What A Wonderful World

The world map of UWR is finally up and running!

So if you're planning to do a bit of traveling this holiday season, why not check if there are also some UWR teams along the road? It could be a great way to learn from other teams and build stronger networks for the sport between different countries. Just don't forget to pack your fins!

Do you belong to, or know of, a club that isn't already on this map? Then go right ahead and let the world know! Just follow these three simple steps:

1. Register for an account at uwr1.de http://uwr1.de/wp/wp-login.php?action=register 


2. Sign in http://uwr1.de/wp/wp-login.php 


3. Add your club to the map http://uwr1.de/wp/wp-admin/admin.php?page=uwr1vereine-en (or, same, go to admin -> uwr1.de menu -> UWR World Map)

And if you run into any problems, or simply just want to tell the guy who made this how awesome he is, Hannes Hofmann is your man!

Here's looking at you, North America!

By Rolexi Pinzon

After many years of effort and dedication towards the development of underwater rugby in the US and Canada, on October the 22nd, 2011, the city of Brantford, Ontario (Canada) hosted the first North-American underwater rugby tournament ever. The tournament had the presence of the following teams: NJ Hammerheads (New Jersey), Quincy UWR (Boston),LiberationUWR (Brandfort), and CAMO (Montreal).

Fort the first time a North American UWR event brought together teams from Canada and the US. The event had 38 players with different game levels and nationalities (Canada, US, Colombia, Germany, England). To add even more to the great scene, the tournament was played in one of the depest pool of the area (4.88m)

Read the full article.

Underwater Rugby vs. The Renaissance

No Words Needed...

Acknowledgement to Wilson Zhang from Sydney, Australia for the 

amazing photographs taken earlier this month. 

UWR World Map!

Not only are the Germans ahead of the curve when it comes to media coverage of UWR, they also have a knack for cartography.

Checkout this ambitious project to interactively map every single UWR club in the world!
At the moment I think you have to message Hannes and ask him to add your club details. There is a function for adding clubs yourself, but you may have to have a registered account with the uwr1.de website first.

Let's hope soon other clubs will be able to embed this awesome map on their websites as well.

In the meantime, the Danish website World of UW-Rugby (run by Søren Neubert, who also happens to be the President of the UWR Commission of CMAS) still has what is probably the most comprehensive list of clubs and contact details on the interwebs. However, the web design is a bit... vintage... and isn't as versatile and 'Web 2.0' as the Germans' new engineering feat.

Here is another example of German engineering made sexy.  

Three Cheers to Helsinki 2011

Now that the 2011 CMAS World Championships in Helsinki is over, so is one of the most exciting weeks in sporting memory ever... For those of us who couldn't be there, either in the pool or by the poolside, I think the sentiment below posted by Ricardo from UWR in North America sums it up pretty neatly:

Dear All,
I believe I speak for all the people that watched the UWR WC online:
THANKS A LOT! You guys did a great job. The live stream was perfect. The quality of the video simply outstanding. We loved the little frame showing the time and the colors for each team. Thanks again! Hope to meet you in a near future.
Kind Regards,
Ricardo -- North America's Underwater Rugby

The Wishlist: Fiberglass and Carbon Fins

Fins, not to be confused with Finns, are the most important piece of equipment in the game because they can potentially give you the greatest bit of advantage through increased speed, acceleration and maneuverability.

Fiberglass & Carbon Fins

The cream of the crop are the fiberglass and carbon fins designed for underwater hockey and rugby. Fiberglass and carbon fins are good because they offer great stiffness for a fraction of the weight of rubber and polymer fins. They are also a lot more compact than regular fins, making them super maneuverable. Oh and they just look damn hot.

The most well known brands are Waterway, Specialfins and Leaderfins. Matmas also has similar design fiberglass fins, though being a brand mostly associated with underwater hockey they do not have rubber coatings.

All three brands are being used by the top players in the World Championship right now, so you don't have to worry too much about choosing the 'right one'. Of the three, Leaderfins offers the largest range of designs, with both carbon and fiberglass options. All of them also allow you to specify your preferred hardness of the material from soft, medium and hard. It seems fairly unanimous out there that medium is the best option for UWR, otherwise you could risk cramps and possibly injury.

The only thing to watch out for with fiber/carbon fins (apart from the price!) is that they are more fragile than rubber or polymer fins. So it is recommended to get ones that are rubber coated on at least one side. Waterway and Specialfins only have full rubber coated ones in their range, so this is not an issue, whereas Leaderfins has a choice between uncoated, single coated and full coated. As mentioned before, the Matmas range do not have rubber coatings so it would be more of a risky investment.

Now the final consideration is of course price... Bloody expensive is the short answer. But if you're serious about your underwater rugby (and looking sexy in the water) then you can still tell yourself that it's cheaper than a bike, snowboard, kayak, motorboat, house, 5 year subscription to World of Warcraft.

The Waterways are the cheapest at between 90-100 Euros, if you buy from the company site. Specialfins come in next at between 120-170 Euros (add 30 Euros if you live inside the EU!) and Leaderfins at between 100-180 Euros. $hipping is extra.

If that's all a bit dramatic, then stay tuned for the next post about fins of the more bread and butter variety!

Who uses what?

Word on the street is that the 'Finnish' national team mostly uses fiberglass fins from Specialfins and Leaderfins, with a few of them using the (now no longer manufactured) Technisub Ala all rubber fins. The Danish team plays with a mix between the Waterway fins and the Technisub Stratos rubber/plastic fins. The German and Russian teams also use the Waterways.

Calendar Girls and Controversy at the WC!

Time swims!

Day 4 is about to begin and we're already in semi-finals territory. With Finland, Germany, Sweden and Norway in the semis in both the men and women's comp, the nordic countries' dominance of this sport has been made strikingly clear.

Meanwhile, the German media is doing a fantastic job covering the event. You can find lots of great video interviews at this site specially created for the tournament (you may want to use 'google translator' though).

However, the highlight for some will no doubt be this video interview of the Finnish ladies team, which amongst other things promotes their fundraising calendar (selling for 15 Euros each, bargain!). There is also a great interview with the South African blokes, which shows more hair and less skin. And of course, a little bit of controversy about a Russian player being expelled from the tournament for foul play.

There are also rumours that the Swedish are confidently boasting "We clean the Germans away!", which is a remarkable development because as we all know Swedes are most notorious for their modesty and politeness (except maybe towards the Danish).

If you have a secret crush on the Swedish women's team they have a great blog (in both English and Swedish) telling of their ordeals training for the WC.

And finally, this little gem from the CMAS Facebook feed:

An expert commentator noted that the Finnish women, who have just played defending Champion Germany to scoreless tie, were so poor a few years ago that they did not even compete in the Nordic Championships.

"They have really improved," he said, "but if you had asked me a few years ago, I would never have predicted this."

Let this be a source of encouragement to aspiring teams out there like South Africa, Australia, New Zealand and North America!

The Wishlist: Masks

Watching the World Championships has definitely created a strong sense of 'equipment envy' amongst some in the UWR community. It's undeniable, a well kitted team makes an intimidating and devilishly handsome team. And of course, the two most important bits of equipment in this game are your mask and fins.

Mmmm, sexy carbon fibre fins...

This post will focus exclusively on masks whilst I investigate exactly what types of fins are being worn out there in the rough and tumble of the WC!

Abyss vs. Super Occhio

The Omersub Abyss and the Cressi-sub Super Occhio seem to be by far the two most popular masks in not only the underwater rugby world, but also in underwater hockey. Sportsbutikken, one of the most well known European websites for UWR gear (the proprietor is also the President of the CMAS UWR Commission) in fact only stocks these two models.

Both Italian made (just like Ferraris!), sturdy and compact. You really can't go wrong with either, indeed there is very little discernible difference between them - even the shape and the price are the same!

Aqualung Sphera

The Sphera is the dark horse here that has been slowly gaining in popularity. While not as strong and protective as the Abyss and Super Occhio, it really gives you an unparalleled field of vision (no more sneak attacks!). This mask uses a plastic lens instead of tempered glass, therefore allowing it to have a singular and curved construction, completely opening up your peripherals underwater. It also has a smaller profile and sits closer to the face, reducing the amount of knocks and bumps you may get. However, the softer and weaker frame means that it provides less protection if you do get bumped. The plastic lens is also more susceptible to getting scratched and therefore losing its transparency.

It is the same price at US$50 as the other two. Free shipping is included for all the masks and you also get a free UWR mask strap to replace the original elastic strap the masks come with.

Does it fit?

Apart from the technical points to consider, probably the most important thing is how the mask actually fits with your face. Unlike fins and other equipment, masks don't come in different sizes, so you will have to select a different model if one doesn't fit you. However, for most people this isn't usually a problem and the three masks mentioned above all have quite similar fits. But if you think you might have a discerning face, then by all means ask someone to try theirs out before choosing which is best for you.

Optical Lenses

The Cressi Focus and Problue Tiara 2 masks can be bought with compatible optical lenses - here and here respectively.

The Cressi looks a bit more suitable for UWR but the Tiara is also looks pretty good and has cheaper lenses. Although I don't have any actual feedback/experience with either mask or their lenses.

Other

If those options don't appeal to you then worry not, there is quite the treasure trove of other options out there. If you live in Australia, Adreno has an incredibly extensive range of masks, some of which even come in a range of fun colours!

Fun World Championship Party Ideas

1. The Finnish have a legendary reputation for heavy drinking. They are also known to shun small talk. In fact, when you say "Cheers" to them the likely response will be "Are we here to talk or are we here to drink."So in honour of their determined spirit, fun party idea number one is a SILENT DRINKING GAME. Tune in to the WC live feed and throw back a stiff drink for every goal. Kippis!

2. If you think the UWR World Championships is better than the Melbourne Cup (some famous Australian horse race), which it is, then you need to hold an UNDERWATER RUGBY SWEEPSTAKES. *All credit to Laura Whitehouse for this gem of an idea

Write down the names of every participating country on a separate small piece of paper, put them all into a hat. Everyone pays the same amount of money and draws a piece of paper from the hat. Decide how you're going to split the money (winner takes all, winner gets 70% and second gets 30%, etc.). Sit back and wait for the grand final!

3. The other thing about Finns is that they are Finnatical about saunas! Which brings us to our last fun party idea... NAKED SAUNA PARTY!

Yes you really have to be naked, otherwise it's like using chopsticks with two hands or drinking beer with a straw. Also, as awesome as it would be to mix sauna with drinking games, it's really not advised unless you have a waterproof defibulator handy...

Got any other suggestions?

Finland 2011

5 days, 51 games of UWR all on live video streaming... Welcome to the UWR World Championships!

Day One brought some nail biting matches, as well as a few turkey shoots with South Africa coming off second best to Austria 50-nil. Nonetheless, hats off to them for getting themselves in the World Championships despite having only just played their first game on the 5th October last year! You can check out the SA website here. For full results of Day One matches, go here.

Here is the link to the live streaming, straight from Helsinki with love and moomins. The first match tomorrow starts at 9am Helsinki time (that's 4pm in Sydney, Australia) and there are matches starting every hour all the way up till 7pm Finnish time (2am in Sydney).

It seems like Davrell Tien is the official correspondent providing match-by-match analysis for us. Here's a great account of the Women's match between old time rivals Sweden and Norway. You can find tons of updates on the competition's official Facebook page. Or if you are more TWITTER inclined, then look up #uwrwc11
Alright, I think that about covers the basics!

Top 5 Underwater Rugby Videos

1. Orcas (Medellin, Columbia) 

Undeniably the coolest underwater rugby video out there with oozles of attitude and funk. Those Columbians really know how to spice things up, take it to the next level, sexify...

2. Auckland, New Zealand

This one from our Kiwi bros has much more of a 'beached az' feel, combining underwater rugby with aquamarine chill-out music. Watching this will make you realise how very graceful this sport can actually be.

3. Betta Club (Moscow, Russia)

Betta Club has created an All Stars team which does for UWR what the Harlem Globetrotters did for basketball. Ever wished UWR was more like the NBA? Watch this!

4. Öcher Otter (Aachen, Germany) 

Short, punchy and to the point. Very German! Great promo video with clips from most aspects of gameplay.

5. 'Speedy'

The Roadrunner Offensive. Warning, extremely catchy tune!

5.1  Anyone can play

Too soon?

Overcoming Denial: The first step to recovery

If you've found your way here, you probably have underwater rugby on your mind more than you should. You might have even already developed some worrying signs of addiction. Snorkeling in the shower, holding your breath through car tunnels, spending more time watching UWR on youtube than POV on tube8...

Lucky for you, we don't judge. We are actually here to help feed your habit.

This blog will scour the furthest reaches of the interwebs to bring you interesting links and updates on the world of UWR.