Welcome to the University of London Club of the Year 2018 winners!
We are the only canoe polo club across the University of London, competing regularly in national leagues, university competitions across the UK (including BUCS) and even tournaments abroad. Canoe Polo is a sport for all.
Check our Instagram page (@uolcanoepolo) to keep up to date with the latest news and events.
What We Do
Canoe Polo combines paddling, ball skills and tactical play in a fast exciting game. 2 teams of 5 compete to score goals by shooting a ball at a goal frame suspended 2 meters from the water at either end of the pitch. A player in possession of the ball may be tackled by other players and can only hold on to the ball for a maximum of 5 seconds; the ball must be dribbled or passed to other players on the team. Most of the rules concern player safety and fair play; penalties for fouls include free throws, free shots, goal penalty shots and penalty cards. The game is therefore always supervised by a referee on each side of the pitch.
Canoe polo can be played indoors in swimming pools or outdoors on any stretch of flat water such as a lake or canal. We currently train up to 2 times a week outdoors at Poplar Union, hosted by our sister club East End Canoe Polo.
The sport is considered to be one of the fastest growing sports worldwide with the British Canoe Union as our local governing body. Canoe polo is played internationally (a world games sport) and is governed by the International Canoe Federation. The club provides all the specialist equipment necessary including special composite kayaks (polo boats), spraydecks, paddles, buoyancy aids and helmets with faceguards.
When and Where We Meet
When: Every Saturday :14:00-16:00 (subject to change), mid week sessions are currently being reorganised.
Aim to arrive early to change and get kitted up with a club boat, paddle, helmet spraydeck and BA!
Where: East End Canoe Polo, Poplar Union, 2 Cotall St, London E14 6TL
What to bring: Please bring warm layers (a waterproof/windproof shell jacket is useful!) and a towel (showers and changing rooms on site).
Who are the Coaches?
We are fortunate to be coached by our alumni, including GB athletes and members from our sister club.
Coaching is also a team effort led by experienced Club members and we also have our very own paddlesports instructor who is more than happy to help with any generic paddling skills you may want to develop.
Opportunities
We always seek to enter as many teams as possible into the regional and national leagues, including the women’s league.
We compete at BUCS and attend many other university weekend tournaments (Warwick, Nottingham, Cardiff etc) throughout the year. We compete at summer tournaments across the UK and even abroad!
What Does It Cost?
£60 for full annual membership, this covers all Poplar based sessions, club equipment and coaching until the following September!