September 19, 2024<\/p>\n
Great Britain\u2019s U20 squads are in Barcelona for the next three days as they take part in the second annual Next Generations Cup in Barcelona.<\/p>\n
Hosted by Barcelona International Water Polo Academy (BIWPA) and Spanish club side Club Nataci\u00f3 Sabadell, the competition is welcoming young teams from ten different countries to compete from Friday 20 to Sunday 22 September.<\/p>\n
They\u2019ll be a competition for both the men\u2019s and women\u2019s teams with Great Britain entered in both following the U19 men\u2019s sides efforts at the event 12 months ago. Each of the teams completed their final preparations in Coventry last weekend ahead of travelling to Spain where they\u2019re set to gain valuable experience against top club and national sides from across the globe.<\/p>\n
The men\u2019s event will be divided into four groups and the women\u2019s into two which will be competed on Friday and Saturday morning. Britain\u2019s men have been drawn in Group D alongside CN Barcelona and American side Brunswick Water Polo Club with the winner heading straight into the quarter finals and the other two battling in the play-in phase to try and reach the last eight.<\/p>\n
The women\u2019s team meanwhile \u2013 who have a separate squad from the team that finished ninth at the U19 European Championships last month \u2013 are in Group A alongside hosts CN Sabadell, Malta\u2019s ASC Sirens and Elevate Water Polo of South Africa. A top two finish will see them reach the semi-finals with teams in both competitions able to play for their final placings on Saturday afternoon and on Sunday morning.<\/p>\n
You can watch the entire competition live on BIWPA\u2019s YouTube channel<\/strong><\/a> with results and statistics available through\u00a0TotalWaterpolo<\/strong><\/a>. They have a dedicated results page for both events with the men\u2019s available here<\/a> and the women\u2019s results here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Learning and growth the key<\/p>\n Speaking ahead of the tournament, Swim England water polo programme lead, Craig Figes \u2013 who is also part of the coaching staff for the event said: \u201cBoth teams have been working incredibly hard in the lead up to this tournament.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a first for us as an U20s team and we\u2019re really looking forward to giving these athletes a chance to showcase their talent at an international event.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ll be facing some of the top up-and-coming talent from around the world so this event will be key in helping our players learn and grow.<\/p>\n \u201cThank you to all the coaches, staff and everyone back at home that has supported the group in their preparation for this event.\u201d<\/p>\n