The rise of water-polo in Hampshire was for a time re tarded by the absence of properly constructed swimming-baths. As previously stated, a ball game in the open sea was played off the old pier at Bournemouth as long back as 1876, but it was not until 1891—fifteen years later—that the Hamp shire Water-Polo Association was formed, and by a most curious coincidence both events took place on the same date—July 13. The town of Bournemouth is situated on one of the most exposed portions of the Hampshire mainland coast-line, so that there has never been much in ducement or incentive to the game there. For some reason or other, a long break of nearly nine years elapsed before any thing further was heard of 'aquatic hand-ball' on this part of the coast. In 1885 it was revived by members of the Bourne:. mouth Amateur Rowing Club, who had added a swimming section to the club, and occasional games were carried out in the sea at a depth varying from eight to thirty feet of water, the ball used being a large india-rubber one, such as could be bought in a toyshop. A rival rowing-club was about then started at Boscombe, an east suburb of the town, and W. Pickford, captain of the Bournemouth Club swimming section, and H. Bazalgette, captain of the Boscombe Club, son of the late Sir Joseph Bazalgette, the eminent engineer, drew up a code of regulations. Considering that none of the local swimmers had any knowledge that the game was being played in any other part of the country, and were almost under the impression that they were making a new game entirely, the rules agreed upon compare in a most interesting manner with the present conditions under which the game is played, and which were not generally adopted until about 1891. The regulations were that not fewer than six players should be on each side, that the goals should be ten yards wide, and the ball not less than eight inches in diameter. The game was to last twenty minutes,. players were to start in a line with their respective goals, and any player leaving the water was to take no further part in the game. A referee and two umpires were to be appointed. The former had to start the game, having ascertained that the captains were ready, by uttering the word 'Go,' and throwing the ball into the centre. His only other duty was to act as timekeeper, and to decide between the umpires if they dis agreed. The umpires were stationed at each goal, and were to declare the scoring of a goal, or a foul, by the sound of a whistle. A further stipulation prevented any player from grasping or throwing the ball, interfering with the goal-keeper, or holding an opponent in any way ; and at the sound of the whistle every player was to remain in his place without moving. A player was off-side' unless he had two opponents in front of him ; the penalty for a foul was a free throw to the other side ; and when the ball went out of play the referee had to throw it into the centre of play again.
Contrasting these rules of hand-ball' with those under which water-polo is now played, the similarity in many in stances is so great that one might almost imagine that the Amateur Swimming Association had a copy before them when they set to work to draft out their own revised series. Written copies of the rules were nailed up in both boathouses ; but only one match took place—in z886, when Boscombe won by one goal to nil. The sea was very choppy, and H. W. Francis, a powerful and experienced sea-swimmer, pushed the ball in front of him for nearly thirty yards, and swam clean through the goal with it. The ball used was made of grey rubber with an elastic mouthpiece. It was blown up to about a foot in diameter, and the nipple twisted and turned inside.
After the match it was deflated, and carried away in the captain's pocket. Another match at Bournemouth Regatta was prevented by the tremendously heavy seas, though so anxious were both teams to play that they spent the best part of an hour and swamped two rowing-boats in their efforts tb anchor the mark-flags. Failing in this, the whole crowd swam twice round the pier-head, tossed about like corks, and re turned to shore with a puffin, or diver-bird,' caught by one of the players.
In March 1888 Messrs. Roberts and Milledge's salt-water swimming-bath was opened, the game—still known as hand-ball,' and played under the original rules—was revived in real earnest, and a series of matches between the Bourne mouth Amateur Rowing Club, the Boscombe Rowing Club, the Bournemouth Y.M.C.A., the Bournemouth Gymnasium, and a scratch town' team were played. In April the amended rules, drawn up by the Amateur Swimming Association, at last reached Bournemouth, and instead of placing the goals at the ends of the bath, a foot above the surface, and starting the game by all diving in at the word Go,' the new plan was adopted. The old ball was retained, nothing being said in the rules about it. The new rules, by allowing ducking and hold ing, made the game much rougher than before ; and a local paper, referring to a match played, said, The Swimming Association rules for water-polo are not at all liked by the locals, who prefer the old scientific passing game.' The Lymington Swimming Club, thanks to the exertions of E. Helsby, H. E. S. Adams, and Alderman W. Murdoch, at that time the Mayor, was visited by Bournemouth swimmers, and the game established in their open sea-water baths. By 1889 the Bournemouth Rowing Club team had been displaced by the Y.M.C.A., but in August the same year the Bourne mouth Swimming Club was formed, and absorbed all the contending local clubs into its ranks. E. J. Stidolph was the hon. sec., but was afterwards succeeded by R. Reid, and W. Pickford, who has supplied us with many items of interest relating to the history of the game in his district, was appointed captain.
The game now advanced rapidly, and in the summer of 1890 a visit was made to Portsmouth, where, off the Club's sanding-stage, on the Southsea beach, the Bournemouth team won easily by eight goals to nil. The local team had scarcely an idea of the game ; and in the subsequent match, Hants v. Middlesex, at the Portsmouth S. C. annual festival, the Bournemouth contingent were the backbone of the team, which was only beaten by three goals to one. The tactics and play of the more advanced Middlesex men made a deep impression, and gave the locals a better idea of the game. These matches created a good deal of interest, and the game was taken up at Southampton, where there was then only a large, open, circular sea-water bath. In July 1891 the Southampton club, newly formed, visited Bournemouth, and were easily beaten. After the match, in the course of the customary entertainment to the visiting team, the subject of a Hampshire Water-polo Association was discussed ; and a fortnight later, at a representative meeting of the Portsmouth, Southampton, Lymington, and Bournemouth clubs, the Association was formed, with R. Reid as hon. sec., and H. W. Fisk of Ports mouth as president. Owing to the scattered character of the county, and there being only a few closed swimming-baths, from twenty-five to thirty miles apart, the progress of the game in Hampshire is, however, not likely to be very rapid. Indeed the county association is now dissolved.