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The coach’s perspective, Great Britain Head Coach Nick Buller sets out his vision for GB water polo - January 9, 2024
As Great Britain prepare to face world champions Netherlands in the quarterfinals of the European Championships in Eindhoven this evening, head coach Nick Buller reflects on the journey his squad has had so far and his hopes for the future…
“My objective with this group of talented players has always been to ensure there will be on-going access to high-level international competition for them, and also in the future, for the next generation of Great Britain’s women water polo players.
“All along, we have wanted to secure a future for our female athletes, and progression in this competition should help to secure this legacy.
“That is why emotions were so high when we secured victory against Israel, not just because of the result itself, but also because of what the victory should mean for our sport in the UK.
“As anyone who follows international water polo will know, a top eight finish in the European Championships is a major indicator of success and we believe that our women’s success in achieving at least that should secure the future for the sport in Great Britain.
“Reflecting on our winning performance against Israel, I am struck by the disparity in sporting opportunities which the Israel polo players have compared to those for our GB athletes.
“Israel’s players are centrally contracted and funded, with 22 hours of training per week, whereas the GB players are largely self-funded and spread across the UK and Europe playing their polo where they can.
“In essence, GB water polo operates on a shoestring and yet our players have still managed to win through putting together four back-to-back victories.
“With the current world champions to face this evening, no-one is suggesting that GB can currently expect to be properly competitive with the Netherlands, but just imagine what this group of players could achieve if they were supported by a properly funded program with central facilities in the UK…
“The commitment, passion and ability of our GB women has been clearly evident over the past few days of European competition, and in my view they are a group of players who are clearly worthy of investment from those who hold the purse strings back in the UK.
“They not only deserve our applause for their performance, but they also deserve our financial backing for the future.”
image credit: European Aquatics
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Latest News
The coach’s perspective, Great Britain Head Coach Nick Buller sets out his vision for GB water polo -
As Great Britain prepare to face world champions Netherlands in the quarterfinals of the European Championships in Eindhoven this evening, head coach Nick Buller reflects on the journey his squad has had so far and his hopes for the future…
“My objective with this group of talented players has always been to ensure there will be on-going access to high-level international competition for them, and also in the future, for the next generation of Great Britain’s women water polo players.
“All along, we have wanted to secure a future for our female athletes, and progression in this competition should help to secure this legacy.
“That is why emotions were so high when we secured victory against Israel, not just because of the result itself, but also because of what the victory should mean for our sport in the UK.
“As anyone who follows international water polo will know, a top eight finish in the European Championships is a major indicator of success and we believe that our women’s success in achieving at least that should secure the future for the sport in Great Britain.
“Reflecting on our winning performance against Israel, I am struck by the disparity in sporting opportunities which the Israel polo players have compared to those for our GB athletes.
“Israel’s players are centrally contracted and funded, with 22 hours of training per week, whereas the GB players are largely self-funded and spread across the UK and Europe playing their polo where they can.
“In essence, GB water polo operates on a shoestring and yet our players have still managed to win through putting together four back-to-back victories.
“With the current world champions to face this evening, no-one is suggesting that GB can currently expect to be properly competitive with the Netherlands, but just imagine what this group of players could achieve if they were supported by a properly funded program with central facilities in the UK…
“The commitment, passion and ability of our GB women has been clearly evident over the past few days of European competition, and in my view they are a group of players who are clearly worthy of investment from those who hold the purse strings back in the UK.
“They not only deserve our applause for their performance, but they also deserve our financial backing for the future.”
image credit: European Aquatics
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