Have a BashWith all that splashing and thrashing, canoe polo is not the most genteel of sports, says Richard Moore. But that's why you need the crash helmets........Article in Business am 23 February 2001 According to Stuart White, one of Scotland's leading players, canoe polo was invented many years ago by "guys floating about in barrels in the docks in London". It has come a long way - to, among other salubrious places, Easterhouse Swimming Centre on the outskirts of' Glasgow. Ten to 15 players - representing both sexes and a huge age range - gather every week at the pool for the training sessions of the Drumchapel and Clydebank Canoe Club. Matches are held in the open air, but unpredictable weather is hardly ideal for canoe polo and excursions on to Scottish lochs and canals are few and far between. Curiously, Edinburgh seems to have missed out on a game that has attracted a strong cult following. As its appeal broadens, that marginal cult status could be under threat, particularly with a high profile national championship being held - outdoors for the first time - on Castle Semple Loch in the summer. Introduced to Scotland around 12 years ago, canoe polo has caught on to such an extent that it is now believed to be as popular as more traditional slalom canoeing. And, like so many other up-and-coming sports, canoe polo is another that is pushing for inclusion in the Olympics. Husband and wife team Stuart and Linda White, members of the Linlithgow Canoe Polo Club and Dunfermline's Woodmill Canoe Club respectively, are two of the sports most recognisable faces. The Fife couple have represented their country in international competition and help to organise the national league, comprising four divisions. Division Three B is strictly for novices: those who might be curious enough to give the sport a bash and defined by Stuart as people who are able to safely get in and out of a canoe. And "bash' is an appropriate word; if canoe polo sounds genteel, don't be fooled. Asked if it is a contact sport, Stuart said "Very much so". The canoe polo kickoff is reminiscent of' a Formula one start, with the ball dispatched into the centre of the pool for the teams, revving up at either end, to race towards in an attempt to gain the first possession. They invariably collide with each other in the middle - a clash that, confesses Stuart, 'can be quite exciting' or excruciating. Certainly, it explains the crash helmets and padded life jackets, which are more for protection than buoyancy Once the ball is in play it looks like a free-for-all; tactical nuances are lost on this spectator. Much thrashing and splashing around follows as players scoop the ball from the water with their paddles, throw it to a team mate or take a pop at goal. But if the tactics are not obvious, three other qualities are much in evidence in the players: skill, strength and energy. Games are between seven and ten minutes each half, contested by five man teams; the goals, suspended two metres above the surface of the water, measure 1.5 metres across and one metre high. It is not the biggest target to aim for at the best of times, never mind from the seat of a canoe. On the tactical front, I'm put in my place by Linda White, who points out the game's finer points: "Skill comes before strength, and yes, it is tactical. Your off-the-ball movement his to be good, you can have man-to-man marking in defence and you can play zones, which likes it just like basketball." You have positions: a goalkeeper, defence and attacking players, but there are no restrictions about where you can go on the pitch. 'If I'm up against Stuart - well,he's going to beat me for strength. But if someone is in possession of the ball, you are allowed to push them in. And if I do lack strength I might have the skill to flick the ball past him, or find space.' Stuart backs this up: "The skill level has to be there. You have to be able to comfortably roll the canoe. Really, you don't have to be more than competent in a kayak to play. But when the games are competitive, ball handling skills are as important as canoeing skills. And it is quite a physical sport. Linda began her canoe polo career at school. Like the vast majority of those practicing at Easterhouse, she was attracted principally because it was "something completely different'. Though she enjoyed other forms of canoeing, she gradually abandoned them to concentrate on the team sport and the dedication paid off. She represented Great Britain at the European and World Championships in 1997. In motherhood she is now confining herself to domestic competition, representing Woodmill in a mixed team in Scotland and a ladies' team down south. There she can come up against her husband. It is significant that mixed teams compete on a level playing field, or swimming pool. Appearances can be deceiving: though it looks frantic, even violent at times, canoe polo genuinely is a sport for all. The next Scottish Division 2 and I meetings are on 3 and 4 March respectively, both at the Fife Institute in Glenrothes. Most clubs have kayaks for people to try canoe polo. Clubs
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