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Iviwe Odoure, of Reddam House Constantia, will be in goal for the Western Province u19A girls’ team at the Schools Water Polo South Africa (SWPSA) Inter-Provincial Tournament in Johannesburg. Photo: Shot by Shani Photography
The annual tournament runs from 6-10 December, and the girls’ u19 fixtures will be contested at St Stithians College‘s Olympic Pool.
Coach Connor Whiting will guide the Western Province u19A team’s challenge, while Ruby Versfeld will coach the u19B side.
The experienced Nicola Plasket will act as the assistant to both sides, while Kate Meintjes will have her hands full with managerial duties.
Whiting was involved in last year’s campaign as coach of the u19B team, which finished in fourth place. The A-team, meanwhile, was coached by Etienne Le Roux. They picked up the silver medals after going down to Central Gauteng A 4-9 in the final. Le Roux is in charge of the u16A boys’ team this year.
“I’m definitely excited. I think the IPT is a tournament coaches always look forward to at the end of the year. It’s an exciting time, and it comes with different challenges,” Whiting told SuperSport Schools Plus ahead of the tournament.
“Coaching the A-team this year has a different level of pressure compared to last year when I was coaching the B-team.
“Last year was one of my best coaching experiences in the provincial setup. We had a great bunch of girls, super motivated and eager to punch above their weight.
“I learnt a lot, but I’m looking forward to this year, as we have a great team.”
The Western Province A-team will have some continuity, with several experienced players from year’s squad returning and in the final year of their schools’ water polo careers. There’s also young blood coming through in both teams, and Whiting is optimistic they’ll fit right in.
“We have a lot of girls that stayed in the system, and those in the B-team moved to the A-side, and some u16 girls have moved up.
“The new ones have fitted in nicely. I’m also excited for the B-team. They are a very talented side, and I believe they will give teams a good run for their money.”
Coach Connor Whiting will return to coach the u19A team at the IPT. He last coached the A-team during the Currie Cup in East London in 2024. Photo: Shot by Shani Photography
Preparing for the inter-provincial tournament is a challenge. The squads are made up of players from different schools, among them several who are in matric and who have had to manage busy exam schedules while also putting in the hours in the pool.
“The overall preparation has been good. We’ve had to balance finals and grade 11 exams, but we’ve done a good job with that,” Whiting reckoned.
“The girls have committed nicely to the schedules and programmes. There have been times when life happens, and we’ve got finals and the girls are stressed, so they can come down for only half the practice.
“It’s been a good understanding, and we’ve always made it a point that we train hard and also study hard.”
When asked about the type of water polo that can be expected from his side, Whiting said: “Simplicity is key for us. The goal is always to do the basics really well.
“We want to play at a high tempo and have a little bit of unpredictability, which is key. We have a few players in both the A and B sides that are unpredictable, and that’s the balance we are looking for.
“The goal for the last couple of weeks in training has been to nail down the basics, and hopefully that’s what spectators will see.”
The WP u19A team has been drawn in Pool B and will open their campaign against Central Gauteng B on Sunday, 7 December, at 10:05.
The B-team will compete in Pool A and faces the defending champion, Central Gauteng A, in their opener at 14:25.
