Bet you’ve never heard of canoe polo but in the Harmer family, it’s a lifestyle and 18-year-old Jess is following in her parents’ footsteps (dad’s a coach and mum’s a gold-medallist), joining Australia’s first ever under 21’s women’s canoe polo team in the World Championships.
Three nights a week (in summer) Jess and her team train on the chilly waters of Lake Burley Griffin but don’t be fooled by the buoyant three-metre-long canoe – you still get wet when another canoe rams/tackles you. It‘s a contact sport.
“We’ve been lucky enough to have lots of daytime sessions in between university and work schedules to stay out of the cold,” Jess said. “But it was very cold for a few months there. People usually wear thermals or dry suits but they’re not very dry, it’s still very cold.”
During the last winter, Canoe Polo ACT also trained at Tuggeranong Pool every Friday night to prepare for the World Championships in China in October.
“Both my parents actually played [canoe polo] when they were younger so I’ve always known about it but it’s definitely a small sport,” Jess said. “My dad is my coach so it’s been really nice, he comes and picks me up from uni and we go and train and we’re always talking about it.”
Jess’ sporting pedigree is impressive, her mum – Toni – won a gold medal in canoe polo for Great Britain and a silver medal for Australia. Her dad, James, coaches Australia’s first under-21s women’s team.
“It’s all in the family and I’m trying to be like them,” Jess said.
For the uninitiated, canoe polo is a hybrid of water polo and basketball. There’s two teams of five players on a field (35m x 23m) and the aim is to get the ball in a net, which is suspended two meters above the water (you can use your paddle of your hands to pass the ball).
The best part is, you’re allowed to tackle the person with the ball by ramming your kayak into them. It’s a gripping spectator sport.
“You have a goalkeeper and you have a zone defence, like basketball, but everyone can play wherever they like,” Jess explained. “Anyone can shoot, anyone can pass, anyone can tackle. That’s why I find it really fun because it’s just a whole lot of everything and everyone’s involved.”
Next month, Jess joins two other Canberrans to represent Australia – Jen Stevens in the senior women’s team, and Matthew Gates in the under-21 men’s team. Canoe Polo ACT has about 40 members.
Australia hasn’t sent a women’s team to the World Champs since 2018 and this is the first under-21s to represent Australia. There ‘s never been enough players to form a team – until now.
“We’ve all been training really hard and we’re all very excited,” Jess said. “It probably just shows the depth coming in the sport.”
European teams are the ones to beat, as is New Zealand. Jess and her team, along with supporters, coaches and managers, depart Canberra for Deqing, Huzhou in China on 10th October.
If you’re intrigued by this new sport, Canoe Polo ACT is holding a come-and-try day on 14th September, 1-4pm, that includes an introductory course to learn the basics of paddling, balls skills and rules, all whilst in the warm waters of Tuggeranong’s Lakeside Leisure Centre. The course is open to everyone over 14. To register: https://forms.gle/zeKjHjvPuSPCSGt97
