Cape Town – In the shimmering turquoise waters of the St Cyprian’s School Aquatics Centre in Cape Town, a storm was brewing — not of thunder and lightning, but of passion, precision, and raw potential.
Like a school of dolphins cutting through the waves, South Africa’s top junior water polo athletes dove into a weekend of rigorous training, bound by one goal: making waves on the global stage.
CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA – MAY 31: Kieran Bennewith during the Elevate Water Polo Training Camp at St Cyprian’s School Aquatic Centre on May 31, 2025 in Cape Town, South Africa. (Photo by Ashley Vlotman/Gallo Images)
At the heart of this aquatic crucible is Elevate Water Polo, a pioneering force transforming South Africa’s water polo landscape from a sleepy backwater into a high-performance current pulling young athletes toward international excellence.
This past weekend, Elevate’s high-performance training camp brought together the country’s most promising Under-16 and Under-19 boys and girls. These rising stars are preparing to face elite European and international teams — with the U16 squads heading to Spain’s BIWPA Summer Cup in Lloret de Mar this June, and the U19s set to challenge the world’s best at the Next Generation Cup in Barcelona this September.
“These international club tournaments are absolutely vital for the growth and development of water polo in South Africa,” said Lwazi Madi, assistant coach for the U16 boys and a former captain of the national men’s team.
“They offer our young players an incredible opportunity to experience the game at a whole new level – faster, more intense, and highly competitive.”
CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA – MAY 31: Jared Wingate-Pearce ( U19 Next Generation Cup men’s coach), Delaine Mentoor, (head coach u19 Next Gen Cup Team), Lwazi Madi (Goalkeeper specialist coach and also u16 BIWPA Summer Cup boys assistant coach) and Jono Swanepoel (Partner and Head coach u16 BIWPA Summer Cup boys team) during the Elevate Water Polo Training Camp at St Cyprian’s School Aquatic Centre on May 31, 2025 in Cape Town, South Africa. (Photo by Ashley Vlotman/Gallo Images)
In a sport often overshadowed by land-bound games, water polo is a churning ballet of stamina and strategy — part underwater chess, part aquatic warfare. And Elevate is ensuring its athletes are not merely treading water, but surging forward like a rip tide.
“The more chances we give them to compete internationally, the more inspired and motivated they become,” Madi added.
“That excitement and hunger for success are exactly what we need to take the sport to new heights in South Africa.”
Throughout the weekend, the air crackled with urgency. The camp focused on technical sharpness, seamless team chemistry, and cultivating the kind of mental grit that doesn’t evaporate under pressure. This was no ordinary swim practice — it was a proving ground.
“Water polo is a team sport, where team chemistry and consistent high-intensity matches play a crucial role,” said Jono Swanepoel, U16 boys’ head coach and one of South Africa’s elite men’s players.
“Without regular international competition and training time like this, it’s impossible to improve and compete against other nations.”
But it wasn’t just tactics and technique on display. Something deeper stirred in the water — a mindset shift.
“The growth is incredible,” said Delaine Mentoor, head coach of the U19 Next Generation Cup women’s team and trailblazer as the first woman to coach a water polo team at the Olympic Games.
“Players start to see themselves not just as students who play water polo, but as athletes. That’s the real transformation.”
CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA – MAY 31: Delaine Mentoor, head coach u19 Next Gen Cup Team during the Elevate Water Polo Training Camp at St Cyprian’s School Aquatic Centre on May 31, 2025 in Cape Town, South Africa. (Photo by Ashley Vlotman/Gallo Images)
Mentoor added, “Being part of a programme that puts water polo and the players first reignited my passion for coaching… That’s what happens when a group of people work toward the same goal — to better, to improve, to inspire.”
Behind this bold initiative are founders Duncan Woods and David Ripsold, whose dream has always been deeper than the pool. Elevate’s mission includes not just player development but also filling a long-neglected void in coach training.
CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA – MAY 31: David Ripsold and Duncan Woods (Co-Founder and Head of Performance for Elevate) during the Elevate Water Polo Training Camp at St Cyprian’s School Aquatic Centre on May 31, 2025 in Cape Town, South Africa. (Photo by Ashley Vlotman/Gallo Images)
“One of our key drives has been developing more coaches and giving them accredited courses,” explained Woods.
“Previously, coaches were chosen on perceived competence. We’re building a foundation of formal recognition.”
With support from the South African Schools Federation, local clubs, and global partners like Barcelona’s BIWPA, Elevate is building a water polo village — and it’s bustling with momentum.
“It will take a village,” Woods concluded, “and in this case, the whole water polo village playing their part to make the dream of a globally competitive South Africa a reality.”
In this pool of promise, the tide is turning. And South Africa’s young water warriors are ready to make a splash that echoes far beyond our shores.
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- Photos: Ashley Vlotman/Gallo Images
