Lancaster’s Canoe Polo squad have enjoyed much success in BUCS competitions, winning their first medals after rising steadily up the rankings each year.
The Women’s Canoe Polo team finished second whilst the Open A team managed fourth place, narrowly missing out on a medal themselves at this year’s competition. Lancaster also sent an Open B team for the first time.
The Lancaster University Canoe Club takes part in a range of BUCS events including Slalom, White Water Racing and Canoe Polo alongside casual canoeing sessions. It was in Polo however, that the club saw its greatest success on the weekend of the 15th-17th of April at Hatfield Water Park in Doncaster.
Lancaster’s Open A team finished fourth out of 28 teams, narrowly missing out on a medal. Jonathan Stobbs, Alan Barry, Matt Fear, Chris Hanson and Matt Biggins all played for the Open A team.
The women’s Canoe Polo side came second out of the 23 teams that entered the competition, being beaten 3-1 by the eventual winners, ULU ladies, in the final. They faced teams such as Southampton, Bristol, Newcastle, Warwick – who they beat with a golden goal – and Birmingham, who were the recipients of a systematic demolition.
The final saw them battle against ULU ladies for the second time in the competition, having played them at an earlier stage in the competition and coming up short with the score line at 2-1. Unfortunately, in the final, ULU’s ladies had the edge and Lancaster had to settle for silver medals.
The performance in the competition saw a vast improvement on an admirable fifth place ranking in last year’s competition and a ninth place finish in 2009. The members of the silver medal winning team were Liz Swift, Megan Rowland, Amy Fowler, Rachel Ward, Rebecca Shields, Laura Waterson and Captain Sam Barry.
The club carried its impressive form into the Roses weekend. The Women’s Canoe Polo team beat York 6-1 while the men managed an impressive 5-0 victory adding a much needed four points to the cause. The B team managed a 3-2 victory over York but in a match with no Roses points up for grabs.
Women’s Captain Sam Barry said of the weekend in Doncaster: “I am very proud of the effort that both teams have put in this year and in previous years as is obvious from our ranking gradually rising over the recent years. It is very rewarding to be part of the ladies team finishing second.”
