CLUBFOCUS
Stiff fibrereinforced fins are the norm
Getting ready to play in Stavanger
to set up an underwater rugby club with him .” Oli had fallen in love with the sport in his native Slovakia , and he became PURE ’ s founding Chair . This essentially introduced the sport to the UK . Putney Leisure Centre had a suitable pool but would not sanction the activity without appropriate insurance .
Oh dear , what happened next ?
Early attempts to elicit advice from various underwater explorers were met with silence or polite bafflement , until we came to the attention of the late Roy Sherwin , a BSAC diver and former London Region
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Coach . Soon , thanks to Roy ’ s famous enthusiasm for underwater activities and to BSAC itself , we could play as snorkelling members of the newly minted BSAC club called PURE ; branch number 2513 .
PURE seems rather unusual among BSAC clubs – what is the club ’ s main aim ?
Playing underwater rugby and getting others to play underwater rugby . And we will ( respectfully ) hijack anyone , anywhere to do it . The more players we have , the
A full complement of 12 players
more useful our training sessions are . We would also like to see more UK clubs spring up . Due to the game ’ s intensity , each team fields 12 players to allow for frequent substitutions . It would be great to have at least this many people training every week . At present we have around 20 members . There is only one other BSAC club dedicated to underwater rugby , the Cheltenham Barracudas , so we can say we are almost unique .
How do you play ?
The teams start at opposite ends of the swimming pool , with one hand against the wall . When they get a signal , both teams then race to collect the ball , which is waiting in the centre of the pool . From that point , the game has begun , and the aim is to beat your opponents , using skill , strength and teamwork . The ball is negatively buoyant , so it sinks , and it is passed by ‘ pushing ’ the ball through the water to your teammates . The ball can be passed in any direction , including up and down , making underwater rugby the only ( real ) team sport played in three dimensions . There are notable comparisons to Quidditch , the airborne sport in the Harry Potter books .
Quidditch got quite physical sometimes …
So does underwater rugby . It is a contact sport : grappling is allowed between players if any of them is in contact with the ball . Goalkeepers generally protect the goal by lying across the top , and attackers must lever them off the goal to score . Players attacking the goal can also be pushed away by defenders , while opposing attackers swoop to win back the ball . Although the rules are simple , the game ’ s tactics are challenging .