PADDLE BLACKS 2019
1st place A Team, 3rd place B team - Oceania Championships, Australia
Kyzen MacDonald - Coach
Where are you from: Masterton
What National League team do you play for: Expose, Palmerston North Canoe Club
How old were you when you started playing canoe polo: 12
Have you played for the U21 PB's and/or PB's before: Paddle Blacks 2006 & 2013
Hopes for this year's Oceania: My hope for the A team is to win gold at Oceania, I want the team to continue to develop their offence play and for them to focus on the we skills have been working on for this campaign. I am happy with the progress of each player but there is still a lot more to learn. Also each player has been a great mentor to the B team and I expect them to continue this during Oceania.
My B team have done a lot of development at the training camps, they are still finding their feet a little but I am pleased with there performance. Over the Oceania tournament I want to see them play as a team and ultimately my hope would be for NZ A vs NZ B in the finals.
A Team
Nevan Hadley - Captain
Player number: 6
Age: 26
Where are you from: Palmerston North
What National League team do you play for: Auckland Hornets
How old were you when you started playing canoe polo: 15
Have you played for the U21 PB's and/or PB's before: Played for the U21 PB 2011,2012 Played for senior PB's 2014- present
Why Canoe Polo: Because it's what I'm good at
Most memorable Canoe Polo moment: 2017 World Games
What you bring to the team: Speed, defence and leadership
Hopes for this year's Oceania: Gold medal
Alex Lowen - Vice captain
Player number: 10
Age: 27
Where are you from: Auckland
What National League team do you play for: Auckland Hornets
How old were you when you started playing canoe polo: 18 years old
Have you played for the U21 PB's and/or PB's before: I played 2012 World champs for U21 (4th place), Oceania champs 2013, 2015, 2017 (gold 15,17), World Champs 2016 NZ mens (5th), World Games 2017 (5th), CPSL 2018.
What you bring to the team: A big smile, plenty of terrible jokes and a can do attitude! I bring my expertise from my work as a high performance physiotherapist to get the most out of myself and the team. I also bring my experience from my time in other sports to enhance training sessions and adapt to fit the canoe polo style of game
Hopes for this year's Oceania: I hope that we continue to build our New Zealand squads skill, confidence and professional brand. I want to see us improve on the historical weaknesses in our game and set a firm foundation for the coming World Champs campaign
Carl Duncan
Player number: 1
Age: 35
Where are you from: Masterton
What National League team do you play for: Expose, Palmerston North Canoe Club
How old were you when you started playing canoe polo: 9
Playing history: NZ Men Oceania Championships 05, 07, 09, 11, 13, 17, 19. World Championships 06, 08, 10, 14, 16. World Games 2017.
Most memorable canoe polo moment: Qualifying for World games by winning in extra time at the World Championships in 2016 against Switzerland.
What you bring to the team: Technical experience gained over many international campaigns and tours.
Hopes for this year's Oceania: Continue developing a strong squad in preparation for Worlds 2020 while defending the Oceania title against Australia.
Mitch Graham
Player number: 2
Age: 26
Where are you from: Hawkes Bay
What National League team do you play for: Hurricans, Hawkes Bay
How old were you when you started playing canoe polo: 7 years old
Have you played for the U21 PB's and/or PB's before: I’ve been playing A grade for the Hurricanes since 2009. I first played for NZ U21 Men’s in 2009 and Paddle Blacks in 2015.
Most memorable canoe polo moment: Taking the French U21s down to the wire in 2012 semi-final, so close…
What you bring to the team: Putting plenty of sweat in the water for my teammates and motivational pregame banter
Hopes for this year's Oceania: Put the Aussie's away and build as a team towards 2020
Jade Johnson
Player number: 3
Age: 26
Where are you from: Born in Greymouth, live in Christchurch
What National League team do you play for: Justice, Christchurch
How old were you when you started playing canoe polo: 13 when I was in high school
Have you played for the U21 PB's and/or PB's before: Played for the U21s for an Oceania and World's tour. This is my second time playing for the Paddle Blacks.
Why Canoe Polo: I've enjoyed it since I started playing and now I've made friends that I hope to continue to have a great friendship through polo.
Most memorable Canoe Polo moment: Winning Bronze with my club team in 2014
What you bring to the team: A great commitment to the team and its players. Good work ethic on defence and offence. And a love of Oreos
Hopes for this year's Oceania: Developing more as a team and bringing home that shiny gold!
Jason Dalziell
Player number: 4
Age: 34
Where are you from: Palmerston North
What National League team do you play for: Expose, Palmerston North Canoe Club
How old were you when you started playing canoe polo: 16
Have you played for the U21 PB's and/or PB's before: Various teams from 2003. Paddle Blacks 2011, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018
Why Canoe Polo: I like the team sport and the skill level needed to play canoe polo.
Most memorable Canoe Polo moment: 5th place at 2018 World Champs
What you bring to the team: Years of top level playing experience
Hopes for this year's Oceania: To use Oceania as a building block to move the team forward towards a podium finish at the 2020 World Champs in Rome.
Matt Keong
Player number: 5
Age: 27
Where are you from: Hawkes Bay
What National League team do you play for: Expose, Palmerston North Canoe Club
How old were you when you started playing canoe polo: 12
Have you played for the U21 PB's and/or PB's before: U21 in 2009 and 2012, NZ Men since 2011.
Why Canoe Polo: I started playing canoe polo when I was about 12 and always had a bit more passion for it than my other sports that I played. The fast/short game was always a great factor for me. I also love team sports and playing a sport with my best friend is also great, weather it's with or against him.
Most memorable Canoe Polo moment: Scoring the winning goal through the fog at the 2014 worlds. First game against Aussie in our 1-0 win. Basically, putting them in bottom 12 and us in top 12
What you bring to the team: I bring experience to the team. I also love how everyone knows that I'm behind them in defence. I think it gives everyone a bit more hope when jostling hard in defence
Hopes for this year's Oceania: Win of course. But win convincingly. Play well as a team. Get this next building block mortared in before Rome
B Team
Andrew Bowden (AJ) - Captain
Player number: 5
Age: 22
Where are you from: Hawkes Bay
National League club: Hurricanes
Age started playing canoe polo: 9
Your playing history: Secondary Schools National champ 2014 & 2015, Hurricanes A grade 2014-current, U21 PB 2015 Oceania, U21 Worlds 2018
Most memorable canoe polo moment: Beating France 2018 5th/6th playoff
What you bring to the team: Positive energy and the banter
Hopes for this year's Oceania: Learn and develop using the older experience around me and hopefully be future Paddle Black A team one day. Also beat some Aussies.
Matthew Fiso - Vice Captain
Player number: 4
Age: 29
Where are you from: Based in Auckland since 2013 & originally from Wellington
National League club: Hornets, Auckland Canoe Polo Club
Age started playing canoe polo: 13
Your playing history: Started playing National League A Grade in 2008 and have played for Wellington (Knights & Tu Kai Taua), Otaki and Auckland (Kaos & Hornets). I have played for Central Region U18, U21, & Men at Inter-regionals. I first played for NZ U21 in 2009 (Gold Medal) and have since also represented NZ Mens B in 2011, 2013.
Most memorable canoe polo moment: Playing with my younger brothers in the Central U21 team that went to Inter-Regionals in Invercargil and winning Gold
What you bring to the team: Bring a combination of leadership and experience, as well as a calm head
Hopes for this year's Oceania: To be in the Final playing off for Gold against our A team.
Tom Wiggins
Player number: 1
Age: 26
Where are you from: Hawkes Bay
National League club: Southern Canoe Polo
Age started playing canoe polo: 13
Your playing history: I first started playing canoe polo whilst attending Hastings’ Boys High School. After moving to Dunedin I began playing for the Dunedin based National league team (Imps) in the B grade. After 4 years of playing in the B grade in both the Imps and Demons team, I played my first National League A grade competition with the Christchurch based Bailiffs team. Since then I have been a member of the Demons in the A grade competition
Most memorable canoe polo moment: This years competitions with my fellow Demons team. In January we travelled to Adelaide to compete in the Australia Day Canoe Polo competition. A change in climate saw us training in 45 C temperature, which was a vast change to our local training conditions. At the first round of this years National League we started of strong with some really competitive games. It’s great to see the team improving every year. Along with these competitions it was awesome being selected for the Men’s development team. Over the past 3 training camps I have learnt a great deal from the senior members of the squad and I look forward to further developing my game play
What you bring to the team: Size and power. My focus is to have a strong defensive pressure and work to create holes for shooters when on offence
Hopes for this year's Oceania: In the lead up competition is would be great to see our team take away 1st place as we prepare for the Oceania’s competition. As for the Oceania’s competition it would be great to follow up the previous competition with an NZ A vs NZ development team final
James Gibbs
Player number: 2
Age: 25
Where are you from: Auckland
National League club: Auckland Canoe Polo
Age started playing canoe polo: 16
Your playing history: 2 years of school polo, 1/2 season C grade, 2 years of B grade, A grade every year since, I have played U21's 2013 Oceania, and 2014 Worlds tour, Men's B Occiania 2017 and now 2019
Most memorable canoe polo moment: Paddling onto the pitch for our semi final in France 2014, each player paddling out as their name was called, seeing the volume of people in the stands and listening as they played our National anthem, when it came time to play there was so much noise you couldn't even hear the coach shouting from the sideline
What you bring to the team: I'm a big player so I like to cause big disruption on offence, creating opportunities for the whole team
Hopes for this year's Oceania: I think we have a great team who can give any opponent a run for their money.
Sam Warren
Player number: 3
Age: 26
Where are you from: Hastings
National League club: Hawkes Bay Hurricans
Age started playing canoe polo: 10
Your playing history: Havelock Primary, Havelock Intermediate, Havelock High School, Hawkes Bay B & A grade, Eastern men’s
Most memorable canoe polo moment: Probably first A-grade win at Atahua or winning school nationals
What you bring to the team: Court vision, create space for team mates on offensive end, and being vocal on the water
Hopes for this year's Oceania: Medal finish, and gain skills and knowledge to improve my game
Joseph Donald Scott
Player number: 6
Age: 22
Where are you from: Christchurch
National League club: Burnside Canoe Polo Club
Age started playing canoe polo: 15
Your playing history: Kaos 2 2015, NZU21 Men Oceania 2015, Justice 2016- present
Most memorable canoe polo moment: Winning IR 2015 after been 4th seed for semis
What you bring to the team: The ability to sometimes make good decisions and turn down a shot
Hopes for this year's Oceania: Hoping to develop some world class goaling and have fun doing so
Paul Richter
Player number: 7
Age: 23
Where are you from: Invercargill
National League club: Demons (OCKC)
Age started playing canoe polo: 16
Your playing history: 2012 Titans C Grade, 2012 South Island Secondary Schools ,2013 Titans B Grade, 2013 South Island Secondary Schools, 2013 U18 Inter-Regionals Southern, 2015 Göttingen Kanupolo, 2016 Argnanouts B Grade, 2017 Argnanouts B Grade, 2017 Men's Inter-Regionals Southern, 2018 Demons A Grade, 2019 Australia day competition Demons.
Most memorable canoe polo moment: The first 3 years playing with my friends at Secondary Schools and B Grade competitions
What you bring to the team: Good team work
Hopes for this year's Oceania: Playing consistent, having fun and applying all the skills that I have learned throughout the last 4 months of training camps