Meet the Team

Great Britain will take a 13-strong team to the LEN European Water Polo Championships in Eindhoven.

  Name: Alex Rutlidge

  Date of bith: 12th November 1988

  Club: City of Manchester / Lancaster

  Major competitions: World League '09, '10, '11, European B
  Championships '09, Universiade '11

• Alex was introduced to water polo by her father who played for Lancaster while younger sister Briony also plays for City of Manchester.
• As well as being a world class water polo player, she has a degree in Criminology and Social Policy from Manchester University.

  Name: Angie Winstanley-Smith

  Date of bith: 5th August 1985

  Club: City of Manchester

  Major competitions: World Championships '03, Commonwealth
  Championships '06, World League '09, '10, '11, European B
  Championships '04, '07, '09, Universiade '11

• Angie became the first British professional women's water polo player in history when she joined French side ASPTT Nancy in 2005.
• She claims her proudest achievement to date was captaining the British side at the 2011 World University Games in Shenzhen, China.

  Name: Chloe Wilcox

  Date of bith: 20th December 1986

  Club: City of Manchester / Carlisle

  Major competitions: Commonwealth Championships '06, World
  League '09, '10, '11, European B Championships '07, '09,
  Universiade '11

• Chloe made her senior team debut in 2004 and scored her first GB goal at a Four Nations tournament in Lille, France.
• She works part-time as a PE / Swimming teacher at Manchester High School for Girls.

  Name: Ciara Gibson-Byrne

  Date of bith: 3rd December 1992

  Club: City of Manchester

  Major competitions: World League '11, Universiade '11
 

• Born and raised in Barcelona, Ciara has not forgotten her roots - her favourite food is paella and favourite sportsperson is FC Barcelona footballer Lionel Messi.
• She has been a regular face in the British senior team since making her international debut in 2010.

  Name: Fiona McCann

  Date of bith: 13th May 1987

  Club: City of Liverpool / City of Chester

  Major competitions: Commonwealth Championships '06, World
  League '09, '10, '11, European B Championships '07, '09,
  Universiade '11

• Fiona is one of the most experienced players in the British squad, having made her senior international debut in 2003.
• Her favourite achievement came last season when she played a part in the British team's victory over Greece in the World League, months before their opponents went on to win gold at the World Championships.

  Name: Fran Leighton

  Date of bith: 30th March 1982

  Club: City of Sheffield / Rotherham Metro

  Major competitions: World Championships '03, Commonwealth
  Championships '02, '06, World League '09, '10, '11, European B
  Championships '02, '04, '09

• Fran has been captain of the British senior women's team for the best part of eight years, having made her senior international debut in 1998.
• One of her proudest moments in the pool was winning bronze with England in front of a home crowd in Manchester at the 2002 Commonwealth Championships.

  Name: Frankie Snell

  Date of bith: 28th March 1987

  Club: West London Penguin

  Major competitions: World League '10, '11, Universiade '11
 

• Born in New Zealand, Frankie broke into the senior British international team in 2009.
• Having helped West London Penguin to a silver medal in the 2010 British Championships, she has quickly become a key figure at centre back for the Brits.

  Name: Fran Clayton

  Date of bith: 7th January 1990

  Club: City of Liverpool / Catterick Cobras

  Major competitions: World League '09, '10, '11, European B
  Championships '09, Universiade '11

• Fran is another of the British team with a strong family background in water polo - her mother Judi once captained the British team while her father was also a coach and club chairman.
• She was also a talented gymnast but after concentrating on water polo in her teens, she broke into the senior British squad in January 2007.

  Name: Lisa Gibson

  Date of bith: 12th August 1989

  Club: City of Manchester

  Major competitions: World League '10, '11, European B
  Championships '07, Universiade '11

• Lisa was born in Chichester but grew up and learnt to play water polo in Oregon, USA.
• Away from the pool, she is studying biomedical sciences at Manchester University and wants to become a doctor after retiring from the sport.

  Name: Rebecca Kershaw

  Date of bith: 11th August 1990

  Club: City of Manchester / Lancaster City

  Major competitions: World League '09, '10, '11, European B
  Championships '09, Universiade '11

• After learning to play when she was 12, Beckie made her way through the British junior teams before earning her senior GB debut in 2007.
• She finished a degree in Psychology and Education in 2011 and wants to become a teacher after finishing with water polo.

  Name: Robyn Nicholls

  Date of bith: 8th May 1990

  Club: City of Manchester / Tyldesley

  Major competitions: World League '09, '10, '11, European B
  Championships '09, Universiade '11

• Robyn has been a regular between the sticks for the British women since joining the senior squad for the first time in 2006.
• She has also enjoyed plenty of domestic success for City of Manchester, winning the national title in 2009 and 2010.

  Name: Rosie Morris

  Date of bith: 31st January 1986

  Club: City of Liverpool / Solihull

  Major competitions: Commonwealth Championships '06, World
  League '09, '10, '11, European B Championships '04, '07, '09,
  Universiade '11

• Rosie initially went to GB trials as an outfield player but was quickly converted to a goalkeeper and fast-tracked into the senior squad in 2004.
• She was voted goalkeeper of the tournament as the British women won silver at the European B Championships in 2007.

  Name: Vicki Hawkins

  Date of bith: 12th June 1984

  Club: City of Manchester / Cheltenham / Warley Wasps

  Major competitions: World League '09, '10, '11
 

• Centre back Vicki joined the British senior squad in 2007.
• Away from the pool, Vicki has a PhD in Chemical Engineering and is completing a part-time Graduate Diploma in Law.

Name: Szylveszter Fekete

Szilveszter was born and brought up in Budapest and started playing water polo as a 10-year old.

Playing as a goalkeeper, he broke in to the Hungarian national team at 19 and continued to play at an international level for seven years.

At a domestic level, Szilveszter was captain of European giants OSC Budapest, winning the Hungarian national championship six times, the Champions League twice and the Superclub once.

He began his coaching career in Italy where he worked for 11 years before stints in Hungary and Egypt.

Szilveszter began working with the British women’s team in February 2007 and admits the lure of coaching a team to the Olympics is all the more enticing having missed out on competing in the 1980 Games with a knee injury.

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