Solihull men complete a remarkable four-year leap from the BWPL basement to Division 1 when they line up for their first match of the new season at Ponds Forge, Sheffield, on Saturday - against reigning champions Cheltenham!
One man who will be extremely frustrated not to be in the thick of the action will be Jake Vincent (pictured), a GB player at the 2012 Olympics who has returned to his home club after successful seasons with Cheltenham - only to be injured on Solihull's Hungarian training camp last month.
However, Solihull's team will have plenty of depth this year. In addition to last season's squad (12 of the 16 players were under 20), there are four relatively young newcomers, all with BWPL experience - Tom Whiting, Morgan Hirsch, Ryan Padbury and Alfie Brown. Add in the experience of Hungarian Pete Farkas and Nick Beard, back with his home club after playing for Penguin, and the Midlanders can't wait to get stuck into a new campaign.
Vincent's return, once fit, will be a huge bonus. As Solihull secretary Mike Beard explains: "Jake was born in Solihull, learned to swim and play water polo with our club and has retained his membership and involvement throughout his international journey.
"While we were in the lower divisions, he played elsewhere in Division 1 with our full blessing, but we are clearly delighted to have him playing for us now. Like all teams in Division 1, our aim is to qualify for the Super 5s but, whatever the outcome of this season, we will continue as a club to prioritise the development of home-grown players."
Six years ago, Solihull took a brief break from BWPL involvement while producing a new, young team. They re-entered in 2012, winning Championship 4; topped Championship 3 the following year; won promotion to Championship 2 in 2014; and qualified for the top division as Championship runners-up to Caledonia last season.
However, Solihull's team will have plenty of depth this year. In addition to last season's squad (12 of the 16 players were under 20), there are four relatively young newcomers, all with BWPL experience - Tom Whiting, Morgan Hirsch, Ryan Padbury and Alfie Brown. Add in the experience of Hungarian Pete Farkas and Nick Beard, back with his home club after playing for Penguin, and the Midlanders can't wait to get stuck into a new campaign.
Vincent's return, once fit, will be a huge bonus. As Solihull secretary Mike Beard explains: "Jake was born in Solihull, learned to swim and play water polo with our club and has retained his membership and involvement throughout his international journey.
"While we were in the lower divisions, he played elsewhere in Division 1 with our full blessing, but we are clearly delighted to have him playing for us now. Like all teams in Division 1, our aim is to qualify for the Super 5s but, whatever the outcome of this season, we will continue as a club to prioritise the development of home-grown players."
Six years ago, Solihull took a brief break from BWPL involvement while producing a new, young team. They re-entered in 2012, winning Championship 4; topped Championship 3 the following year; won promotion to Championship 2 in 2014; and qualified for the top division as Championship runners-up to Caledonia last season.
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