The demanding sport thrived in the province during the early 1990s, a string of New Zealand representatives learning their craft in the Blenheim pool.

However, a combination of factors, including the Aquatic Centre rebuild, conspired to see numbers fall and the sport slide off Marlborough’s sporting radar.

Now it’s back - the revival driven by a woman who was to the fore as a Marlborough player in the previous era, representing New Zealand at various levels, including elite.

Twenty years on, Rebecca Brosnan, nee Bailey, is coach of the national senior women’s team who left the country on Wednesday to compete among 20 other nations at the world championships in Quebec, Canada.

The 43-year-old, has high hopes for the “Silver Fins” as they are known, especially after their second placing at the previous worlds, but was understandably cautious.

“My expectation is that we will go very well, but let’s wait and see what they can do for us.”

As well as focusing on the world championship campaign, Rebecca has been working overtime to create a successful programme on the local scene, and it appears to be coming to fruition.

When Rebecca and her husband Bruno, also a former NZ rep, moved back to Marlborough in 2000 the sport was still “reasonably strong” she recalled, but the closure of the pool for redevelopment saw the local club “die off”.

“Bruno and I started it up again about four years ago,” said Rebecca, “knowing that we had our own children that would like to play … so we have been building up from intermediate age and we have brought players through.”

“We went from having around 15 [players], now we have a club of over 60 members in a three to four-year period.”

Her short-term plan was to qualify a MBC junior team for the nationals this year, with a non-eligible MGC junior team also playing in the qualifying tournament to gain experience. Next year she hopes to have three eligible teams at nationals - MBC junior and senior [year11-13] teams, plus an MGC junior combination.

The first part of the strategy was achieved last weekend when a Marlborough Boys’ College junior [year 9-10] team travelled to Wellington for a Central Zone qualifying tournament and finished second, earning them a trip to Rotorua in September for the schools nationals, involving the top 10 teams in each grade.

“This is the first year we have been able to qualify [for the NZ champs] … to have a full junior Marlborough Boys’ College team. They have done really well.

“I think [the plan] is exactly on track,” she added, before offering some reasons for the resurgence.

“It’s a great sport. It’s different obviously, not for everyone, but those that love it are very passionate about it so we have a really good following. We have grown a lot of parental interest … so we have a wave of parents trained up to coach these junior players.”

Underwater hockey is obviously not one of the most spectator-friendly sports going around, with supporters struggling to see all that occurs in the depths of the pool, but Rebecca was quick to point out the physical and mental prowess needed to make a successful player.

“It’s pretty full-on. You have got to be extremely fit, both in strength and cardiovascular fitness, to be a good underwater hockey player at the top level.

“Everyone thinks you need a really long breath hold but it is more about the recovery … shorter breath holds, but being able to have one breath and then go and do it all again.

“You also need a good three-dimensional thinking mind because you can be tackled from any direction on the bottom of the pool … those that can read the game well and are good strategic thinkers do best.” 

Although Rebecca and Bruno have recently moved to Nelson with their son Harri, 14, and daughter Chantal, 11, they plan to continue their input into the sport in Marlborough and will, no doubt, also become involved with the Nelson club, who produce a steady stream of NZ representatives.

“We will continue to help in Blenheim because we have built it up and we want to see that keep growing … plus it’s good to have competition just over the hill as well,” she added.

Written by Peter Jones, Sport Tasman