Haugland takes Waterways prize for top scorer at the Champions Cup
Nine goals over three days catapulted Akkaren forward Karine Haugland to the top of the women’s table for individual scoring by the end of the underwater rugby Champions Cup in Berlin.
Once a year, the world’s national champions in underwater rugby come together for international competition at the Tempelhof Municipal Pool in Berlin. Haugland, a Norwegian national team veteran since 2005, helped lead her home club, Olso’s Akkaren, to become world champions in an undefeated run at the 2013 competition. The Oslo club defeated German league champions Duisburg 1-0 in the final on a goal scored by Haugland.
Haugland and her Akkaren teammates barely made it to the Champions Cup this year. Facing arch rival Molde in league play, they dug themselves into a deep hole at the beginning of the season by losing their first two meetings. It looked as if Molde, runner up at the Champions Cup last year, would defend its position as Norway’s number one club. Haugland recalled:
“During the regular season when we had our backs to the wall we knew we had to win our third meeting with Molde. Perhaps they took us for granted a little bit, but we played 100 percent. And after our first victory we really had a hard battle in our fourth meeting, but we had momentum and self confidence on our side.”
After tieing the divisional race Akkaren won the national title because the Norwegian system distinguishes between the year’s league champion and national championship. The winner of the league represents the country at Champions Cup.
The Norwegian women’s league only has three teams at present. This makes the Champions Cup a special highlight of the year, according to Haugland.
“We need more variety and tougher competition. So the Champions Cup is something we really forward to. It would be great if we could compete more regularly against German club teams,” said Haugland. “Perhaps we could have a European League like the men.”
Waterways Prize
Haugland made 9 goals in Champions Cup:
– 2 versus Orcas (Colombia)
– 3 versus Aquanavt (Russia)
– 0 versus Volants (Czech Republic) did not play
– 3 in the semi final versus Black Mermaids (Sweden)
– 1 in the final versus Duisburg (Germany)
“There were many players on our team who deserved the prize: we did it together,” said Haugland upon receiving the award, a pair of Waterway underwater rugby fins.
Waterways fins dominate the fiber fin market in Norway among underwater rugby players. The retail price for a pair in Norway lies around 130 euro. Haugland already played with the Ukrainian made fins.
“Of the players who use fiber fins I would guess that 95 percent have Waterways,” she said, who originally started out as a competitive swimmer.
Haugland started out as a swimmer. But at the age of 14 she switched to slalom rivercanoing (whitewater) and was a member of the national team for five years until a knee injury forced her to quit at the age of 20.
“I was introduced to underwater rugby in 1999 and started playing competitively in 2000,” said. “Loved it from the start.”
She was named to the Norwegian National Team in 2005 and has played in two World Championships.
(Sidebar text: The top scorer in league play and the top scorer at the Norwegian Championship both receive prize money of NOK 250.