They Include:

                         Club Mini Polo Festivals

                         Friendly Mini Polo Tournaments

                         County Sports Partnership Development Tournaments

                         ASANWR Competitions – All Ages

                         ASA National Knockout Competitions

                         National League Tournaments

Mini Polo

This is the first step on the Water Polo Ladder.  Mini Polo is about having fun whilst learning the very basics of Water Polo. The rules are very limited, with players allowed to stand on the pool floor, catch and pass with both hands and is a non contact level of water polo. Age ranges for this level of competition are 10 & Understand 12 & Under. Games are also mostly mixed boys and girls at this level. Competitions at this level are generally friendlies organised by individual clubs.

Also we have club Mini Polo festivals where our players can experience their first taste of friendly Polo competition.

Youth Water Polo

Once introduced to junior water polo, the level of training and competition increases. With contact introduced and only one handed catches and passes. Also at this level players are not allowed to stand on the pool floor. However this level of water polo remains mixed boys and girls. Age ranges for theses competitions are 12 – 16yrs

Competitions range from Friendlies (organised by individual clubs), County (county representation through County Sports Partnerships), Regional (ASANWR championships) and National (ASA National Championships).

Junior Water Polo

Junior water polo is the first level at which Boys and Girls play separately in all competitions. By this time most players have had a few years experience and now use training to fine tune their skills, including more complex attack and defensive scenarios.

Age ranges from 16 – 18yrs.

Competitions available are: Friendlies, County Sports Partnership, Regional and National competitions.

Senior Water Polo

By this time your skills should be well honed and competition becomes more serious. Generally competition at senior level is more intense and physically demanding.

Competitions available at this level are: Friendlies, Regional and National.

We currently have a Senior Womens and Senior Mens National League teams.

RTC – (Regional Training Centres) – England Talent

Carlisle currently has the privilege of having one of 9 regional training centres throughout the UK. These centres are the only pathway to National Team selection. The ages at which players are introduced to the RTC’s is 12 & Under and 14 & Under. The centres run 3 blocks of 10 week sessions throughout the year with various competitions and a National Academy week where all RTC players come together for one week of intense training (during August).

Selection for RTC’s are done on a trial basis, all club players within Cumbria are eligible to attend these trials which generally take place during the first session of each 10 week block. Training follows a set programme which is devised by the National Talent Development Officer and given by the RTC coaches.

Selection for the National squads takes place during the Academy week from the older age group at which point the successful players join the National Squad training programme.