Women's water-polo is a fun game. You are quite liable to get murdered: but it is a fun game.

It is played in Wellington, in a heated pool, on summer evenings after work is finished and lea is eaten. The men for some strange reason reckon we are hilarious: but standards are rising.

Luckily they have not risen far enough, so any female Varsity student with a pair of togs—one piece for safety reasons—can play in Wellington competition.

So it is strange that there are not more women water polo players at Victoria.

At Easter Tournament 69 we had six girls in the North Island team which brat South 4-1, with our captain Carol Quirk us North's captain.

Three of these graduated to the NZU team, with Carol again as captain, which the strong Canterbury provincial side heat 6-1. Unfortunately the Varsities team was only announced shortly before the game so there was no time for a practice.

Victoria only went down 5-1 to Canterbury in an unofficial game. This was good for a club side.

Coming attractions include the annual national water polo championships and tournament next March, and the inter-provincial competition.

There is also talk of sending a New Zealand women's team to Australia.

The Victoria women's team does not train like maniacs. Our primary need is not fitness, but just to get a team together now, before finals, and keep together. Then we might stand a good chance at Auckland's Tournament next year when we hope to become an official sport. Contact: Carol (Phone 27-82528) or Morna (Phone 886-592).

If Ever there was a game off skill, pace and sheer joie de vivre, this is it.

Water polo conceived, born and developed in England during the late 1869's as "water soccer" is now one of the most popular truly international sports played in pools throughout the world.

Within New Zealand it is not a mass sport like Rugby, but it does have some hundreds of devotees, and, of course, a close affinity with the thousands of competitive swimmers in the country.

On its own, water polo would be comparable in popularity with other such connoisseur sports as rowing and yachting, for it demands a high degree of skill and fitness, and is not an easy sport to master.

History

Water polo was developed by a number of aquatic sportsmen who wished to revive interest in swimming by relieving the boredom of spectators having to watch incessant swimming races.

Before the close of the nineteenth century water polo had spread from Britain to the United States and to several European countries.

It was included in the 1900 Olympic Games at Paris but only club teams participated.

However, in 1908 water polo became a fully representative sport and since then has been a major sport on the Olympic programme.

Spectator Sport

Water polo, as a fast and manly game with a great deal of body contact under the water, unable to be seen by the referee, offers skills and thrills galore for those who watch it.

It is interesting, however, to overhear remarks and questions posed by the spectator watching his first game of water polo.

Common amongst them are: "... dirtiest sport I have ever seen"... . "how does he float with two blokes holding him?" ... "where are the horses?" ... "that bloke has his hand in his opponent's togs" ... "I thought the referee would be in the water" ... "do many players drown?"

Basic Rules

The basic rules of the game are quite simple:

• Two teams of 11 players with seven in the water at any one time.

• Four quarters of five minutes playing times.

• Only one hand to be used to throw or catch the ball (except the goalkeepers).

• Goals (worth one point each) scored by getting the ball in the opposing team's net.

• It is a foul to hold, push or sink an opponent not holding the ball.

• One cannot push the ball under water.

There is no offside and the object is primarily to get oneself into a scoring position and await a pass onto the hand.

1969/70 Season

The water polo season begins sometime in October with promotion-relegation matches. The Varsity men's "A" team did not feature as prominently last year in the local competition as some experienced players defected to other Wellington Clubs.

There is also a team in the "B" grade.

The club's interest in promoting water polo is shown by the fact that they are sponsoring an Onslow College team to play in the schoolboys competition under Vic colours.

This involves Vic in paying the affiliation fees, providing equipment and coaching.

Training night is every Monday between 7-8 p.m. at the Thorndon pool for both men and women.

Competition is held on Thursday nights also at the Thorndon Pool.

Anyone interested in playing this highly entertaining, enjoyable sport, beginners or otherwise, this summer vacation, should contact one of the following people:

Mona McFarlane Phone 887-175 B.); Pru Brock (Phone 48-640 B.); John Brodie (Phone 59-859 B., 757-568 H.); Paul Kent (Phone 888-951 H.).