Scottish Water Polo

Supporting the Future of Scottish Water Polo: Help Our U14 Girls Squad Reach Leiden

At grassroots level, keeping young women engaged, active, and confident in sport requires a strong community effort. Our U14 Girls National Development Squad represents the future of Scottish Water Polo, demonstrating exceptional dedication and work ethic in every session.

This October, the squad has a landmark opportunity to travel to Leiden in the Netherlands to train alongside Dutch club Girls Only. For many of these young athletes, this represents their first international developmental trip.
To ensure this opportunity remains accessible to every player on the squad, we are raising funds to subsidise travel costs.
Your support directly impacts:
• Grassroots Development: Investing directly in the growth, confidence, and retention of young female athletes.
• International Experience: Providing foundational elite-level training that builds lifelong skills both in and out of the pool.
• Coach Education: Equipping our Scottish coaching staff with tactical knowledge from Dutch coaches to benefit current and future generations.
Every contribution—regardless of size—makes a meaningful difference. If you are unable to donate at this time, sharing this post with your network is greatly appreciated.
👉 Donate or share the campaign here: https://gofund.me/e250f42b9

⏰ Only 10 days left to book! ⏰

Looking to take your first step into coaching? Bookings for the Level 1 Water Polo Coaching Course close on Friday 24th July! 🤽‍♂️✨

Whether you’re a player looking to give back, a parent wanting to help out on the poolside, or an active volunteer, this course is the perfect starting point. You'll learn:

Core "how to coach" skills 🏊

Technical water polo basics & how to spot common faults 🧠

How to run fun "mini polo" games! 🎮

Help your club grow and build your confidence on the poolside.

👇 Click the link below to get all the details and secure your spot on the Scottish Swimming website:
https://scottishswimming.justgo.com/workbench/public/events?ref=BF7EB07626EB3C0E1E94AB61DA72BC99DAE65C3D

The Scottish U16 Girls have returned home from Division 1 Inter Regions in Liverpool with a well earned bronze medal 🥉 👏

The girls got off to a great start on Saturday, winning their 1st match 8-5 vs North East Steelers. This was followed by 2 more wins; 9-7 vs South West Sharks and 15-1 vs East Angels, meaning they topped their group 💪

This then set up a semi final vs South East on Sunday which finished 5-5 after normal time. Unfortunately the girls luck wasn't in on the penalties lottery, but still gave them the opportunity to compete for the bronze medal. Their opponents were South West, a team they had previously beaten the day before. The girls took confidence from that result and finished their weekend off strong to come away 10-8 winners and bring the bronze back to Scotland 🔥 well done girls! 🙂

Full team list:

1. Ellie Gardner (Warrender)
2. Jasmine Cornish (Portobello)
3. Phoebe Shaw (Menzieshill)
4. Hali Farah (Dunfermline)
5. Ailsa Duncan (Menzieshill)
6. Molly Oswald (Dunfermline)
7. Lily O’Neill (Menzieshill)
8. Zoe Nimmo (West Edinburgh Stingrays)
9. Isla Edwards (Dunfermline)
10. Rosie Hookham (Dunfermline)
11. Ellie Thornton (Dunfermline)
12. Emily Lake (Warrender)
13. Sophie Mitchell (Stirling)
14. Rosie Illes-Brooksbank (Menzieshill)

Head Coach: Hannah Luke
Assistant Coach: Holly Corkill
Team Managers: Lorcan Halstead & Leanne Farah

We’ve got a fantastic opportunity coming up for anyone looking to get qualified as a table official. For the third year running, the BMC Cup will be hosting a Level 1 Water Polo Regional Table Official course alongside the U18 Girls event this September.

As you know, having qualified table officials is absolutely vital for keeping our Scottish League and Scottish Cup fixtures running smoothly. It’s also a brilliant way for parents, players, or volunteers to deepen their own understanding of the sport, as seeing the game from the table gives you a fantastic insight into the rules and tactics.

Dates: Saturday 5th & Sunday 6th September
Venue: Carnegie Leisure Centre, Dunfermline
Tutor: Mike Hesketh

How it works:
Classroom Session (Mandatory): Saturday 5th September, 9:00 am – 12:00 pm.

Practical Session: Saturday afternoon and all day Sunday. After the classroom session, candidates will be allocated games across the tournament weekend to get their practical experience.

To gain the qualification, candidates need to be assessed officiating a minimum of 3 games. You only need to be at the pool when you are actually officiating, and the team can be super flexible with game assignments to accommodate individual availability outside of Saturday morning's classroom slot.

How to Book:
Spaces can be booked directly through the Scottish Swimming JustGo system. You can either search for "Water Polo Regional Table Official" on the platform or use the direct link below:

Book Your Place on JustGo:
https://scottishswimming.justgo.com/workbench/public/events?ref=2C0FF9E7B5CA82F87AE57BFFD9A21E9D0E1B2EDA

Ever thought about stepping onto the poolside as a coach? Whether you're a player looking to give back, a parent wanting to help out, or just passionate about the sport, bookings are now open for the Level 1 Certificate for Coaching Water Polo!

This is the perfect first step on the coaching pathway. Here is a quick look at what you'll learn:

The Coaching Basics (Unit 1): A shared unit across all aquatic sports that focuses on essential "how to coach" skills and understanding how young athletes develop movement skills.

Water Polo Specifics (Unit 2): Dive straight into the technical knowledge and practical skills tailored specifically for water polo.

What will you be able to do?
Once you've completed the course, you'll be fully qualified to assist a lead coach during training sessions. You’ll understand key water polo techniques, know how to spot and correct common mistakes, and be able to run fun "mini polo" games.

It’s a fantastic, hands-on way to build your confidence and support our club.

How to Book & More Info
Ready to get started? You can find all the details and secure your spot directly on the Scottish Swimming website here: https://scottishswimming.justgo.com/workbench/public/events?ref=BF7EB07626EB3C0E1E94AB61DA72BC99DAE65C3D

Big congrats to the U14 NDS boys who won the Tommy Kirk Cup over in Belfast this weekend for the first time 👏

With this being the first tournament for most of the squad, it was all the more impressive that they brought home the trophy.
The boys started off by winning their group with victories over Newry and Cathal Bruagh, then victory against Cu Cullhainn in the semi final set up a gold medal match against Clonard. They went on to win this game 9-6, rounding off a superb weekend away!

Squad list:

Oliver Benson (Portobello)
Robert Corrieri (Stirling)
Rowan Illes-Brooksbank (Menzieshill)
Liam Leonard (Strathclyde Aquatics)
George Liddle (Portobello)
Igor Lisicki (Portobello)
Elis Littlejohns (Stirling)
Euan McDuff (Stingrays)
Oscar Mchaffie (Stingrays)
Josiah Moody (Kirkintilloch & Kilsyth)
Magnus Pearson (Stingrays)
Matthew Sinclair (Portobello)
Jamie Watson (Kirkintilloch & Kilsyth)

Head Coach - Ruaridh Henderson (Dunfermline)
Assistant Coach - Kero Ikladeos (Western)
Team Manager - Allison Littlejohns (Stirling)

🏐 WE ARE RECRUITING! JOIN THE SCOTTISH WATER POLO TEAM 🏐
Are you passionate about supporting young athletes and helping our national squads thrive? We have two fantastic volunteer opportunities to join our team for the upcoming season!
We are looking for enthusiastic, organised, and supportive volunteers for our U18 squads:
1: NDS Team Manager – U18 National Squad
The Team Manager plays a vital role in supporting the U18 National Squad and its athletes across our development pathways. You will act as the primary point of contact and trusted support for players, ensuring they feel valued and equipped.
• Key Duties: Leading the logistics for squad activities like travel, accommodation, and event planning , keeping parents updated , managing squad budgets alongside our Finance Coordinator , and ensuring all safety and compliance protocols are met.
• Requirements: Minimum of 2 years' experience as a Team Manager , Scottish Swimming membership , PVG scheme membership , and valid Team Manager & Child Wellbeing qualifications.
2: Assistant NDS Team Manager – U18s
The Assistant Team Manager works hand-in-hand with the Team Manager to support the U18 squad. You will deputise for the Team Manager and act as an additional friendly, trusted point of contact for our athletes.
• Key Duties: Helping with competition planning and paperwork , assisting with travel and event logistics , keeping parents updated , and supporting communication channels across coaches and officials.
• Requirements: Minimum of 2 years' experience as a Team Manager , Scottish Swimming membership , PVG scheme membership , and valid Team Manager & Child Wellbeing qualifications.
Skills We Are Looking For:
• Excellent organisational and communication skills.
• Approachable, trustworthy, patient, and calm under pressure.
• An understanding of sports competition structures—ideally water polo, but team sport experience is essential!
Full training, workshops, and support through the Scottish Swimming development programme will be provided to help you settle into the role!
📩 Interested in applying or want to find out more? Applications or enquiries should be sent to Sally Williams, Lead National Team Manager, at [email protected] by Sunday 5th of July. Please reach out if you would like the full role descriptors!

Take a look at the photographs from our Scottish Cup