Canoe Polo is an exciting team event played on 35m x 23m pitches set up in swimming pools or on flat stretches of water. Teams of 5 paddlers endeavour to score goals in a net suspended 2m above the water, the ball being thrown by hand, or ‘flicked’ with the paddle. Naturally, the team with the most goals at the end of the match wins the game.

Official ICF Rules

Australian Canoe Polo competitions are run according to ICF rules for Canoe Polo.

Download a copy from their website.

Rule modifications for the Melbourne Competition

Victorian Canoe Polo uses some minor modifications to the ICF rules for it’s regular season competitions. These include:

• No hand-tackles permitted in Novice grade
• End-line rather than centre-line restarts are used in A, B and C grades
• In all grades, a team may commence a game with only 4 players, rather than 5

Refereeing

Jen Stevens is the current Referees Director. Please direct any refereeing queries to her via the contacts form on the canoe polo home page.

The ICF has also created a great refereeing resource which you can access here.

There are a number of competitions and events held throughout the year. To participate in competitions you must be a member of Paddle Australia. To be a member of PA you need to be a full (competing) member of a Victorian canoe club. Charges vary between canoe clubs, so it is recommended that you select a club that suits your needs. If you want to try Canoe Polo before committing to a membership there are a number of training and introductory sessions available either independently or through canoe clubs. It is well worth contacting the clubs for more information.

Join us for our Beginner Come and Try Season – July 2022

Canoe Polo can be played on any section of flat water. This includes rivers, pools and lakes. The Melbourne competition is held at Richmond Recreation Centre. Weekend competitions are held throughout the year with common locations being the Yarra River at Studley Park/Yarrabend Park and the Maribyrnong River at the Essendon Canoe Club.

This is known as capsizing. When a person capsizes they have the option to either exit the kayak (bailing) or to roll back up again (eskimo roll). People can learn to eskimo roll in a safe pool environment, and this can become quite a useful skill in games.

Canoe Polo has evolved from some basic games played in canoes or on barrels into the game it is today. When it was first played in Australia in the 1950’s, it was played in a double canoe with one person paddling and the other handling the ball. The sport has been modified over several decades and while the vessels changed to kayaks, the name Canoe Polo is here to stay. For more information on the history of Canoe Polo see the link ‘Polo History’.

There are a number of essential pieces of equipment when playing Canoe Polo. These are listed below;

• Kayak “Polo Bat” – There are specially designed kayaks available with rounded ends and soft rubber bumpers. They are relatively small being no larger than 3m long, with great manoeuvrability.
• Paddle – A double-bladed paddle which can come in various shapes and materials.
• Helmet – Helmets which come with face masks are essential as they protect the user from wayward paddles and balls.
• Personal Flotation Device (PFD) – This device gives the user protection around their torso as it is generally more padded than many other styles of PFD.
• Spraydeck – This is a flexible covering which attaches around the opening of the kayak to prevent water from entering.
• In most cases this equipment can be borrowed from your canoe club, hired, or purchased.

As previously mentioned, to compete you must be a member of a Victorian canoe club as well as Australian Canoeing (AC). AC membership costs are $80 for adults or $57 for juniors. Canoe club membership fees vary. Additional costs include those of team fees on a per competition basis. These fees cover pool hire costs. You must also consider whether you will be borrowing, hiring or purchasing equipment.

Volunteers are a critical part of any sporting organisation and there are plenty of opportunities to help to develop and grow our sport. Here are some of the ways you could help:

• Take a role on the Committee. With over 15 different roles you are bound to find something that fits your skills.
• Help out at Melbourne Comp
  • We need pool coordinators for both Tuesday and Wednesday nights.
  • We need experienced players and referees to help develop skills and understanding of the game on Wednesday nights.
  • Learn to referee, with some great online refereeing resources available, get stuck in and give it a go. There are always people around who are willing to help and guide new referees.
• Help out in the summer competitions. These great competitions don’t organise themselves, they occur because of the great work of a few dedicated volunteers. Ask your club or one of the committee how you can help. Even the smallest things can make a difference sometimes.
• Good at marketing and promotion? Get in touch! We are constantly on the lookout for new ideas and ways of doing things to attract more people to the sport.

Please get in touch with any of the Committee members if you want to help.

Committee

The Committee is made up of volunteers and meets regularly throughout the year to develop and promote the sport. Following this year’s General Meeting a number of pivotal roles changed hands and we saw ourselves with an almost brand new committee. If you think you can help out in any way you don’t need to wait until the next General Meeting to get involved. Contact any of the Committee members for more information about helping out.

Roles

Committee

The Committee is made up of volunteers and meets regularly throughout the year to develop and promote the sport. Following this year’s General Meeting a number of pivotal roles changed hands and we saw ourselves with an almost brand new committee. If you think you can help out in any way you don’t need to wait until the next General Meeting to get involved. Contact any of the Committee members for more information about helping out.

Roles