The British League today launches a ground-breaking partnership with Malta water polo when one of our leading young officials, Jonny Richards, flies out to referee a number of games in the island’s Winter League.
 
The focus will then turn to the BWPL Champions Cup weekend at Coventry, 13/14 May, with Karl Izzo, President of the Aquatic Sports Association of Malta, attending as a special guest along with two of Malta’s leading officials – FINA (World Aquatics) referee Mario Dalli and LEN official Alex Deraffaele – among the appointed officials.
 
“We believe this exciting and important collaboration between our two organisations can bring huge benefits for all,” said the League’s Delegate Group chairman Jeff Parker.
 
“Hopefully, Jonny will be the first of many BWPL officials to benefit from experiencing the different environment of water polo in Malta.
 
“The aim of Karl’s visit is to observe how BWPL stages events as well as meeting League officers to explore development of the partnership going forward.
 
"We're most grateful to BWPL President Trevor Pledger for his great work in helping to set up the partnership in its initial stages.”

Photo: Johnny (right) pictured with FINA ref Massimo Angileri before taking charge of the match between Maltese clubs TA Xbiex and Barracudas.

Sedgefield and Worthing had little difficulty qualifying for men’s Division 3 next season after winning their final games at the promotion event at Haberdashers.

Six goals in the first quarter – three by John Pratt, who finish the game with seven – put Sedgefield in charge against Bridgefield. They won 16-7. Worthing beat the British Army 15-7, only breaking clear in the final period with goals by Sam Cooper (2), George Wood (2) - Photo: Trevor Hyde - Ben Curtis and Josh Coulson.

Caledonia Storm comfortably won all three matches in the Division 4 promotion tournament, also at Habs. Murray Dickson scored five as they rounded off with a 16-8 victory over Coventry.
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Avondale, Coventry and Northampton all finished on two points – but it’s Avondale who join the Scots in Division 4 next season by virtue of a superior goal difference.

Which two teams will progress to men’s Division 3 next season following the promotion play-offs at Haberdashers? That's impossible to forecast with any certainty after the games on day one both ended in draws.

It was close all the way between Sedgefield and Worthing, who ended up locked at 7-7. Worthing hit back from 6-4 down in the third period to go 7-6 up with goals by Jamie Bond, Sam Cooper and Vytas Liubertas, but the lead lasted less than a minute – Sedgefield captain John Pratt (Photo: Trevor Hyde) fired an equaliser, keeping both sides in the hunt for promotion when the final games take place tomorrow.

The British Army and Bridgefield drew 14-14, Bridgefield’s experienced Lee Cadwallader providing the final goal of the tightest of contests.
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Caledonia Storm enjoyed double success in the competition for two promotion places to Division 4, following up a 9-4 win against Northampton with a 16-7 defeat of Avondale, including goals from Adam Heywood (4), Jack Robertson (3) and Murray Dickson (3).  

Below - Worthing goalkeeper Marc Guimera in action against Sedgefield. Photo: Jonathan Gray

Congratulations to City of Manchester’s Izzy Howe, who topped the goal-scoring chart in this season’s women’s Super 5s.

Her tally of 30 put her well clear of nearest challenger Milly Wordley, of Liverpool Lizards, who scored 23. Izzy was presented with her trophy by BWPL President Trevor Pledger.
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In the men’s Super 5s, the leading marksman was Polytechnic’s South African Olympian Liam Neill with 28, followed by Andrea Tulli, of Penguin, on 26.

​The line-up for the Champions Cup spectacular at Coventry on 13/14 May is now confirmed. After their successful debut season in the Super 5s, Hucknall take part in the women’s event for the first time along with City of Manchester, Otter and the inaugural winners last year, Liverpool Lizards.
 
Cheltenham opted not to take part in the men’s event. Their place will be taken by Sutton & Cheam, the new Championship 1 winners who (along only with Cheltenham and Polytechnic) claim the distinction of competing in every season since national league water polo began way back in 1963.
 
The other teams at Coventry will be Polytechnic, Penguin and City of Manchester, the 2022 champions.
 
The men’s competition will be played in a 30m pitch and, for the first time in BWPL, with flying substitutes.
 
Photo (Trevor Hyde): Goalkeeper Matt Holland, 2012 Olympics veteran and still going strong for Sutton. 

In a spectacular finish to the League season, Polytechnic beat Penguin 11-10 in front of large Haberdashers crowd to claim their first Super 5s title - and their first major national win since the last of numerous triumphs in the old men's National League in 1994.

There was rarely more than a goal between the two sides until the score stood at 9-9 midway through the final period. 

Then Poly struck twice - vital goals by Sergio Schiaffano and Caleb Simpson. Penguin were still not out of it - a draw would have been good enough to earn them the trophy. With 1.15 to go, they were back to 11-10 - a strike by William de Vena. And that was how it stayed, prompting tremendous poolside celebrations by the Poly players. 

Poly had clearly done their homework before the final drama, realising that they had to win and finish level on points with Penguin to take the trophy. Separating the two in this situation required a careful study of the rules and various options, which worked in turn like this:

+ Team gaining most points in matches between the two - one win apiece.

+ Team with the greatest goal difference in matches between the teams - evens at 19-19.

+ Team scoring most goals in games between the teams - level at 19 each.

+  Team with the greatest goal differance overall. Advantage Poly - 39 to the good compared with Penguin's 27.

It was as close as that!

The trophy and medals were presented by League President Trevor Pledger and former men's National League chairman Stephen Baker, a BWPL life member.

Polytechnic captain Kimon Haralambous, said: “Victory was an incredible moment for our team and for the London Polytechnic water polo community. Winning the Super 5s title after over 30 years of waiting is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our players, coaches and supporters. 
 
“We are grateful to the British Water Polo League for hosting a successful league and providing us with the opportunity to showcase our skills on the national stage. We also want to thank our rivals, Penguin, for an intense and thrilling game that pushed us to our limits. The atmosphere created by both sets of fans was electric and added to the spectacle of the occasion.”

Photo (Trevor Hyde): Poly players celebrate after their thrilling victory.

Fine margins . . . Liverpool Lizards went down 12-8 to Hucknall in their final women's Super 5s match at Haberdashers today - but still qualified to defend their Champions Cup title at Coventry next month.

Liverpool finished level on points with Coventry at the bottom of the table, the matches between those sides having resulted in one win each.

So determining fourth place - the remaining qualifying position for the Champions Cup - was down to the fine detail of League rules. It depended on which team had the superior goal difference - not in all games, but in the two Liverpool/Coventry matches. Liverpool won the day, but only just - 18-17!

​Milly Wordley scored five for Liverpool against Hucknall, but Hucknall were always in charge after building an early lead with three excellent goals by Emma Fraser. Her eventual match tally was four, with Dafne Garcia and Cynthia Mulder both netting three.

Photos (Trevor Hyde) - Above: Emma Fraser (blue cap) on defensive duty against Liverpool today. The Liverpool player is Rachel Tibke. Below: Machester girls with their trophy and medals after winning the women's Super 5s.

City of Manchester girls claimed their fourth consecutive women's Super 5s title when they defeated Liverpool Lizards 12-9 at Haberdashers today.

Manchester led from the start and Izzy Howe and Rosie Huck both finished with four goals. Molly Boniface replied with four for the Lizards. 

Coventry's bid to qualify for the Champions Cup suffered a setback when they went down 14-13 to Hucknall. 

Hucknall led 11-6 at one stage but, in a nerve-racking final period, Coventry fought back to score five times - but just failed to snatch a point. Cynthia Mulder (4) and Dafne Garcia (4) were the leading Hucknall scorers while Vicki Hawkins contributed five for Coventry.

What a cracker! Penguin edged out Manchester 13-12 in a thrilling men's Super 5s clash at Haberdashers today and put themselves in line for the title - providing they don't lose the final game of the season against oldest rivals Polytechnic tomorrow.

Poly are still very much in the hunt after their victory over Cheltenham earlier in the day. 

Penguin will probably look back on the dramatic final stages of the third period as the key to their success.

Manchester had pulled up from 7-5 down to 7-7; and it was 8-8 as Manchester's Kai Dowling netted from distance. Then Penguin's Andrea Tulli produced three decisive minutes of magic.

Firstly, he intercepted a loose Manchester pass to steal possession and swim threequarters of the pitch to score. Just 35 seconds later, he produced an almost identical breakaway goal - and then rounded off the period with a clever long shot from distance into the top right corner. 

So Penguin were 11-8 up. Then, at the start of the last quarter, a backhander by centre-forward Mehmet Ali Arat made it 12-8. Victory guaranteed for Penguin? Not a bit of it. Manchester stormed back and were up to 13-12 with 57 very tense seconds remaining thanks to a powerful shot from Dan Paddon. 
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Penguin held on and can now prepare for a mouth-watering title decider tomorrow (13.45).  

Photo (Trevor Hyde): Andrea Tulli scores one of his goals against Manchester today.

Polytechnic maintained a strong interest in the men's Super 5s title race with a 19-10 victory over Cheltenham at Haberdashers today.

The win was effectively assured towards the end of the second period, by which time Poly had raced into a 9-0 lead. Poly's South African international Liam Neill proved particularly difficult to contain at centre-forward - his impressive eventual goals tally for the game was nine.
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Cheltenham, to their credit, rallied to reduce the Poly advantage to 13-7 in the third quarter, then 14-9.


Photo (Trevor Hyde): Surrounded . . . Liam Neill in dominant action for Polytechnic at Haberdashers today.