The highly anticipated climax of the Nordic League competitions is fast approaching.
At the start of this, the 6th season of the ambitious and highly celebrated Nordic League, twenty-two clubs from fourteen different countries decided to outgrow Scandinavian borders and begin their Nordic adventure, vying for an opportunity that has long been unavailable—an opportunity to compete internationally against other similarly-skilled teams in both a competitive spirit and celebration of water polo.
As the name suggests, what was once a small competition between Nordic countries has vastly expanded across the continent since the tournament’s inception in 2019. It has evolved into a sustainable, exciting, and credible club competition that is now a valuable platform for the development of the sport—particularly in countries that lack a strong water polo infrastructure.
The competition, which now features a second tier ‘Nordic Trophy’, further offers a greater inclusivity and a competitive opportunity that underpins the league’s mission to grow the sport across the region.
A New Norse Champion Awaits
After back-to-back Nordic League titles in 2022 and 2023 for the absent KVP Novaky, a new champion will be crowned in at the Nordic League Final 8 in Stockholm between 7th-9th June.
An all-Lithuanian derby tops the billing in the first quarter-final as Vilnius takes on the reigning Lithuanian champions and 2022 Nordic League runners-up, Zaibas. Vilnius took the last quarterfinal spot in the elimination game against the Final 8 host team – SPIF Stockholm. Zaibas dominated on the Oradea tournament winning 4/4 games including derby against Tenerife.
One of the Lithuanian teams will book a semi-final meeting with the winner between Bundesliga side SG Neukölln and the young Romanian side CSU Oradea. Germans won the home tournament and they are huge favourites in this clash.
On the other side of the draw, Cetus Espoo from Finland looks to upset the formidable Tenerife Echeyde in their semi-final.
Finish side secured Final 8 after great performances against SPIF (18:12) and Kosice (13:10), while Spaniards showed no mercy against CSU Oradea, Turun and Cheltenham.
Last pair, De Ham from the Netherlands and Dynamo Lviv from Ukraine face a 50-50 encounter.
De Ham’s spot in Stockholm was secured in one of the best games of the season against KAZSc Antwerp (7:6).
Dynamo Lviv arrives to Final 8 with only one thing in mind – to win the trophy! Definitely a match worth watching!
Quarterfinals
Beyond the Main Stage: The Nordic Trophy Final 6
For teams that did not progress through the qualification rounds, the league offers a second chance to earn some silverware: the Nordic Trophy. This tournament will conclude with a Final Six format, scheduled for June 7-9, 2024. It represents the league’s commitment to offering competitive opportunities to a broad spectrum of teams.
With home advantage, Stockholm-based SPIF awaits the winner of an all-British Isles clash between Cheltenham (GBR) and Corrib (IRE) in the first semi-final.
Meanwhile, all eyes turn to the second semi-final as the Danish side KVIK Kastrup will face either Stockholm’s other Final-6 representative, Neptun, in a re-run of an extremely exciting contest earlier in the competition, or the 2020 Nordic League Champions, Turun Ulmarit Turku, from Finland.
Nordic League – Previous Winners
2023. Novaky
2022. Novaky
2021. LSTW Lodz
2020. Turun Uimarit
2019. Jarfalla
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