If you are keen to give this a go 鈥� we have some very keen students who already play.
This takes place on Wednesdays at Lake Roto K艒hatu 鈥� airport end of Sawyers Arms Road, 3.00pm to 6.00pm
Mainland Canoe Polo will provide gear - $15 for boat, spray deck, helmet, PFD and paddle.
What is it?
Canoe Polo, an international canoe federation discipline, is a spectacular and rapidly growing sport. It is a game of two halves of 10-minutes where two teams of five players battle it out with a water polo ball in kayaks. The aim is to score into a goal, which is suspended above the water at each end of a rectangular 鈥榩laying pitch鈥�. Canoe polo is fast paced, combines kayaking and ball handling skills with tactics similar to basketball.
Canoe polo has been played for over 30 years in Canterbury and after a bit of a lull after the earthquake is currently growing and developing again participation wise. There is room for everyone to play, whether your school has a whole team or just some individual students.
Games are played at Lake Rua in the Roto K艒hatu Reserve on a Wednesday after school in Terms 1 and 4. Teams are divided into grades (normally A, B & C) depending on experience. The top grade follows full competition rules including team lists and point systems etc. If for some reason other teams are unable to put out valid combinations, games will still occur, but competition points might not.
For those schools or players with less coaching, reffing and polo knowledge that would like assistance, we will endeavour to support you and find you some help with that. Everyone likes to enjoy and get better at what they do, and we appreciate Polo is a little bit quirky sometimes.
New players need to complete the safety 鈥榳et exit鈥� (required) prior to their first game and demonstrate their basic swimming ability. The purpose of this is to ensure players can exit their canoe should it tip over during a game.
Requirements:
Gear: Togs & a towel. Warm clothes
Transport: Own arrangement
Cost: $80 - includes gear, affiliations.