INTERNATIONAL INTERVENTION: World Aquatics grants alternative water polo body power to select World Cup teams

In a significant intervention in the country’s fractured water polo administration, World Aquatics has appointed a stabilisation committee to oversee the selection and registration of South Africa’s men’s and women’s national teams for the 2027 Water Polo World Cup Division 2. This is according to the independent water polo body, South African Water Polo (SAWP), which has been brought in to assist with the operational selection, preparation and management of the national teams under the committee’s oversight.According to SAWP, on 27 October World Aquatics issued a formal letter in which its executive director Brent Nowicki confirmed the appointment of the committee. Daily Maverick has not seen the letter and World Aquatics has yet to make a public announcement.The intervention comes after South Africa faced the possibility of having no representation at the international competition, which, according to World Aquatics’ website, will determine the first qualifiers for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games. Team South Africa has already missed out on the 2024 Paris Olympics after Swimming South Africa (SSA) decided not to send the men’s and women’s teams, despite their qualifying.According to SAWP, SSA failed to submit entries for the upcoming World Cup by the stipulated deadline. The deadline, according to World Aquatics’ website, was 12 October. Players of South Africa huddle during the final match against New Zealand at the World Aquatics Women’s Water Polo World Cup Division 2 Qualifier on 4 May 2023 in Berlin, Germany. After Swimming South Africa failed to enter teams on time for the 2027 edition, World Aquatics appointed a stabilisation committee to assist. (Photo: Maja Hitij / Getty Images) Currently, SSA is the only body recognised by World Aquatics and the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (Sascoc), and formally the only one able to enter national teams. The stabilisation committee, however, was able to be appointed under Article 8.9 of World Aquatics’ constitution.Article 8.9 allows World Aquatics’ bureau to appoint a stabilisation committee in “exceptional circumstances” where a member federation fails to adhere to good governance, transparency, financial accountability and stability, or puts the organisation and development of aquatics in its country at risk or in disrepute.This follows the suspension of SSA’s Chief Executive Shaun Adriaanse and President Alan Fritz by the Aquatics Integrity Unit on 24 August over alleged violations of the World Aquatics Integrity Code, according to SAWP.World Aquatics and SSA did not respond to Daily Maverick’s questions by the time of publication.Restoring confidence in SA water poloMeanwhile, SAWP’s Chief Executive Robbie Taylor said in the statement that the decision to intervene reflected World Aquatics’ acknowledgement that South Africa’s fragmented water polo structure required independent oversight.“This development is about far more than two international tournaments. It is about restoring confidence in how South African water polo is governed and how its athletes are represented,” said Taylor. “For too long, South African water polo athletes have faced uncertainty, inadequate preparation and a lack of credible national pathways.”In response to Daily Maverick’s follow-up questions, Taylor said World Aquatics had been aware of the situation in South African water polo through SAWP’s ongoing communication with the international governing body over the past year.The South African men’s water polo team sings the national anthem at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. Despite qualifying for the 2024 Paris Olympics, South Africa’s aquatics federation Swimming South Africa decided not to send a men’s or women’s team. (Photo: Roger Sedres / Gallo Images)The stabilisation committee comprised Felipe Perrone, who would chair it, Donné Commins and Peter Blaauw. Both Commins and Blaauw were affiliated with SAWP, with Commins serving on its board and Blaauw on its strategic advisory team, said Taylor. Their appointment did not reflect a conflict of interest, said Taylor.“Their role is to assist in the appointment of coaches for the national side, and thereafter to support the coaches and teams in their preparation for the World Cup Division 2,” he said. “There is no conflict of interest at all, this is what SAWP does. Their appointment is precisely because they are in a position to help.” A fourth member was also appointed to the committee but subsequently withdrew because of a conflict of interest, said SAWP.The committee had to confirm South Africa’s participation and submit required team rosters and officials by 29 October.According to SAWP, the athletes and coaches already identified and prepared through its Nations Cup programme were positioned to represent South Africa at World Cup level.When asked whether players who had taken part in SSA’s programmes would be considered for selection on the same basis as SAWP members, Taylor said all eligible players would be considered. “The World Aquatics stabilisation committee will decide what the eligibility criteria are and apply them. We would expect the criteria to be inclusive,” said Taylor. The question of eligibility is particularly pertinent given the strained relationship between SSA and SAWP.SSA’s constitution provides that athletes who are not in good standing with the federation may be excluded from competition selection.Similarly, in May SAWP announced that individuals who actively supported or participated in SSA’s programmes would be suspended from its own activities. However, on 2 November SAWP announced that it would lift all existing sanctions that restricted athlete participation based on involvement in past SSA-led competitions.“It is extremely important and very telling that SAWP has been asked to support the team financially, and we have already given our commitment to do that,” said Taylor. “We have no idea of the makeup of the team and how many players will not be members of our organisation, but we will support them all irrespective because we are about the sport.” Lwazi Madi of South Africa during the men’s water polo match against Hungary at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games on 29 July 2021 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo: Roger Sedres / Gallo Images) An ongoing tug of warIn its statement SAWP sought to emphasise that the appointment of the stabilisation committee does not mean that governance and control of water polo in South Africa had been transferred to SAWP. “The stabilisation committee operates under a specific mandate from World Aquatics relating to the two World Cup competitions,” said SAWP. Nevertheless, it gave SAWP a direct operational role, which the body saw as an important breakthrough in its ongoing administrative tug of war with SSA.SAWP grew out of a movement that began in late 2024 and was registered in February 2025 as a water polo-specific alternative to SSA.On 14 October 2026, SAWP formally applied to World Aquatics to be recognised as a national body governing water polo in South Africa. It is unclear whether the stabilisation committee is in any way linked to the application.Notably, SAWP is not seeking to replace SSA as the country’s member of World Aquatics. It wants to take over the running of water polo for two years, including picking national teams, while SSA keeps the membership and the formal right to enter teams in international competitions. For SAWP, this latest development reflects a crucial step towards a future for water polo in South Africa that it has been trying to achieve.“A sporting system in which athletes are the priority, governance serves the sport and international representation is earned through credible pathways and preparation,” said the independent water polo body. DM