Young paddlers hit the water running at the Canoe Polo SA Championships

Young canoe polo players from Gauteng made their mark at the recent Canoe Polo South African Championships, hosted at Dabulamanzi Canoe Club.

April 4, 2025

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Canoe polo teams from Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, and the Western Cape, recently competed at the Canoe Polo South African Championships, hosted at Dabulamanzi Canoe Club (Dabs).

Seventeen teams, consisting of 107 athletes, took part in the event, vying for the national titles. Gauteng performed well, achieving first place in four of the championship categories – senior men, women, U21 men, and U16 open. The senior men walked away with first place for the fifth year in a row. The Gauteng teams consisted of a combination of paddlers from Dabs, East Rand Kayak Club in Benoni, Likkewaan Canoe Club in Parys, and North West University Canoe Club in Potchefstroom.

The Gauteng men's U21 team plays a fierce game of canoe polo.

Megan Cruickshank, a member of Gauteng women U21 A, scored the most goals in the women’s division. This Grade 10 learner from Hoërskool Linden, says she loves the aggression of the sport, as well as its social interactions. “It’s like therapy for me,” she said. Megan received the award for the Most Improved Female Canoe Polo Player in 2024. She is clearly going from strength to strength.

Also read: Dabulamanzi Canoe Club members take on the Dusi

Cruickshank’s best friend and schoolmate, Zeanté Nel, said what she loves most about canoe polo, is the opportunity to meet so many different people from different schools, cities, and provinces. “Everyone treats you like family,” she exclaimed. Zeanté wanted to try canoe polo as a sport because it looked like a lot of fun. She proved to be rather good at it too, as she is now a member of Gauteng women U21 A.

A Grade 11 peer of theirs, Albert Strydom, is a member of Gauteng men U21 A, and was ecstatic about the team winning first place in the U21 category, while Anje Pieterse, a Grade 9 pupil at Hoërskool Linden, who is in Gauteng women A, followed in the footsteps of her brother Etienne, whose been playing the sport for four years. After she saw how much her brother enjoyed canoe polo she knew she wanted to join in the fun.