Great Britain's U20s gear up for the Next Generations Cup

Great Britain’s U20 squads are in Barcelona for the next three days as they take part in the second annual Next Generations Cup in Barcelona.

Hosted by Barcelona International Water Polo Academy (BIWPA) and Spanish club side Club Natació Sabadell, the competition is welcoming young teams from ten different countries to compete from Friday 20 to Sunday 22 September.

They’ll be a competition for both the men’s and women’s teams with Great Britain entered in both following the U19 men’s 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’re set to gain valuable experience against top club and national sides from across the globe.

The men’s event will be divided into four groups and the women’s into two which will be competed on Friday and Saturday morning. Britain’s 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.

The women’s team meanwhile – who have a separate squad from the team that finished ninth at the U19 European Championships last month – are in Group A alongside hosts CN Sabadell, Malta’s 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.

You can watch the entire competition live on BIWPA’s YouTube channel with results and statistics available through TotalWaterpolo. They have a dedicated results page for both events with the men’s available here and the women’s results here.

Learning and growth the key

Speaking ahead of the tournament, Swim England water polo programme lead, Craig Figes – who is also part of the coaching staff for the event said: “Both teams have been working incredibly hard in the lead up to this tournament.

“It’s a first for us as an U20s team and we’re really looking forward to giving these athletes a chance to showcase their talent at an international event.

“We’ll 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.

“Thank you to all the coaches, staff and everyone back at home that has supported the group in their preparation for this event.”

You can see both of Great Britain’s squads for the event here and you can find all the details on the competition on the events website.