Underwater What?
A sport beneath the surface: Underwater rugby from a coach’s perspective
Whether it is seeing a TikTok from an arm wrestling match or getting invited to play Spikeball in the park. Every so often, you hear about a completely new sport that seems to be coming out of nowhere.
Last year I had a similar experience, when a friend told me about her new-found hobby called Underwater Rugby. I was intrigued by its odd-sounding name, since classic rugby is far from well-suited to a water environment. That’s why I asked Jacob Juhler, who is a coach in this sport, to give me some insight into how it’s played. And that much is certain: It’s really quite different from the rugby you know of.
A Short Film Above and Under the Water
Overview
A Ball, a Pool and a Basket
The central idea of the sport: two teams are diving and wrangling in a pool, with the goal of pushing a ball into the basket of the opposing team. Since the two baskets are at the bottom of the pool, most of the game is happening underneath the water surface. While throwing the ball above the water is not allowed, fighting for it at the surface is. Both teams consist of six players, each fulfilling different roles in the game play.
From Germany to the World
The sport originates from Cologne in Germany, where Ludwig von Bersuda came up with the concept in 1961. During the 70s, the game gained popularity in different European countries, especially in Scandinavia and the Eastern Bloc. In the following decades, Underwater Rugby turned international, with its first World Championship happening 1995 in Cali, Colombia.
Over the years, different modifications to the rules and techniques have been done. A full timeline of the history can be found on the website of the World Underwater Federation, the related umbrella organization.
A New Club in Aarhus
In Denmark there are around a dozen of clubs across the country, which regularly compete against each other. Jacob Juhler joined the sport in 2014 and has played in various Danish and European competitions since then. One and a half years ago he decided to create his own club in Aarhus, building a team from players that have some experience or are new to the sport. Since then, the club meets once a week in Vejlby-Risskov Hallen to play and train together.
In the short film “Underwater What?” I accompanied Jacob at these trainings, to learn more about his relation to the sport. The film also gives an understanding of the team roles, the used equipment and how the game is played while holding your breath.
