the essentials The Subquercy club offers an underwater hockey section. Club which organized a competition this weekend as part of a Coupe de France to highlight this practice which is both little-known and atypical.
A puck, three players on each side, bowls for goals, sticks. And all this, not on the grass or the ice, but at the bottom of the Divonéo swimming pool. Nearly ten players practice underwater hockey at the Subquercy club in Cahors. Unlike more traditional players, teammates wear a snorkel, hat and diving mask. “It’s an atypical sport,” recognizes Laurent Périé, the club’s deputy president and coach, “but it’s also a very intense discipline, which requires good breathing, good cardio, explosiveness and apnea skills.” . This weekend, the club hosted the first round of the Open League, the equivalent of a Coupe de France, at the Divonéo complex. A way to get your head above water for this little-known activity.
Saturday and Sunday, teams from Lyon, Marseille, Montpellier, Agen and even Colombia made the trip. Strange ballet, these players who struggle in the depths of the pools, the horn worthy of a fairground sound emitted at each foul or stoppage of play. Strange scene, too, these referees with red caps, placed on each side of the pool who raise their arm at each fault, like a synchronized swimming choreography. At first glance, it feels like you’ve been teleported into a parallel universe. “It’s as if a bunch of piranhas were looking for a piece of meat,” laughs Laurent Périé. But don’t be fooled by the appearance of this happy hubbub and the good-natured atmosphere. Here, it’s serious: “Today we play three against three, like a counterpart to rugby sevens but usually it’s more like six against six. The matches last 15 minutes or twice 10 minutes, there is always a team with white hats facing a team with black hats.
“It’s impossible to ask your teammate to pass to us.”
And underwater, it bleeds. Even if the apnea only lasts 10 to 15 seconds, several players come out with a few scars. “And again, three against three, it’s the least violent version,” slips the Diables de Cahors coach. The aim of the game is to score goals with a 1.3kg weighted puck. “It is forbidden to push the puck with your fist and the hand that is not gloved must not touch the opponent,” continues Laurent Périé. But how do you communicate with your team underwater? Impossible. So, “the players must know each other perfectly because you cannot ask your teammate to pass to us,” says Florent, who has been practicing this discipline for 22 years. He first wanted to go diving and eventually took a liking to this team sport which combines hockey, swimming, rugby and synchronized swimming. Moreover, this sport often attracts curious or injured rugby players. “We find team cohesion and rugby spirit,” he explains.
With Toulouse and Montpellier, Cahors is part of the very select list of underwater hockey clubs in the region. Little Cahors facing the two urban behemoths, there is a reason for this: “Montauban was one of the first clubs in France. The club is no longer in activity but due to geographical proximity, registrations have rebounded in Cahors”. Today, Little Thumb is looking for better visibility to boost its registrations. And don’t drink the cup.
Information and registrations at subquercy@hotmail.fr
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