Water Polo

BL Water Polo is one of Barts and The London's largest mixed clubs offering training sessions, matches and socials for both males and females.As BLSA Club of the Year in 2019-2020, BL Water Polo provides some of the best fitness and skill sessions available, as well as our very friendly social side to the club. Throughout the year, we offer 2-3 training sessions a week, weekly socials, a National and an International Tour, Alumni events, and the infamous Barts to The London Pub Crawl!A standard Student membership entitles you to all of this and so much more! Taster SessionGiving Water Polo a go can sound like a daunting prospect, however, the vast majority of our players and members had never even heard of the sport before coming to university. Even if you have never played before, do not let that stop you from joining our Taster Session where we start with the basics - perfect for any beginners! If you have played before and are keen to continue to do so, we would love to welcome you into our club too!Date: Sunday 26th September 2021Time: 15:30 – 17:00Location: Poplar Baths Leisure Centre and Gym, 170 E India Dock Rd, Poplar, London E14 0ED. We will also be meeting Freshers at Dawson and Floyer from 2:30pm and then heading to the pool together! Swim and warm up Basic small group skills and rule explanations Fun MatchesA swimming costume and a towel are the only things required - goggles and shampoo are optional.There is no formal selection process for teams - there is a team for all abilities! TrainingOur normal training week consists of four sessions: three in the pool and one fitness session. For the first term our training times are as follows:Wednesday: 2:00-3:30pm at Victoria Park or BLSA Fitness RoomThursday: 8:30-10:00pm at Poplar Baths Leisure CentreSunday: 3:30-5:00pm at Poplar Baths Leisure CentreEquipment: A swimming costume and a towel are the only things required - goggles and shampoo are optional.All other equipment will be provided. CompetitionsWe have four teams within the club, our Men's and Women's teams compete in BUCS. And our two equal ability, mixed gender teams play in LUSL. Every member of the club can play in matches, we have no formal selection process for our teams so it does not matter if you are a complete novice! How to get involved1. Join the Facebook group, or you can get in contact with any of our club committee members or social media platforms.2. Attend the taster session in September or come along to any session - the first session is free!3. Purchase your subs online.4. Enjoy! Attend the training sessions and take part in matches. Contact DetailsClub Captain - Liam Nicholson (waterpolo@bartslondon.com)Men’s Captain - Rory ChesterWomen’s Captain - Charis DowsonMixed Captain - Mark GarsideMixed Captain - James Rowell TestimonialsChristina (Second Year) I joined BLWP as a fresher last year to try something new, as I hadn’t had the opportunity to play water polo in school. Unfortunately due to COVID restrictions last year, I never got to play a formal match. Despite this, I always felt that I was a part of the team and training was made available to players of all levels. From the beginning, members made sure that I was settling into Barts well and checked in on me throughout the year. Socials are always a lot of fun, both online and in person, and no one takes themselves too seriously. There’s a real sense of community and so much fun in store for next year; I can’t wait to welcome new members in September!Charis (Third Year) Barts and The London’s Water Polo club is a very inclusive club. You don’t have to know how to play the sport before joining the university which makes it really fun and unique. As it’s a mixed club it has a really lovely dynamic where you can take part in mixed events and women’s/ men’s events. Overall I love the club as it is super welcoming and everyone encourages you to do your best whilst having a fun time!Ania (Final Year)I joined BL water polo in my first year of uni because I wanted to try something new. I have never played that sport before but the people were so welcoming and keen to teach that I found myself leading one of the teams a few years later. Absolutely lovely bunch of people, great for both fun and serious training! This is probably the most welcoming club at BL thanks to which I always have a great time and space to reset from challenging studies. Hands down, one of the best decision I made during my time at uni.