News | Monday, 1st April 2019

Men’s Water Polo team become national champions

The club secure the BUCS title for the second year running

Manchester Metropolitan’s Men’s Water Polo team is celebrating after becoming national champions in the British Universities & Colleges Sport (BUCS) league for the second year running.

The team headed to Nottingham on Wednesday, March 27, to take part in the annual BUCS Big Wednesday event, where they played in the final against Northumbria University, claiming the title of national champions after winning 18-5.

The team became champions last year for the first time in the club’s history in a nail-biting 9-8 victory against then reigning champions Durham.

Dan Paddon, captain of the team, said: “It’s an amazing feeling to win the championship for the second year running – the score lines that we have beaten teams with this year really shows the strength we have in our team.

“Winning the championship makes all of the hard work that the lads have put in over the last year –at University and within the club – all worth it.

“In the four years I’ve been in the team I believe we have only lost two or three games – we got promoted into the Premier League in my first year and in my second year we won the league but fell just short in the championship final. However, since then we’ve continued to build on our strength within the team and it is really starting to show now.”

The Big Wednesday event is the finale of the BUCS team sports league and sees more than 60 teams from UK universities compete for championship and trophy titles.

The event comes not long after BUCS Nationals where Manchester Metropolitan secured four gold, three silver and five bronze medals in swimming and karate.