Over the last 2 and a half years Paul Roos Gymansium has developed and introduced various water polo programs at junior schools within the Boland area. This initiative started at Laerskool Eikestad where water polo was introduced as an extra-curricular sport and sessions where facilitated at Paul Roos Gymnasium.
Through word of mouth and interest in the sport by the end of 2015 – Rhenish Primary and Laerskool Stellenbosch had started programs in the same capacity. At the start of 2016 a group from Somerset West, comprising of boys from Beaumont, de Hoop and Somerset House had also joined and formalized league matches became a reality.
League fixtures consisted of teams comprised of seniors, Grade 6 and 7 as well as juniors, Grade 4 and 5. Close to 200 kids were playing water polo in the Boland at a junior school level.
2017 was a land mark year for the program as Laerskool Stellenbosch opted to take water polo on as a focus sport meaning the sport would be run and managed internally by the school and there would be no cost to play. Moreover junior water polo has now moved to the Paarl with Klein Boys High and Bridge House junior running programs and joining the local league.
It is our goal to have as many junior schools in the area taking water polo as a focus sport.
Photo: Eikestad u13’s from 2015.
