Water Polo

Water Polo is a highly physical team sport in which the players of each squad try to score as many goals against the opposition as they can, while preventing their rivals from scoring goals at the same time. It requires fast reactions and finesse as well as great endurance, as players can swim up to 1500m in a match. Water Polo is inclusive to all genders and levels of experience, and we welcome enquiries from those with a disability regarding the accessibility of Water Polo.

The club offers students the opportunity to play competitive water polo and represent the university at the national level. Water Polo is a discretionary full blue sport, and as such has a prestigious status in the university sports scene. Members of the club train up to 5 times a week in preparation for BUCS fixtures against other universities and the annual Varsity match against Cambridge, a unique event characterised by its fantastic atmosphere. While our teams compete at the highest level of university sport, we also provide opportunities for beginners and novices to learn the game in a welcoming and friendly environment.

Each summer in Trinity, there is an inter-college Cuppers water polo tournament, which is an opportunity for anyone at Oxford to give water polo a try without signing up for the Blues squad.

The tournament usually follows the format of an initial group stage followed by semi-finals and a final. The group stage usually sees four groups of three, four or five colleges playing a round-robin tournament, with the group winners progressing to the semi-finals. It is a mixed tournament, with each team required to field at least three girls in the water at any time. Each team is also allowed only two Blues players in the pool at any time.

If you are interested in taking part in Cuppers, please send an email to the club's current secretary. Even if your college is not entering a team it is possible to join a surrogate college for the tournament. We do allow joint teams, but this should be confirmed with the secretary before entering, as we try to avoid this where possible.