Water polo rising: National revival sparks hope for next wave of water polo talent

SPORT was big in the community where I grew up. And I’m not referring to rugby, cricket or football … I mean all sports – even those that made players look funny, wearing Speedos and those tight skull caps for a team “uniform.”

A legacy lost

I loved swimming, but water polo didn’t seem cool to me back then. I just hated the silly cap. Yet, there were giants among us who played the game – names too numerous to mention.

It’s been heartbreaking to see how things have dried up, literally and figuratively. The Brian Hermanus swimming pool in Florianville that stood unfinished and vandalised for years is a painful monument to that loss. I watched legends like Brian Hermanus himself, Tony Jacobs, the Keyser brothers and other larger-than-life characters battling it out in that very pool. 

Silly caps and all – it was the coolest thing ever.

Today, with Kimberley’s pools drained and water polo barely a ripple in the region, it’s easy to believe the sport is dead. But elsewhere in South Africa, the game is making waves – and serious ones at that.

A new generation

When Hanna Muller took a group of South Africa’s most promising under-16 water polo players to Spain recently, it wasn’t just another overseas tour. It was a carefully considered investment in the future of the sport.

Muller, a former Olympian and now head of water polo at Clarendon High School for Girls in East London, is a key player in the Elevate Water Polo initiative. The programme is designed to bridge the gap between South Africa and the world’s water polo powerhouses.

“The trip to Spain was fantastic for all these young players to experience,” said Muller. “The opportunity to train with some amazing Spanish academy coaches and to represent the Elevate under-16 team in a highly competitive tournament was phenomenal.”

She added, “We need more players to be given this type of exposure for South Africa to catch up to the top countries of the world. It is amazing how the players developed over such a short time.”

Muller knows the road to the top. After being introduced to water polo at Stirling High School in East London, she earned a college scholarship in the US, which helped pave her path to selection for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic team.

“I love the game and made the natural progression from player to coach a few years ago,” she said. “I love sharing knowledge and seeing young girls start to progress and master the skills.”

Reviving the dream

But the gap between professional international players and South Africa’s amateurs remains wide. Most local players still have to hold down jobs to fund their careers – Muller herself is a qualified fitness trainer.

Still, she remains hopeful. “The right support is essential. We have good athletes, but we need an aligned plan that is well-communicated and one that we can all commit to,” she said. “Then I think we could see results and improvement fairly quickly.”

As Elevate continues its efforts – with more European trips lined up – Muller hasn’t ruled out another Olympic appearance herself.

“I still have ambitions as a player and would definitely like to see if I could make the grade should the opportunity arise for Los Angeles 2028.”

It’s thrilling to witness water polo gaining momentum again nationally, and one can only hope that the ripples reach places like Kimberley, where the sport once thrived. Perhaps, with the right support and investment, the caps and whistles of water polo might echo again from the deep end of a refurbished Brian Hermanus pool. 

What a thrilling full-circle moment that would be.