Kearsney preparing to create bigger waves in 2024-25 water polo season
Kearsney College’s water polo team is back in the pool and preparing for the 2024-25 season. Earlier this year, Nicholas Rodda’s charges finished their season in style, beating St Alban’s College 10–8 in the final to lift the Reef Cup Water Polo Invitational Tournament title.
“Winning that tournament and going unbeaten in term one was a big highlight. Beating Hilton twice was also a big one for us,” Rodda shared.
The Reef Cup title was lifted five months ago, and while Rodda is keen to use it as a building block as Kearsney prepares for the new season, he doesn’t want to focus only on problem areas he saw in March. The Kearsney coach is focusing on all aspects of play and going back to the basics.
By creating a well-rounded team that can execute in all areas, the boys from Botha’s Hill hope to accomplish or come close to fulfilling their goals for the season.
“We want to do the best we can to improve on our sixth-place finish at last year’s Clifton tournament. This year is also our first attendance at the Saints Stayers Tournament in a few years. We are aiming to do the best we can there,” Rodda said.
While Rodda’ wants his side to perform as a unit, Kearsney certainly has some players who were key performers in their outstanding first term that they will again lean on, including Blake Kruger, James Pohl, and Luca Sandri.
Kruger was a member of the KZN u19B team that contested the semi-finals of the inter-provincial tournament last year and his skills and experience will be invaluable in Kearsney’s campaign. Pohl and Sandri helped KZN win the u16 IPT, and earlier this year they were members of the KZN Currie Cup team that finished as the runners-up in the inter-provincial tournament in East London.
Sandri’s pedigree in the pool cannot be overstated. He was part of South Africa’s gold medal-winning relay teams in the 4×50 and 4x100m at the 2023 BRICS Games in Durban.
Kearsney has been in pool training for three weeks now and has played two pre-season games against Westville and Glenwood, cruising to a 19-6 victory over Glenwood and falling 8-11 to Westville.
The KwaZulu-Natal coastal schools are involved in preseason games on Tuesday nights. Unfortunately, Kearsney’s third pre-season fixture against Clifton has been cancelled because of illness in the Durban school’s ranks.
It will, therefore, be a while before Kearsney is back in action. Rodda’s charges will face Hilton and Michaelhouse on 3 September.
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