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Vernon Water Polo Club looking for new members

New sport makes a splash

It is not a common sport in Canada, but water polo has arrived in Vernon.

Sarah Lauman played the aquatic sport in university. She gave up the sport for some 20 years, but when Kelowna announced a water polo team, she dove in and signed up.

But with the demands of parenthood, travelling to Kelowna to play was difficult, so she decided to start a water polo club in Vernon. Players took to the water for the first time this past November.

More than a dozen people taken the plunge and there is room for more.

“It's a not-for-profit community based club,” Lauman said, adding it is open to anyone 15 years and older.

Lauman said the goal is to eventually create a youth program.

The club is at the developmental and recreational stage with the main goal of enjoying the sport and having fun.

“It's another aquatic sport to try out and get some exercise,” she said.

Lauman said the niche sport is more popular in Eastern Canada and the United States than it is in Western Canada, but based on the initial turnout, there is local interest in it.

Having another club in the Okanagan also opens the door for recreational league play.

Lauman said interested parties can get more information from the Water Polo Canada website to arrange a chance to try out the sport. They can also email [email protected].

According to Water Polo Canada, the origins of water polo can be traced to east India, where British army officers experimented with the “pulu” ball game on horseback. From there, polo was brought to Europe and was played as rugby and finally as football in the water to become water polo - and was practised in rivers and lakes.

It was not until 1884 that the Swimming Association of Great Britain recognized the game as coming under its jurisdiction. By 1880 in Scotland, the introduction of the Trudgeon stroke permitted rule changes to make the game faster, and brute strength was replaced by more technique, speed and tactical moves.

The game changed from a rugby style to a soccer style of play. The goal became a cage of 10 feet by three, and a goal could be scored by throwing a ball.

In the late 1880s the Scottish rules were generally adopted throughout England.

In 1888, water polo came to America and eventually spread around the world.



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