Leisure centre hosts first ever game

Llanelli Leisure Centre has played host to an underwater rugby game – a first in the UK.

The World Alternative Games organised the Wales v England match with the Welsh side winning by eight points for a final score of 16-8.

More than 200 spectators turned out to watch the afternoon clash that consisted of 26 competitors.

The centre was chosen for its water depth – a key requirement to manage this sport – and its large seating gallery.

Underwater rugby (UWR) is an underwater sport that involves two teams seeking to gain control of a slightly negatively buoyant ball (filled with saltwater) and passing it into a heavy metal bucket serving as the opponents’ goal at the bottom of a swimming pool.

At its deepest point Llanelli swimming pool is 3.75m.

The council’s actif facilities manager, Steve Owens said: “We were thrilled The World Alternative Games committee identified the centre as an ideal venue for its first underwater rugby tournament. Footage from the day’s tournament can be seen on YouTube and it gives people the chance to experience the event first hand as well as showcasing the centre to a global audience.”

UWR originated from within the physical fitness training regime existing in German diving clubs during the early 1960s and has little in common with rugby football except for the name. It was recognised by the Confédération Mondiale des Activités Subaquatiques (CMAS) in 1978 and was first played as a world championship in 1980.

World Alternative Games Committee member, Joshua Perkins said: “Underwater Rugby is a fun and quirky sport that’s very interesting to watch, and with the help of the World Alternative Games and Llanelli Leisure Centre this helped to promote the sport. The team members were overwhelmed with the outcome of the event and enjoyed taking part. Also 24/7 TV filmed the whole of the match which is available to be viewed on YouTube. This sport will prove to be more popular over the next few years as it gains more worldwide recognition, in which hopefully it could be seen as a new sport to add to the World Alternative Games.”