South Africa sent its biggest-ever World Championship squad to Duisburg, including the first U21 women’s team from Africa to compete at the event.
Duisburg, Germany (23 September 2026) – South African canoe polo has taken another step forward on the international stage, with the country sending its biggest-ever squad to the World Championships in Duisburg, Germany.
The three-team contingent included the first-ever U21 women’s team from Africa to compete at the tournament, giving the campaign significance well beyond the final standings.
Across six days of competition, South Africa’s senior men, U21 men and U21 women faced some of the world’s more established canoe polo nations and still managed to pick up some impressive results.
The senior men finished 19th out of 24 teams, closing their campaign with a 4-3 victory over Malaysia.
They also recorded wins against Canada and the United States, beating the Canadians 5-4 before claiming a 4-2 victory over the US.
A 3-3 draw against Brazil was another highlight, although a win in that match would have pushed South Africa into the top 16 and secured automatic qualification for the next World Championships.
James Truby was the team’s leading scorer, finding the net 14 times in nine matches, while Kyle Buchler and Kyle Hardy both scored six.
The U21 men finished 17th, with wins over China and Malaysia, while Dru Guberman led the scoring with nine goals and Ayden Gething contributed five.
Then came the history-making U21 women.
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They also faced eventual champions Spain, who piled on the pressure, but the young South Africans stood firm defensively and showed plenty of composure against one of the tournament’s strongest teams.
Lila Webster and Abigail Bottger finished as the team’s leading scorers with six and three goals respectively.
There is plenty more to come from this group, too. Only one player in the U21 men’s squad will age out before the 2028 World Championships, while the women’s team was the youngest at the tournament, with an average age of under 17.
The tournament was ultimately won by Italy in the senior men’s competition, Germany took the women’s title, France won the U21 men’s event, and Spain claimed the U21 women’s crown.
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