Oliver Crawford is a more than useful swimmer and plays rugby for Pembroke Youth but undoubtedly his main sport now is the little-known Octopush, where he is held in such high regard that at 17 years of age he is a regular in the Great Britain under 19 squad and this year took part in the World Championships at Castellon, in Spain.
 
Octopush is played under water in a swimming pool, using a rubber puck and stick to propel the puck along towards the opposition goal, with only six participants allowed in the water at any time from the squad of ten, which can also have two reserves.
 

Rough and tumble sport

 
A goal is scored once the puck is in the other team’s net and it is a very physical sport, despite the fact that in theory players are not allowed to use their free arm and shoulder to deliberately come into contact with an opponent.
 
That rule brought a smile to Ollie’s face as he told us,
“Both referees are poolside and it is not always easy for them to see all that goes in with experienced players eager for victory – although they do have the power to suspend someone from taking part for as long as they think appropriate during the two halves of 15 minutes duration apiece.
 
“When we played France in the World Cup we were reduced by two players,” Ollie said, “and it was mayhem for the four of us left, so we were delighted when we held on to win 1-0!”
 

Switched from swimming to underwater sport

 
Ironically, Ollie only started playing Octopush after previously being a very good swimmer with the county squad and then the Welsh Regional Squad in the 800m and 1,500m freestyle. His training sessions involved a number or morning sessions starting at 6am and more during the evening, travelling from his home in Pembroke to Haverfordwest Leisure Centre, trying to fit in his rugby training and his school work.
 
“So when my coach asked me to increase those hours to 18 a week I decided I couldn’t commit to that and stepped down – and in a short while I was approached by Tim Dyson, who has done so much for Pembroke Octopush, and he asked me if I wanted to give it a try.
 

Took to it like a duck to water

 
“I took to Octopush straight away and enjoy the physicality of it as I can use my swimming strength to good effect, alongside my hand/eye co-ordination from rugby. You are not allowed to put your feet on the bottom of the pool during play so my rugby involvement as a second row or occasional hooker certainly helped if any rough stuff was going on.”
 
Ollie started out with the juniors until he was almost 16 and then found himself drafted into the senior squad and hasn’t looked back with the encouragement received from Tim Dyson, Dave Thompson, plus Nick Barnett as captain.
“I have also received terrific support from my mother Alison, who was herself a useful swimmer but is an even better unpaid taxi driver, plus my younger sister Victoria (who also plays Octopush for the under 16 mixed team), and grandparents Jean and John Charnock.
 

Helping towards club success

 
Pembroke have certainly done well in Welsh Championships by winning seven out of the last eight competitions, with only Newport breaking that run two seasons ago and so hosting the next event. But Ollie and Co returned to winning ways last season and now host the next finals, which will take place at Haverfordwest Leisure Centre because the pool can have an even depth of two metres throughout, whilst Pembroke has a deep and shallow end, which makes it more difficult for the players
 
The other main tournament is for the Nautilus Cup, which has five divisions and Pembroke are currently in the middle one, which takes place in a three-metre deep pool in Sheffield and where it is easy to see the high standards that Pembroke can still strive towards.
 

Success gained from 50 young hopefuls

 
Team mate Patrick Bunker broke into the Great Britain under 23 squad a short while ago and recommended Ollie to the UK coaching co-ordinator of the time, Andrew Stitwell – and soon after that Ollie found himself invited to under 19 trials at Loughborough.
 
“I started out in a group of 50 hopefuls which was soon reduced to 25 and then a final 20,” said Ollie, “and as a result I played for the Great Britain under 19s in the ‘Alternate Games’ at Dragon Park, Newport, where we lost to France and beat the Netherlands.
 
“I was the only Welsh representative in the squad and we met new coach Rob Tinkler, a New Zealander regarded as one of the best players in the world, and Richard Adams as assistant coach.
 
Tough training pays off
 
There followed almost a year of tough training camps before the final squad for the World Championships was whittled down to 12 – and suddenly all the long train trips to Sheffield and Loughborough seemed worthwhile for a jubilant Ollie and his family.
 
“When we got to Spain we were regarded as one of the underdogs but started the round-robin part of the competition well with a 5-2 win over Italy where I started the game and after we had claimed an own goal I soon added the second.
 
“I sat out the second match, a 2-0 defeat against South Africa, as the coaches wanted to give everyone a chance – but I was back in action as we caused a stir by beating reigning champions Colombia by 2-0, and then scored two more goals as we thumped the USA by 12-0!”
 

Goals galore for Ollie

 
Then came that epic match against France where the Great Britain quartet held on for victory and Ollie was in the pool throughout that rear-guard action – so was rested during a 1-1 draw with Australia before being recalled for a 3-0 defeat against the powerful New Zealand outfit which had already beaten Italy 18-0!
 
Another two goals came for Ollie in a 15-1 hammering dished out to Canada, which left them in third place for the last-eight play-offs, where they beat Australia 5-0 to move into the semi-finals against the ‘old enemy’ France.
 
“It was the roughest game I’ve ever played in,” admitted Ollie, “and when we celebrated our goal an opponent actually ripped my hat off in temper!”
 
“But we played with a man short towards the end and after the score standing at 1-1 after full time we conceded a goal in extra time and so missed out on a final place.”
 

Just missed out on a medal – but still aiming high

 
Perhaps the Great Britain players were still regretting that face because they also just missed out on the bronze medal with a defeat against Colombia.
 
Ask Ollie about his future in Octopush and he would say,
“I am just determined to keep improving and ready to give it 100% to make the under 19 squad again when the World Championships take place again in Australia in two years’ time.
 
“My next training camp comes on the 11^th December and so begins the long train treks north – and we have to sort out our accommodation now as an added extra.
“I can’t say I’m looking forward to the ‘bleep tests’ which take place in the pool but I enjoy the training camps and meeting up with the squad again.”
 
One only has to chat to Ollie Crawford for a short while, as we did, to see his total commitment to Octopush and we can only wish this modest and down to earth young man continued success because he is really flying the Pembrokeshire Sporting flag with distinction!