We are proud to share the impressive achievements of two North East athletes, Ben Alderson (Sedgefield) and Callum Eccles (Sheffield), who recently represented Great Britain in Senior Men’s Water Polo tournaments across Europe.

Ben and Callum were a key part of the team that traveled to Kranj, Slovenia, for the European Championship qualifiers. The team finished third in their group, just narrowly missing out on securing a spot in the main competition, a remarkable performance that stands as the best by the team in an international tournament since 2014, especially considering their average age is just 23!

The two players were also involved in additional campaigns with the GB Men’s team in Slovakia during the Danube Cup and in Sweden in May, where the team played training matches against the Swedish national squad. This extensive international experience is a testament to their growing prowess and the strong future for water polo in the North East.

The team’s endeavors are predominantly funded by the players and their families. Community support can make a huge difference by reducing financial pressures and allowing the team to focus their energy and resources on training and competition. To aid their continued progress and ease financial pressures, a GoFundMe page has been set up to gather community support. Please consider donating if you can: GoFundMe link.

For more details about the team’s activities and their progress, please follow the England Water Polo Facebook page.