Road to gold narrowed at U17/U19 National Age Group Finals

May 2, 2026

Day one of the Swim England Water Polo National Age Group U17/U19 Finals brought a full programme of semi-final action to GL1 Leisure Centre in Gloucester.

With qualification rounds completed earlier this year, the country’s top age-group sides arrived ready for an intense day where everything was on the line – today about earning a shot at gold, with medals to be decided tomorrow.

City of Manchester and North London on their way to national glory

In the U17 Open semi-finals, City of Manchester and Caledonia produced one of the games of the day. The sides were evenly matched throughout the first three quarters, with the score tied at 12–12 heading into the final period. From there, Manchester found another level, taking control when it mattered most.

Jude Eagling led the charge with a crucial hat-trick in the final quarter, supported by two key goals from Carter McMillan, as Manchester pulled away to secure a 17–12 victory and their place in the final.

They were joined by North London, who delivered a strong performance to defeat Sedgefield 17–10. Zain Garnie was the standout performer, scoring five goals, including both the opening and closing strikes of the match.

The results set up a compelling U17 Open final, with City of Manchester given another opportunity to go one step further after narrowly missing out on the title in 2025. Caledonia and Sedgefield will meet in the bronze medal match.

City of Liverpool and West London Penguin prepare for rematch

In the U17 Female semi-finals, defending champions City of Liverpool showed their quality once again, defeating Beckenham 11–7. Liverpool established control early, building an 8–4 lead by half time, and managed the game effectively from there to secure their place in a second consecutive final.

West London Penguin ensured it will be a repeat of last year’s championship decider with an 11–5 win over Cheltenham. A confident display saw them take control of the clash and maintain their advantage throughout, setting up another meeting with Liverpool.

After falling short in 2025, Penguin will be looking to reverse the outcome, while Liverpool aim to defend their title. Beckenham and Cheltenham will contest the bronze medal match.

Caledonia and North London earn gold medal match spots

As the day progressed, attention turned to the U19 semi-finals, where places in Sunday’s gold medal matches were decided in both competitions.

In the U19 Open semi-finals, Caledonia produced a remarkable turnaround to defeat defending champions City of Manchester 17–11.

Manchester made a confident start, leading 5–2 after the first quarter, but Caledonia responded emphatically with seven goals in the second period to take control of the match. From that point on, the Scottish side did not relinquish their lead, securing a place in the final and ending Manchester’s hopes of defending their title.

They will be joined by North London, who claimed a dominant 17–8 victory over West London Penguin in the London derby.

It was an outstanding all-round performance from North London, who controlled the match throughout to book their place in the gold medal match. Last year’s silver medallists, West London Penguin, will instead compete for bronze.

City of Bristol and West London Penguin complete the hunt for gold tomorrow

City of Bristol secured their place in the U19 Female final with a convincing 21–7 win over Cheltenham. They were in control from the start and built a strong lead early, leaving Cheltenham with little chance to come back.

As last year’s champions, Bristol are now one step closer to defending their title.

West London Penguin won against City of Liverpool to secure the second place in the gold medal match tomorrow.

In an intense game which saw both sides compete on a high level, Penguin had the upper hand in the end and edged past Liverpool with 11-8.

Liverpool will therefore face Cheltenham to fight for the bronze medal.

View all semi-final results below and head to our live scoreboard to see today’s goal scorers.

Swim England Water Polo National Age Group Championships U17/U19 day one results

U17 Open Semi-Finals
City of Manchester 17-12 Caledonia
North London 17-10 Sedgefield

U17 Female Semi-Finals
City of Liverpool 11-7 Beckenham
West London Penguin 11-5 Cheltenham

U19 Open Semi-Finals
Caledonia 17-11 City of Manchester
North London 17-8 West London Penguin

U19 Female Semi-Finals
City of Bristol 21-7 Cheltenham
West London Penguin 11-8 City of Liverpool