Coastal teams will have their work cut out for them when they take to the pool for the University Sports South Africa tournament in the thin Pretoria air from Wednesday.
Despite the competition taking place at high tide – so to speak – Maties, who won the 2024 men’s title at sea level in East London, will be the team with a target on their back.
Apart from a conditioning programme aimed at counteracting the difficulties of playing at altitude, Madibaz men’s coach Richard Rautenbach takes confidence from the fact that many of the squad are USSA veterans.
“Even though we have a younger group in certain areas, we retain a strong base of players who understand the pace, physicality and structure required at this level,” he said.
Those who have competed in multiple tournaments will be key in guiding the newcomers through any choppy waters and other unknowns and will therefore be crucial in the overall chances of the Gqeberha team.
The good news is that the emerging players have shown impressive growth this season.
“Despite being fairly new to this level they have stepped up really well,” Rautenbach said.
The Madibaz field a team that is a “good balance of experience and exciting new energy”, and the coach is confident in the group’s ability to go toe to toe with their peers despite the obvious disadvantage.
While the men have endured tough times recently, as an A section team, they are competing against the strongest opposition in the country.
“The last few tournaments haven’t been easy,” Rautenbach said. “Every match is an intense battle.”
Nevertheless, he is encouraged by the fact that they are fielding their best squad of the entire season.
There has been a huge emphasis on preparing for the demands of full-throttle competition at altitude.
Due to the close relationship between water polo and swimming at Mandela University, the players have also had the advantage of training under swimming coach Cheryl Kotze.
Physical preparation alone would not be enough, however, the coach emphasised.
He said the USSAs demanded resilience to handle pressure, momentum swings and the intensity of a compact schedule.
Club chairperson Kellen Jones, who has seen it all before at the Ussas, said the team’s progress had been encouraging.
“It’s exciting to see where the team is now and how far we’ve come. I’m looking forward to a great week.”
With the hard yards behind them, the Madibaz will have two choices when reporting for duty at Reddam Bedfordview and St Dominic’s Boksburg until December 5 – sink or swim.
The Madibaz women are also in action at the event. - Full Stop Communications
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