18/09/2026
In 1923, Le Miroir des Sports described water polo as the “football of the water”, a team sport already firmly established in France. Around 500 clubs were affiliated with the French Swimming Federation, while approximately 140 teams and 1,300–1,400 players were competing at regional level. The French Championship brought together 16 qualified teams, with Enfants de Neptune de Tourcoing, S.N. Strasbourg, Libellule de Paris and S.C.U.F. reaching the decisive stage. Tourcoing remained the dominant force, having held the national title continuously since 1909, with the article attributing this remarkable superiority to the club’s method and work. The photograph shows the S.C.U.F. team qualified for the semifinals: E.-G. Drigny, Ar. Fasani, A. Bonnet, R. Lévy, J. Lasquin, Ant. Fasani, Trial, Gruaz, Gaveau and Auzépy.
A particularly fascinating figure is the first man on the left, Émile-Georges Drigny (1883–1957), who was also the author of this article. Drigny had represented France in water polo at the 1920 Olympic Games and would become one of the major administrators of international aquatics: President of FINA (1928–1932), President of the European swimming federation (1938–1948), and later President of the French Swimming Federation. He was also a prominent sports journalist and was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame in 1984. A single newspaper page therefore brings together the players, the journalist and one of the men who would help shape the future organization of international aquatics.
Source: Le Miroir des Sports, July-December 1923 (XIII/157-182)1923-09-13 / No. 167
