ERK canoe polo players on song at championships
The players helped Gauteng achieve top honours by performing well in their categories.
The East Rand Kayak (ERK) club continues to feed the province with exceptional players after five youngsters helped Gauteng dominate the SA Canoe Polo Championships at the Dabulamanzi Canoe Club (DCC) in Emmarentia from March 21 to 23.
The ERK boasts one of the best development programmes in the province and is renowned for producing talented canoe polo players Chris de Bree, Kyle Laxton and Kyle Buchler over the past few years.
“The ERK in Benoni has produced talented players over the past few years. Some have even represented SA at world championships,” said the Gauteng Canoe Union (GCU) PRO, Jennie Dallas.
Seventeen teams comprising 90 athletes from Gauteng, KZN and Western Cape competed for bragging rights in the event.
Players from the ERK, the DCC, the Likkewaan Canoe Club from Parys and the North West University (NWU) Canoe Club from Potchefstroom represented Gauteng.
After three days of thrilling action, Gauteng emerged victorious in the senior men, women and U21 categories, clinching the senior men’s title for the fifth successive year.
Boksburg resident Rowan Attwell, siblings Abigail and Sara-Lee Bottger, and brothers Warren and Craig Edwards from Benoni led the ERK charge at the event.
Ashton International College alumnus and now a first-year student at NWU, Attwell (18), helped the U21 men’s team to first place.
Abigail (17) and Sara-Lee (15) have played the sport for the past four years at the ERK and were part of the women’s U21A team. They will compete at the Africa Champs in October and the Canoe Polo World Championships in Germany next year.
Warren (15) was the youngest on the men’s U21A team that clinched gold. He represented SA at the Junior International Champs in Ireland in 2023.
In his first national championships, Craig (12) was part of the U16A team that finished third in the U16 open category. The Farrarmere Primary Grade Six learner started canoe polo at the First Benoni Sea Scouts and has been playing for 18 months.
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