In their first tournament since the pandemic, Sedgefield Water Polo U17 boys travelled to Salt Ayre Leisure Centre, Lancaster for the National Age Group tournament, where the 2004 born boys aimed to replicate the success of the 2005 born boys who won gold back in 2019.
The first game was against local rivals, Sheffield, who the boys won 9-2. This was due to a fantastic 4 goals by Rohan Henderson, a hat-trick from Ben Alderson and 2 goals from Ryan Griffiths.
The second game was against Manchester, who had a very strong team. The match was tougher than expected but the team won by 4 goals to 3. This was a hat trick by Ben Alderson and a goal by Ryan Griffiths.
The third game was against Bridgefield, who always field a very strong team in tournaments. Although the team lost this game 3-2, they played exceptionally well, with goals scored by Ben Alderson and Joseph Fairbairn.
The last game of the day was against Scottish side, Caledonia, where despite two goals from Ben Alderson and one from Ryan Griffiths, the team lost by 6-3.
Thanks to coaches John Pratt and Chris McEwan for their help and support on the day, and for keeping the boys motivated and focused. Unfortunately, due to the size of the group, the boys came third in their group but needed to come in the top two in order to qualify – therefore, despite the results not going in the boys favour, they left the day knowing they had played exceptionally well and the coaches were very proud of their team spirit and work ethic. Thanks also to the parents who made the early morning drive over to Lancaster for their support.
In addition to Junior and Senior sessions, the club now offer a beginner session on a Saturday afternoon for those wishing to try this fun and exciting sport. All sessions need to be booked in advance so please check our website for further info and joining instructions; Contact us: 07579 030 598 / sedgefieldwp@hotmail.com