It’s the last dance for Nicholas Searle as Gauteng hunts another IPT title
Central Gauteng‘s u19A boys’ captain, Nicholas Searle, will be gunning to end his school water polo career on a high when he leads his side at the South African Schools’ Water Polo (SWPSA) Inter-Provincial Tournament (IPT) in Johannesburg.
The 50th edition of the highly anticipated tournament takes place from 6 to 10 December.
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The u19 boys’ matches will be played at St David’s Marist Inanda, while the girls’ games will be hosted at St Stithians College.
Searle and his teammates are aiming to make history and defend the title they won a year ago in East London, where they beat KwaZulu-Natal 8-6 in a tight final.
“The build-up to IPT has been quite intense,” he told SuperSport Schools Plus.
“We have been setting the level high with constant training every day. We are doing high-intensity stuff, lots of sprints and a lot of skills-based work.”
The St John’s College learner started playing water polo in grade five after transitioning from swimming. He was roped into the sport by the legendary Vladimir Trinic and, as they say, the rest is history.
Searle, then, played his way up the St John’s ranks and over the past two years has been one of the standout boys’ water polo players in South Africa.
His performances for school and province have seen him be part of title-winning teams at the IPT, the Currie Cup, the KES Water Polo Tournament, and, most recently, the SACS Water Polo Tournament, among others.
Reflecting on his time in the sport, he said: “It’s been a long journey with some memorable moments. I think winning the KES tournament was one of the most significant moments in my high school career.
“Of course, I had watched the likes of Matt Pryce win it, and those were some of the most dominant years for St John’s polo.
“I looked up to them, watched them win countless tournaments, and KES was the biggest.
“From this year, I would definitely say winning the SACS Water Polo Tournament to end off my grade 12 year was big and important. I finished with seven goals in the final while wearing the cap number seven. That was a good coincidence.”
Coach Jon-Marc De Carvalho will lead the Gauteng outfit, and he’s selected a stacked and talented squad.
Searle says he’s eager to have one final dance with his provincial teammates.
“It’s definitely a big one on home soil, and a lot of thought has gone into this tournament,” he said. “From the start of the year, it’s been on my mind, thinking about the team, and how we are going to progress.
“I’m very excited to be playing my last IPT at St David’s. That’s very special to me. I have spent many hours at that pool, practising and playing matches, so I look forward to it.”
Gauteng has been drawn in Pool A and will face Buffalo City, Central Gauteng B and Nelson Mandela Bay.
They will also lock horns with the Aussie Crocs on day three. Searle expects a tough challenge from all of their opponents.
“It has never been easy at the IPT, and this year won’t be any different,” he explained.
“The level of polo across the different provinces has improved. Western Province and KZN have dominant players, as we saw at the SACS and Clifton Water Polo Tournaments.
“I must say that Nelson Mandela Bay are also looking competitive, so they will be tough to beat.”
Searle also thanked his parents for their dedication to his career and the support they’ve provided over the years. He furthermore expressed his appreciation for Vlad Trinic and Jon-Marc De Carvalho.
Gauteng kicks off its campaign against Nelson Mandela Bay on Sunday, 7 December, at 07:00.
TEAM
Erik Arwidi (St David’s), Chris Chapman (St John’s), Fu-Nam Chen (St John’s), James Crick (St Stithians), Danilo Giuricich (St David’s), Cooper Haworth (St David’s), Aiden Khoury (Jeppe Boys), Connor McJannet (St David’s), Simon Mussett (St John’s), Tyler Mwekassa (King Edward VII), Nicholas Searle (St John’s), Dylan Wiggill (St David’s), Harry Wilkins (King Edward VII), Declan Wood (St Stithians).
Head Coach: Jon-Marc De Carvalho
Assistant Coach: Thabang Madi
Manager: Zahraa Bodiat
