European reference in kayak polo, Montpellier 3M canoe-kayak UC is preparing for the coming season on the Lez

Les féminines du club championnes de France 2024. 3MCKUC

Installé à la base nautique de Lavalette, le club montpelliérain profite d’un cadre splendide pour développer la pratique d’un sport encore méconnu dont il est devenu un spécialiste.

One Friday morning in January, day breaks over the Lavalette nautical base after a cool night in Montpellier. In a sublime setting, two goals from the Lez kayak-polo field split the landscape.

200% Deposit Bonus up to €3,000 180% First Deposit Bonus up to $20,000

The day before, some of the 120 members of Montpellier 3M canoe-kayak UC took part in a training session for this team sport, for which the local club has become a reference in France and Europe.

In the premises occupied by the 3MCKUC, the boats are stored vertically, here a few balls, there helmets and vests. “Teams from all over France love to come here to play kayak polo in the great outdoors in a dream setting,” says Emilie Delahaye, an employee of 3MCKUC.

Created in 1977, the club stands out for its diversity of activities even though it has made kaya-polo its specialty: “In 1992, the first world championship of this sport took place,” she explains. That's when the club took the turn of the discipline. From the 2000s, it became a reference, won titles and had internationals in its ranks.”

Multi-titled in France and Europe

The men's team is one of the most successful in France with eight national crowns, the last of which was in 2022. It remains in third place in the 2024 French championship. In 2021, Montpellier even won its third European Club Cup. The women's team are the reigning French champions. They were crowned last July in Thury-Harcourt in Normandy.

Thanks to its best elements, the Montpellier club is also present internationally. Thus, four kayakers participated in the world championships in October with France in China: Tassia Konstantinidis in the women's team, David Linet and Baptiste Cotta in the men's team and the young Nielsen Ruas who won the bronze medal with the U21s.

The 3MCK UC is now preparing for the coming season when it will be possible to come and encourage the Montpellier athletes in Lavalette: the weekend of April 5 and 6 for a round of the women's French championship, and the weekend of May 3 and 4 for the same event for the men.