London Otter Women’s Water Polo team competing in European League competition Feb 5-7 Porto, Portugal

London’s premier women’s water polo team is heading into European competition next week with the start of the LEN 2016 Women’s European League in Porto, Portugal. 

Britain’s only representative team in European senior water polo competition in 2016, London Otter Women’s water polo team is a blend of new talent and established senior GB internationals. Based at the Crystal Palace National Sports Centre and led by barrister and senior GB player, Peggy Etiebet, & Otter club stalwarts Lizzie Dunn & Rebecca Mulcahy. London Otter’s team also includes five GB junior internationals (Brooke Tafazolli, Kathy Rogers, Mhairi Nurthen, Izzy Dean & Sophie Jackson) 4 of whom represented their country last year at the inaugural European Games in Baku. Australian international players, Lex Higlett, Tracey Allen and Kate O’Brien, Scottish international Holly Campbell and Italian Claudio Ferrone.

The London Otter team face four very strong professional sides in Porto, including the hosts who make up the majority of the  Portuguese national team, the defending European champions Olympiacos from Greece, Vouliagmeni also from Greece, and last year’s LEN Trophy winners Padova (ITA),

Head coach Nick Buller says: “Only the top two teams will go through from the Euro League to the knock out stages, and the competition will be extremely tough for our talented London athletes. We will be facing teams of paid professional players in Porto, however the experience will be invaluable for our players and for London Otter as we continue to develop the premier centre for elite women’s water polo here in London.

Captain Peggy Etiebet says: “Having played water polo professionally in Hungary with a team that won the Hungarian Championships I know how difficult the competition will be, but we are keen to meet the challenge. We are excited to be the only GB club side appearing on the European stage in 2016”

London Otter has recently secured sponsorship from London’s  leading physiotherapy and sports injury clinics, physio in the city, enabling the team to start their European journey.