Some local sports stars go on to world fame, riches in the bank and the guarantee that they’ll never have to buy themselves a drink in a bar again.

Others, like SA men’s water polo captain Pierre le Roux (pictured above with women’s national captain Kelsey White) fly under the radar.

Seriously under the radar, because the most capped South African ever is having to stump up his own cash in order to compete at the world championships in Hungary starting later this week.

Mumble In The Jungle has an excellent piece on Pierre, so we’ll start with some of his backstory:

Ten years ago he was packed and ready to leave for the world championships in Melbourne. A quick dash downtown to collect supplies was his final chore. Cruising on his motorbike in the wet, he took a corner and skidded before smashing into a car. He had broken his back and his body was banged up.

He woke up in hospital a week later.

This week, Le Roux travels with the national water polo team to the world championships in Hungary…

The bike is long gone, as are his student days, and now you’ll find him behind a desk most days. He’s a teacher and coach at a private school in Johannesburg, earning his dosh and trying to squeeze in as much time in the pool as he can either side of his day job.

It’s a humbling, proleterian existence. There are few handouts and top players must make do with whatever they can manage on their own.

There is some assistance from FINA, swimming’s international body, but our players have basically been hung out to dry.

When you think of the amount of money we squander on events like the SA Sports Awards (2013’s edition cost R65 million, so who knows about this year), the fact that we can’t write a cheque for our water polo players to represent our country is a joke.

Instead they are forced to raise the funds through events like golf days, water polo clinics and online funding campaigns (HERE), footing the bill for what their fundraising efforts can’t cover:

Any profits went into a pot disbursed among the 13 blokes headed to Budapest (five others stay at home as non-travelling reserves). Anyone who spends his portion before time, perhaps for groceries or petrol or for gym, must make a plan.

There is no reliance on Sascoc, the local Olympic body, who sniffily refuse to underwrite overseas trips without a guaranteed medal. It’s sophistry SA-style: neither the Springboks nor Chad Le Clos could confidently guarantee a medal. Yet water polo, which functions on the margins, must make a case for doing so.

Despite the hurdles they must overcome just to dive into the pool, le Roux says the team is in good spirits. From The Dan Nicholl Show last week:

A quick shout-out to goal keeper Themba Mthembu, a rock at the back who is very imposing in the pool:

He’s built like a rugby number eight. He’s no shrinking violet and will rumble with the best.

Mthembu is one of a growing number of black South Africans making their way in water polo. This is an important point given the transformation imperatives that swirl around our sport. “As a sport we have to adapt and grow,” says Le Roux. “We need to create black heroes.”

If you want to follow their progress, tune in to see how our men and women fare against the big guns. All the games will be on SuperSport:

Good luck guys and girls. Maybe one day you’ll get the kind of corporate backing needed to take water polo in South Africa to the next level, but for now we’re just happy to see you making a splash.

[source:mitj]