Congratulations to Esme, Abbie, Dalma, Liv, and Manon – members of the Wales Junior Women Development Water Polo squad – who have been crowned U19 National Age Group Champions representing City of Bristol Water Polo Club.
Their outstanding performances throughout the preliminary and qualification rounds helped the team progress to the final stages of the competition, where they faced two of the strongest junior teams in the UK.
Bristol secured their place in the gold medal match after a 15-10 win over City of Liverpool. They then faced City of Sheffield the following day, in a dramatic final showdown. With the score level at 13-13 with just 18 seconds on the clock, Bristol scored the winner with 4 seconds to spare. Their win was a fantastic team effort.
Top Goalkeeper Honours for Esme Griffiths
A special mention goes to Esme Griffiths, who received the Top Goalkeeper Award for her phenomenal performance throughout the tournament.
Remarkably, Esme stepped into the goalkeeper role specifically for this event – a position she doesn’t usually play – making the achievement even more impressive.
A Milestone for Junior Women’s Water Polo in Wales
Wales Junior Women Coach, Laura Monico, said of the achievement:
“It has been some time since Wales has had Junior Women who can call themselves National Age Group Champions. Alongside their City of Bristol teammates for this competition, Abbie, Dalma, Esme, Manon and Olivia have achieved a milestone for the new phase of Junior Women’s Water Polo in Wales. I am incredibly proud of these young women, their hard work, dedication and their respect for their teammates. Their right to be proud of this achievement has been truly earned and they will inspire the next generation of junior women in Wales to great achievements of their own. The future of Junior Women’s Polo is strong, with 5 National Champions to lead the way and I cannot wait to see their future development.”
Inspired to get involved in water polo?
Find a club near you and take the first step: https://www.swimwales.org/water-polo/find-a-water-polo-club/
