
Height: 176cm
Weight: 85kg
Home base: Bristol/Taunton
Club: Otter
Also played for: University of Bristol, Taunton, Basingstoke Bluefins, Southampton Sirens, Exeter, Salisbury Stingrays
How did you get into water polo? I was part of a swimming club when I was younger and first tried water polo at a ‘fun’ session as part of this. My swimming teacher at the time also coached water polo and he told me to give it a go! As I got older, I got bored with swimming, so started playing water polo more and everything else started from there.
Position: CB or 4/5
Best player played with: Rosie Morris – one of the Olympic GB goalkeepers for 2012. Rosie also coached me when I was training with the 1997s and I learnt so much from her during that time
Best player played against: Maria Myriokefalitaki – she’s a Greek CF that I played against in the U19 European Championships in 2018
Most influential coach: Nick Hume and Sue Webb. As a pair, they were my coaches for over four years and took me to two European Championships and supported me to becoming the player I am now. I’m also very thankful to Theo Nousious who was my coach at my first European Championships and gave me my first chance to play for GB.
Most memorable match: Beating Serbia in the U17 European Championships in 2017 to come in the top 6, which is the best GB have ever done at a European Championships. We were one goal down with around two minutes left to play and I scored the equalising goal to finish 9-9 before we went in to penalties. It was one of the scariest but most exciting games I’ve ever played in and, despite being in Serbia in front of a home crowd, we were able to pull through and win!
Best song/music to get you in the right frame of mind for a match: It changes depending on the day/opposition but anything that makes me feel ready to play – sometimes I need more energy other times I need to sit down and focus a bit more
How did you find University polo? It’s a lot of fun and a great opportunity for people that have never played before to get in to the sport! I haven’t been able to play much for the uni yet as there haven’t been any matches this year – hopefully next year there will be more opportunities to play
How do you see your role as captain of a team? To lead and support the team as a whole as well as all the individual players. It varies between each team depending on who the players are to enable you to get the best from each of them as this will give you the best team performance overall
Best venue played at for water polo: Funchal Swimming Pool in Madeira. I competed there for the U19 European Championships in 2018
Your representative honours? I have competed in three European Championships. My first was in the U19 tournament in 2016 when I was 15, then the U17 tournament the following year where we came 6th and lastly the U19 tournament in 2018. Unfortunately, the last junior European Championship that I was eligible for, the U19s, was cancelled in 2020 due to Covid so we’ll never know what would’ve happened. I have also played for England in multiple EU Nations tournaments from U17 up to senior women and for English schools as well as competing in the Pilva Cup in Croatia and the Escad Cup in Slovakia.
Any other thoughts on a return to competition? I can’t wait to get back to playing properly again! Everyone has been away from competing for so long that anything possible is a great opportunity for everyone to get back to playing matches.
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