You’ve by no means heard of underwater rugby… the place have you ever been? Kristina Pedder meets one of many few golf equipment within the UK devoted to the game.
What’s underwater rugby?
Underwater rugby is a breath-hold sport wherein two groups of six snorkellers try to put a weighted ball underneath the rim of the opposite group’s purpose. Every group’s metal bin, formed like a basketball hoop, stands on the underside of the pool between three and a half to 5 metres deep.
Did you invent the game on the PURE membership?
No. It developed out of the conditioning workout routines of German divers within the Nineteen Sixties, a lot because the extra acquainted underwater hockey (also called octopush) was began by British divers. The game is widespread in different European nations, throughout Scandinavia, in components of south and north America (notably Colombia), and in a couple of different locations, together with Singapore. The primary worldwide championship was held in 1980, after the game was recognised by the Confédération Mondiale des Activités Subaquatiques (CMAS) in 1978.
When did the game come to the UK?
Founder member and unique treasurer Rob Bonnar remembers the membership’s beginnings in 2013: “I used to be doing ballroom dancing classes after I met a Slovakian man referred to as Oliver Kraus, and he requested me if I wish to arrange an underwater rugby membership with him.” Oli had fallen in love with the game in his native Slovakia, and he turned PURE’s founding Chair. This primarily launched the game to the UK. Putney Leisure Centre had an acceptable pool however wouldn’t sanction the exercise with out acceptable insurance coverage.
Oh expensive, what occurred subsequent?
Early makes an attempt to elicit recommendation from numerous underwater explorers have been met with silence or well mannered bafflement, till we got here to the eye of the late Roy Sherwin, a BSAC diver and former London Area Coach. Quickly, due to Roy’s well-known enthusiasm for underwater actions and to BSAC itself, we may play as snorkelling members of the newly minted BSAC membership referred to as PURE; department quantity 2513.
PURE appears slightly uncommon amongst BSAC golf equipment – what’s the membership’s most important purpose?
Taking part in underwater rugby and getting others to play underwater rugby. And we are going to (respectfully) hijack anybody, anyplace to do it. The extra gamers now we have, the extra helpful our coaching classes are. We’d additionally wish to see extra UK golf equipment spring up. As a result of recreation’s depth, every group fields 12 gamers to permit for frequent substitutions. It might be nice to have a minimum of this many individuals coaching each week. At current now we have round 20 members. There is just one different BSAC membership devoted to underwater rugby, the Cheltenham Barracudas, so we will say we’re virtually distinctive.
How do you play?
The groups begin at reverse ends of the swimming pool, with one hand in opposition to the wall. Once they get a sign, each groups then race to gather the ball, which is ready within the centre of the pool. From that time, the sport has begun, and the purpose is to beat your opponents, utilizing talent, power and teamwork. The ball is negatively buoyant, so it sinks, and it’s handed by ‘pushing’ the ball by the water to your teammates. The ball could be handed in any route, together with up and down, making underwater rugby the one (actual) group sport performed in three dimensions. There are notable comparisons to Quidditch, the airborne sport within the Harry Potter books.
Quidditch received fairly bodily typically…
So does underwater rugby. It’s a contact sport: grappling is allowed between gamers if any of them is involved with the ball. Goalkeepers typically shield the purpose by mendacity throughout the highest, and attackers should lever them off the purpose to attain. Gamers attacking the purpose may also be pushed away by defenders, whereas opposing attackers swoop to win again the ball. Though the foundations are easy, the sport’s ways are difficult.
What do that you must play?
Gamers put on masks, fins, snorkel, and a water-polo cap to guard their ears. In the event you can swim and maintain your breath for 30 seconds, it’s best to give it a go.
Do groups embrace each men and women?
Sure, our coaching and competitors is combined proper as much as worldwide degree. Cheltenham Barracudas just lately hosted a girls’s meet and match.
OK, how can folks become involved?
We’ve spare gear for newcomers and the primary three classes at PURE are free. At current our classes are held at Putney Leisure Centre, from 8.30 to 10.30pm on Thursdays, and at Guildford Spectrum, from 9pm to 10pm on Mondays. In another nations, gamers begin coaching from a younger age, however now we have to this point lacked the know-how to securely supply the game to under-18s. That’s one other space we’d wish to work with BSAC on, in time particularly drawing on BSAC’s experience in working with younger folks, to enhance the promotion of snorkelling to this age group.
What do you do other than coaching?
There’s a working joke that each newcomer joins a reasonably quick queue for the GB worldwide underwater rugby group. That is true, and there are GB group gamers in our membership for newcomers to be taught with. Regardless of there solely being a couple of UK golf equipment, there are a number of home tournaments every year for all talent ranges. We additionally journey to European occasions by the 12 months, and plan to take some eager newbies to a mixture and match in Luxembourg this autumn.
Why underwater rugby?
We requested PURE members what they preferred concerning the sport.
James Massey, who joined us in Guildford just lately having scuba dived and performed underwater hockey for years, says: “Underwater rugby is nice enjoyable and any fool can be taught. I adore it!”.
Jamie Ganley additionally joined shortly after we expanded to Guildford in 2023. He found that it was extra enjoyable than swimming: “I used to be a bit bored of doing lanes, and there was an underwater rugby session occurring. I received invited alongside, was completely horrible, however I’m right here six months later.” (Word from interviewee: he’s truly fairly good.) For some, it extends the chances for underwater enjoyment.
Jason Musil has been scuba diving for 10 years however by no means severely performed a group sport: “I dived with Roy Sherwin at Teddington SAC, however solely discovered concerning the underwater rugby from some slightly intense guys at his funeral. Once I’m taking part in, it feels as if diving with seals turned a aggressive sport.”
Different gamers have include breath-hold expertise from spearfishing or free-diving, whereas former floor rugby gamers take pleasure in each the bodily contact and a low-impact setting that’s variety to outdated accidents. Though there’s as but no formal proof that underwater rugby coaching improves health, power, swimming capacity, and consciousness… all these traits which might be so necessary to scuba divers and snorkellers get higher the longer you play.
Is there a social facet to the membership?
Underwater rugby has an egalitarian and worldwide social scene, with folks passing by London incessantly dropping in for a recreation. Prior to now few months, now we have had guests from Albania, Australia, Belgium, Colombia, France, Germany and Singapore. Sadly, our pool hours make it tough to maintain a daily pub schedule. However each new participant will uncover a world community of pals who love the game and simply need one another to do nicely.
What subsequent?
We hope to draw new gamers, individuals who love being underwater together with present and potential divers and snorkellers. BSAC has been actively selling snorkelling lately, and our accessible, addictively enjoyable sport is an efficient match with that. This text will assist us, as simply getting seen is a giant deal, however we’re going to attain out to native BSAC branches to see what we will do for one another. We’ve already expanded from Putney to incorporate an evening in Guildford, which is taking over a lifetime of its personal. And as we convey extra new gamers into the sport, we’re studying the best way to construction a freshmen’ coaching programme, with scheduled newcomer classes deliberate.
We’d strongly encourage others to arrange their very own golf equipment, or to supply underwater rugby as a membership exercise. We are able to advise you on the best way to do it and we look ahead to seeing some new pals within the pool.
A heat welcome awaits
PURE members are all the time eager to inform newcomers concerning the membership.
Founder member Rob Bonnar: “The membership may be very pleasant, there’s no strain, stress-free principally. There is superb craic, now we have a good time. And since we’re based mostly in London, plenty of folks come out and in.”
New recruit Jamie Ganley: “Everybody’s very pleasant, it’s very simple to become involved. […] Everybody’s been very useful to information me round, present me the foundations, get me used to diving at depth. It’s a really welcoming membership, actually supportive, and I’m actually, actually having fun with it”.
Feminine participant Elaine M, who began out with Cheltenham Barracudas: “I first received into underwater rugby 4 years in the past and haven’t appeared again since. This distinctive sport, which could be bodily demanding, has a group of gamers which might be supportive, pleasant, and inspiring. I might enormously encourage anybody to come back and provides it a go.”
Harriet Glanville, membership treasurer and long-time participant: “I began taking part in underwater rugby whereas doing an internship in Cheltenham and instantly discovered a particularly welcoming group. The great vibes are mirrored at PURE in London for certain. As a lady it’s a fantastic contact sport to play, as I’m very a lot capable of compete with the fellows, so I all the time really feel sturdy and revered.”
Article ‘Membership Focus – PURE Underwater Rugby’ by Kristina Pedder first revealed in SCUBA journal, Problem 149 October 2024.
