History

V-Unit was formed in the mid-1980’s by the 73rd Viking Venture Scout Unit, where we also took our name.

White-water canoeing had always been a part of Viking’s programme and was especially popular when Viking embarked on its three-week expedition to the French Alps or Austria. Then one summer a member returned from university telling us about a strange five a side game to which he had been introduced called Canoe Polo. Somehow the Unit was talked into trying out the sport, and it stuck. For the following 20 years, virtually all those who represented Viking, were members of the Venture Scout Unit. Today, although retaining links to the 73rd Derby Scout group, the club is a member of the B.C.U. in its own right.

For many years, V-Unit had been hiring Derby’s Queen’s Leisure Centre pool for seven or eight weeks each winter so that members could learn to role prior to the summer trips to the Alps. Viking’s first venue dedicated to Canoe Polo was the 25-metre pool at Belper Leisure Centre.

From the outset, enthusiasm for the sport was great and with help from local clubs, the sport was thriving in the East Midlands during the 1980’s – with Demons, Midland CC, Rams and Cobra all fielding National League teams. We were able to entre a team in Division 2 of the 1985/86 East Midlands League.

Viking’s first-ever competitive game is believed to have taken place against Sheffield Canoe Club one evening in October 1985. In those days, Regional League tournaments involved a team travelling to play a single game on their opponent’s club night. The result is somewhat shrouded in mystery but certainly, Viking lost by a multitude of goals and had an unknown number of capsizes!

Seemingly not deterred and with numbers involved increasing, by the 1986/87 season, Viking was  taking its first steps into the National Leagues. A team comprising of Colin Davis, Craig Sinclaire, Richard Davis, Simon Monk and Graham Barrett gained promotion from Division 4 at their first attempt. This same team would move through Divisions 3 and 2 into Division 1 in consecutive years. In the 1987/88 season, Viking was fielding three teams in the Regional Leagues, one in Division 1 and two in Division 2. The end of season tabled showed Viking A as winners of Division 1, having played 9, won 9, scored 38 and only conceded 4. Viking B were winners of Division 2 also, having played 11, won 11, scored 49 and only conceded 7.

The extent to which Viking was ‘youth’ based was illustrated by the fact that by the 1988/89 season, two teams were playing in both Division 1 and Division 2 in the National Youth League. In 1989 a team of Colin Davis, Craig Sinclaire, Graham Barrett, Darren Divall and Paul Hanson had won both the National Youth League Division 1 and the National Youth Cup.

The arrival of Viking A in Division 1 of the National League at the start of the 1989/90 season could be said to have marked the coming of age of Viking Canoe Polo. Since then it has established teams in all four Divisions of the National League, so enabling paddlers to progress to the highest level with Viking A winning Division 1 National a multitude of times. The emphasis on youth development has continued, with sessions at Queen’s Leisure Centre every Monday evening as well as river sessions tailored to the youth players.