Building a National Identity in Water Polo – Vaughn Marlow on South Africa’s Challenges & Vision

“We Have to Adopt from Others – But With Our Own Capabilities in
Mind” – Vaughn Marlow on South African Water Polo & National
Team Development In this episode of the Waterpolo Expert Talk,
South African men’s national team head coach Vaughn Marlow shares
deep insights into the unique structure, challenges and future
vision of water polo in South Africa. Vaughn talks about his
personal journey from being a school player to becoming a full-time
coach and national team head coach. He explains how the South
African water polo system is strongly school-based, unlike the
European club system, and how this creates both strong
participation at youth level and major challenges after graduation.
A major topic of this episode is the lack of professional pathways
after high school. While many players are highly motivated and
talented, financial limitations, education, and career planning
force many athletes to leave the sport at the age of 17–18. Unlike
rugby, which offers contracts and professional structures, water
polo remains largely amateur. Vaughn also gives rare insights into:
- The structure of South African provincial leagues - The absence
of a true national league - Selection through national club
championships - The challenges of limited funding and long travel
distances - Managing a national team while working full-time as a
school coach - International competition against top nations like
Spain, Serbia and Montenegro - Late travel, jet lag and lack of
match preparation - Why money directly influences performance on
the world stage A key philosophical statement of this episode is
Vaughn’s belief that South Africa must learn from the global elite
– but adapt everything to its own physical, tactical and cultural
strengths. He explains why Japan’s rise is inspiring and how South
Africa must develop its own brand of water polo, based on speed,
movement and teamwork rather than physical dominance. This episode
is extremely valuable for coaches, federation officials, athletes
and fans who want to understand how national teams develop outside
the traditional European powerhouses. More about the podcast:
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for more international perspectives on coaching, development and
elite water polo.