The BWPL Committee has agreed a key change to application of rules in next season's Super 5s.

Rule 5.1, which specifies that teams comprise "11 field players and two goalkeepers . . . and one reserve goalkeeper who may be used only as a substitute goalkeeper," will no longer be enforced. In other words, teams will be free to select one specialist goalkeeper and 12 field players.

This rule was introduced by BWPL at the request of British Swimming to give senior players more experience of conditions overseas. But with no senior GB squads currently operating, its application seemed less relevant.

Super 5s matches in the new season will continue to feature a maximum of one time-out per team per quarter - plus a five-minute halftime interval. In all other fixtures, it's business as usual - two time-outs per team at any time; and two-minute intervals between periods.

Seven-minute quarters apply in Women's Division 3 and Women's Championship 2; eight-minute quarters in all other matches.

The British League will break new ground in phase two of next season by staging an event at the Wales National Pool, Swansea.

A provisional list of venues - we stress the word 'provisional' - is published today. Full programme:

28/29 November   Men's Champ 2  Matlock
                           Men's Champ 3  Liverpool

5/6 December       Men's Super 5s/Men's Champ 1  Guildford
                           Women's Champ 2  Watford

12/13 December   Women's Super 5s/Women's Champ 1  Lancaster Uni
                           Men's Champ 4  Leeds University

9/10 January        Men's Super 5s/Champ 1 Lancaster Salt Ayre
                           Women's Super 5s/Women's Champ 2 Leeds Uni

16/17 January      Women's Champ 1 Walsall
                          Men's Champ 2 (4 teams)/Men's Champ 3 Grantham

23/24 January      Men's and Women's Super 5s Luton
                          Men's Champ 2 (4 teams)/Men's Champ 4 Gloucester

30/31 January      Men's Champ 1 finale Swansea
                          Women's Champ 2 finale TBC

6/7 February        Men's and Women's Super 5s TBC
                          Men's Champ 4 finale TBC

13/14 February    Men's Champ 2 and 3 finales, Ponds Forge
                          Men's Champ 4/Women's 2 play-offs Ponds Forge

20/21 February    Women's Champ 1 finale, Men's 4/Women's 2 play-offs,
                          Gloucester       
                         

Gloucester's rugby union professionals have been adding a little variety to their pre-season training - by playing water polo!

For a fourth consecutive year, BWPL men's champions Cheltenham staged a water polo camp for rugby stars such as All Black John Afoa and England internationals Charlie Sharples, Paul Doran-Jones, Henry Trinder and Nick Wood at the splendid Sandford Parks Lido.

It all ended with a tournament, complete with trophy and medals for the winners.

"The rugby guys comment how hard water polo is, not just from a fitness point of view but also with its physical demands of wrestling and treading water," said Cheltenham's Lee Barnes. "Some of the guys attended recent British Championship matches we staged at GL1 pool, Gloucester, and were blown away by the speed of the game and its powerful shooting." 

The new BWPL season edges ever closer and the League's registration system is now open for clubs to register their players and coaching staff.

Please remember there is a deadline - 31 July - after which time there will be a charge of £5 for each late registration.

All BWPL clubs should have received an email from registrations official James Reddick on 11 June with details of how to access the system and enter registrations. If your club has not received this, please contact James and Chris Stephens immediately - [email protected] and [email protected].

It is important to note that the validation process has changed this year due to restrictions on the ASA system. When a new registration is submitted, the BWPL system will initially say it is invalid and add it to a queue (in true British tradition!) to await a response from the ASA. You need to login and click "Validate" again after a suitable time - say 10 minutes. Then you will get the desired result.