Rushmoor lead the way at the National Masters Championships

Rushmoor topped the medal table once again at the Artistic Swimming National Masters Championships, winning almost every event they entered.

The South East based club started the gold rush in the first event of the day, taking the 40-49 years Technical Duet title. Louise Ross and Rachel Davies edged out City of Bradford rivals by just over half a point.

This was then followed by Janice Brignell and Carla Sanders taking the title in the 50-59 years category, as the only pair in the category to break the 60 point barrier.

The Free Combination event saw the team add another gold to the tally in the 40-64 years category. The team – represented by Francesca Rice, Louise Ross, Carolyn Macdonald, Grace Reukers, Rachel Davies, Harriet Mutlow, Francesca Warwick, Jessica Smith, Emma Adams, Janice Brignull, Carla Sanders and Hannah Butcher – scored 62.3333 to finish over seven points clear of the rest of the field.

The club were also victorious in the 50-64 Technical Team, displaying an impressively executed routine.

To finish the day, Rushmoor took the wins in the 40-49, 50-59 and 60-69 Technical Solo categories, with Louise Ross, Carla Sanders and Carolyn Macdonald all performing beautifully to take the respective titles.

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Inter-regionals success for U16yrs Girls Water Polo players

Our U16 Girls team travelled up to Liverpool to compete in the Inter-Regionals – a prestigious tournament and the highlight of the junior water polo season.

Coached by Katy Ross and Bruce Philp, the team made an impressive impact from the start, beating strong contenders London by a goal in their first game. Their second group stage fixture proved to be a tough match against an impressive North West side, ending in defeat for South East. However, a comfortable 9-2 win over West Midlands in their final group match meant South East placed 2nd in the group stages.

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Everyone belongs in water

Pride Month is an opportunity to celebrate identity, visibility and belonging. It is also a time to reflect on the role we all play in creating environments where everyone feels welcome, respected and able to be themselves.

Everyone in the Swim England family believes that water should be for everyone. Whatever your background, identity or experience, everyone deserves positive, safe and enjoyable experiences in and around the water.

Creating inclusive environments goes beyond policies and processes. It is about listening, learning and taking action so people feel confident, valued and supported when taking part in our sports.

Creating welcoming aquatic spaces

For some people, getting involved in aquatics can feel daunting. Previous experiences, fear of judgement or a lack of representation can make it harder to feel that you belong.

We know that inclusion is shaped by everyday actions. The language we use, the behaviours we encourage and challenge, and the environments we create all influence how welcome and supported people feel.

Learn more about Swim England’s Inclusive aquatic spaces

Join the swimming coaching and development group

We are now inviting applications to join the regional swimming coaching and development group.

Are you passionate about the development of swimming in the South East?

Do you want to help shape opportunities for coaches and athletes in the region?

The group terms of reference can be found here Terms of reference

Applications are now open using the below form and close on Friday 19th June.

For more information contact [email protected]

Regional Coaching and Development Group application form

Parent Support Sessions

The regional swimming coaching and development group organised two parent support sessions in partnership with AP race this week. The resources from both sessions can be found on the links;

Session 1 – with ex international swimmer Will Bell (audio only)

https://swimming.box.com/s/wsfs26kiq85dzjjz9yoslw9as4j1lphn

Session 2 – with ex international swimmer Anna Hopkin (video)

https://swimming.box.com/s/n32kudtxq0e8tjcgb0s2jqk98pjchso5

Additional resources

AP Race Official Youtube Channelhttps://www.youtube.com/@aprace/videos

Head here for athlete videos, behind the scenes, competition roller coasters and more.

Parent Support Websitehttps://aprace.club/pages/swimming-resources

Find here the nutrition videos discussed and many other useful resources.

There are also links on this page to resources on neurodiversity as well as a range of books covering sleep, mind management/psychology and more.

 

 

Swim England confirms 2026 swimming competition schedule

Swim England has announced its swimming competition dates for 2026.

Starting off with the National Summer Meet (50m), the long-course competition is one of the highlights of the season, showcasing high levels of swimming on the national stage. The key information for Summer Meet 2026 has also been released, which includes the competition schedule and conditions. This event will be held at Ponds Forge.

Next up is the National County Team Championships, a thrilling team event where counties compete for points and pride in two divisions. This event will be held at Ponds Forge.

2026 will finish with the National Winter Championships (25m) as usual, which is Swim England’s short-course meet just before Christmas. This event will be held at Ponds Forge.

Geneva International 2026 – regional team confirmed

We are excited to announce the team heading to Geneva in January to represent the region at the Geneva international challenge event. The team have been selected from the recent regional short course championships and will be led by camp Head Coach, Jordan Honour (Thanet) and Lead Team Manager, Matt Swindells (Portsmouth). They will be supported by Assistant Head Coach, Lee Baldwin (Portsmouth), Development Coach, Andy Snelling (Haslemere), Physical Preparation Coach, Tom Company (Portsmouth) and Team Manager, Alison Pope (Thanet).

Aquiles Bello Ormeno Guildford City Ami Jones Leatherhead
Aran Bissett RTW Monson Charlotte Cope Guildford City
Ben Twynham University Of Surrey Darcey Smith Portsmouth Northsea
Chengze Duan RTW Monson Ellie Freeze Guildford City
Freddie Ashley-Sparks Wycombe District Emma Allatt-File Guildford City
Harry Cocks Thanet Eve Whitney Tilehurst
Jack Booth Rudd Portsmouth Northsea Freya Gordon Haslemere
Leon Taylor City of Brighton & Hove Hazel -Anne Carter Wycombe District
Lucas Lovell Portsmouth Northsea Holly Hopwood Guildford City
Makar Yakhno Portsmouth Northsea Ivy Haggerty Thanet
Patryk Przyczyna Eastbourne Madeleine Hind RTW Monson
Tobermory Mackay-Champion Oxford University Poppy Lawrence Leatherhead

Winners receive Awards

Regional winners from every category in our 2025 Awards programme have been presented with their certificates and trophies by Regional President Peter Roycroft at the Regional Awards event in Guildford on Sunday 16th November.

You can see the winners here

Surrey win National Masters Inter-County Championships

Surrey dominated the Inter-County Masters competition at the London Aquatics Centre on 9th November.

With a score of 461.5 points the Surrey team Took home the Tony Warn Trophy for the first time since 1998. The team finished 128 points ahead of Hampshire in second and almost160 points clear of Middlesex in 3rd.

This extraordinary score gave them the National title – over 80 points clear of their nearest rival, Devon.

Nationally, all South East teams finished in the top 20 teams National standings by county

Final positions at the competition at the LAC were:

1st Surrey

2nd Hampshire

3rd Middlesex

4th Berks & South Bucks (293 pts)

5th Sussex (254 pts)

6th Kent (221 pts)

7th Oxford & North Bucks (165 pts)

The South East competition is only one round of the National competition. The National results are below.

Full results 

National Individual results by event

Regional swimmers join Team GB squad at the Skopje 2025 European Youth Olympic Festival (EYOF)

The British Olympic Association (BOA) has today announced a team of 16 swimmers among the the 54 athletes selected to represent Team GB at the Skopje 2025 European Youth Olympic Festival (EYOF).

Regional swimmers in the squad include: Gisella Silano, 15, (Guildford City SC), Darcey Smith, 15, (Portsmouth Northsea SC) and Patryk Przyczyna 15 (Eastbourne SC). All members of the squad have been nominated by Aquatics GB.

The squad will be supported by two-time Olympic swimmer Anna Hopkin who will take on the role of Athlete Ambassador for Skopje, offering advice and support as the athletes come together as one Team GB.

Running from the 20th – 26th July, Team GB’s young athletes, all aged between 13 and 18, will compete in 10 of the 15 disciplines on the programme: artistic gymnastics, badminton, basketball 3×3, canoe slalom, judo, mountain bike, road cycling, swimming, table tennis and taekwondo.

Learn more about the Squad

Learn more about the European Youth Olympics Festival

UK sports councils agree next steps in response to Safe Sport report

The five UK sports councils are unified by a commitment to the wellbeing, enjoyment and fulfilment of every person involved in sport.

With that in mind, the five bodies are empowering the sector to redesign sport to be safer for everyone in response to the Safe Sport report.

Led by sport and for sport, the Safe Sport project and report emerged from a shared recognition of the challenges faced by the sport sector in keeping people safe.

Co-chaired by Sarah Powell (CEO, British Gymnastics) and Andy Salmon (CEO, Swim England), the independent consultation for the report encompassed 146 organisations and more than 200 voices.

It was survivor-informed, involving individuals with lived experience in sport, with interviews conducted to understand how safeguarding practices in sport can be developed further to create a positive and safe environment for all.

Safe Sport’s mission is to establish a comprehensive and integrated approach to safeguarding in sport throughout the UK.

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