Last week, a green light to play again . . . and now? Wham! A new raft of Government coronavirus restrictions which once again will impact on water polo.

In his House of Commons statement yesterday, Boris Johnson said that the ‘rule of 6’ is being extended to indoor adult team sports – anyone aged 18 years and over.

To what extent will our sport be affected?

Swim England today clarified the situation for BWPL, confirming that sessions will be limited to training and playing in bubbles of six people only but that “the new rules state that organised indoor sport or exercise classes can take place in larger numbers, provided groups of more than six do not mix.

“This means six could play a three-versus-three game in one area of the pool, while another group of six do the same in a different part of the water.”
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The latest guidance does not apply to under-18 indoor team sports, which can carry on as before. Swim England is seeking further clarification on how this applies to mixed groups of athletes aged over 18 and under 18, but the current interpretation is that each group must be limited to six. It is also understood that coaches are not included in the six as long as they maintain social distancing. For details of today’s Swim England statement, go to https://www.swimming.org/waterpolo/clarity-coronavirus-restrictions/.

At its latest meeting yesterday (Sunday), the British League committee reluctantly accepted that the 2020/21 season must be abandoned due the continuing Covid-19 crisis. So where do we go from here?

Our clubs are obviously desperate to get back in action as soon as possible. And there has been considerable support for the idea of running an event of some kind.
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At this stage, the committee have agreed that a stand-alone event – in other words, one that doesn’t impact on promotion and relegation issues decided at the end of the 2019/20 campaign – could work well, perhaps in April and May. It’s certainly worth a try! But, of course, much will depend on the Covid-19 situation next Spring and whether strict guidelines outlined by Swim England and the Government’s Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport can be met.

Water polo received a welcome lifeline today when Swim England announced that clubs and players have been given the green light to return to training and competitive action.

The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport has approved evidence submitted by Swim England at the beginning of this month. It means water polo is now on the approved list of sports allowed to restart in England following the easing of the coronavirus lockdown.

BWPL chairman David Andrews welcomed this “fantastic news”, adding that it’s “perfectly timed for the League’s next committee meeting on Sunday, when hopefully we can start working towards meaningful competition as early as the New Year.”

Swim England’s guidelines focus on areas such as social distancing during breaks and post-game, use of equipment, advice for match officials and coaches, injury treatment plus information for spectators. These will be used in conjunction with Swim England’s Returning to the Pool guidance which covers details on travel to training and matches, plus advice for medics.

George Wood, Swim England’s Sport Development Director, welcomed the Government announcement. “We’re thrilled water polo can now be played once again,” he said.

“I would like to thank Toby King and our Water Polo Leadership Group and our Head of Performance Operations, Rachel Bayley, for pushing forward this important piece of work. It will come as a welcome relief to our affiliated water polo clubs and players who have been desperate to enjoy the sport they love since pools were allowed to reopen.”

It’s now five long months since City of Manchester completed for a second year the double success of winning men’s and women’s Super 5s titles.

But what about the team medals? These weren’t handed out as usual at the end of the season, simply because the wretched Covid pandemic forced cancellation of the Super 5s finale. However, it’s never too late – as President Trevor Pledger (centre in the picture) proved this week with a belated presentation to team captains Joe O’Regan and Izzy Howe.
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Manchester players also earned the Super 5s top goal scorer awards – Dan Paddon and Annie Clapperton. These will be presented when – eventually – BWPL returns to action.

​Swim England say they are “absolutely committed” to getting water polo back in action as soon as possible following the Government publishing the Return to Recreational Team Sport Framework. Together with the SE Water Polo Leadership Group, detailed guidance is being drawn up on how the sport can be played safely.

George Wood, Swim England Sport Development Director, says he understands the frustrations of water polo players but the guidance had to be carefully developed to ensure everyone’s safety. “The past few months have been a whirlwind and it is difficult to believe that lockdown started when we were looking forward to the climax of the British Water Polo League season.”

Since then, a Swim England Review Group – including Mr Wood and Toby King, Swim England WP Leadership Group chair – have drawn up guidance for pools in consultation with Public Health England and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, and campaigned for facilities to open.

Mr Wood added: “We know there are issues with some pools remaining closed for financial reasons, meaning some clubs are not able to get back into the water just yet. However, we are doing everything we can to try and get those facilities the necessary support so all of our clubs and members can once again enjoy the sports they love.

“In the meantime, we are looking at the conditions by which ‘competitive recreational activity’ can take place – in particular, competitive training and match play where social distancing may need to be breached . . . As water polo is an indoor, contact sport, we will need to identify the mitigations that minimise Covid-19 transmission risk pre, during and post-game.”
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The British League were recently in contact with George Wood, offering our support in future negotiations and expressing member clubs’ concerns that “water polo at all levels could soon be left isolated without strong and knowledgeable dialogue on its behalf.”

The BWPL Committee met on 26 July and, as will have been expected, finally abandoned any hope of staging a reduced season starting in late October.

The target now is to begin in January, with an eight-division programme – five men’s, three women’s – and each team playing only seven matches.

However, the survey of clubs and League officials carried out by BWPL, revealed a high level of uncertainty regarding the reopening of pools – let alone, when clubs will be in a position to resume full training and matches. A significant number of teams are uncertain whether they will be ready to return in January.

Therefore, it was agreed that a further survey would be carried out in September, when the position for many should be clearer.
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Then, the Committee will meet again on 27 September to decide the next step. Should a January start prove impractical, another option would be to stage a stand-alone competition – not affecting promotion etc established after the 2019/20 season – for those able to take part. 

Many thanks to those of you who have already responded to the BWPL survey of clubs, which has been produced to gather information on how teams are situated in the light of the coronavirus pandemic regarding pool availabilities, training – as well as readiness for a delayed start to the 2020/21 season. Deadline for returns is next Friday, 24 July, at noon.

If your club has not received a link to the survey, please contact BWPL clubs’ rep Joanne Mountfield, joanne.mountfield@bwpl.org.

The British League committee have delayed until 26 July a decision on when potentially the 2020/21 season can go ahead.

A reduced programme has already been agreed, with teams playing only seven games each organised in eight divisions (five men’s, three women’s). That is due to start in late October. 

“We recognise that, for all sorts of reasons, this may not happen and that we may need to target a January start,” explained chairman David Andrews. “For the time being, however, the committee decided to retain October as our start date – to give it every chance to happen, should significant changes occur over the next few weeks.
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“The situation regarding issues such as the availability of pools should be clearer within a few weeks. The committee will be meeting again on 26 July and will make a definite decision then on where we go from here.”

The BWPL committee will be meeting on 21 June when it is hoped a firm decision can be made about the resumption of the League programme.

Already, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the season has been cut from two phases to one, leaving eight divisions (five men’s, three women’s) in which teams play each other once – seven games. Target date for launch is 24 October. If that isn’t possible, the truncated programme will start in the New Year.

The League will be relying on guidance from Swim England, who have already cancelled all national events for the rest of 2020, including the National Age Group water polo finals, due at Ponds Forge, Sheffield, in November.
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On 15 June, Swim England, following consultation with Sport England and Public Health England, plan to issue guidance to help the aquatics sector prepare for the reopening of pools (which we already know cannot happen before 4 July). This will include water polo-specific advice.
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Major changes will take place in the British League schedule next season after the BWPL Committee conceded that there was no option during the current coronavirus pandemic but to cut the programme in half.

Instead of the usual two phases, starting in September, the 2020/21 programme has been reduced to eight divisions (five men’s, three women’s) in which the teams play each other once – seven games.
The new launch date is 24/25 October, although even that is not guaranteed. If necessary, the reduced programme would be put back to the start of 2021.

League chairman David Andrews has written to clubs explaining the rationale behind the decision. He says: “I appreciate that all this is a huge step for the League – and no doubt a great disappointment to many people. But there are numerous factors that bring us to this point.”

The most obvious, of course, is that no one knows yet when pools will be open, let alone when Swim England, in consultation with the Government, will sanction a resumption of water polo, very much a contact sport.

Other concerns for the League include the need to cancel existing bookings to avoid paying for non-use; the financial impact of the pandemic on club finances; and the likelihood of increased travel/accommodation costs both for clubs and the League’s officials once the season does get under way.

Mr Andrews writes:  “As ever, the main priority throughout our discussions has been to act in the best interests of you, the League members, as well as the many officials who make possible the whole operation of our competition and also to ensure the ability of the League to function fully when normality returns.”