Underwater Rugby is deeply rooted in Europe since it’s birth in 1961. Germany and the Scandinavians rule the scene, but most European countries are catching up fast. This year, there will be 18 nations present at the World Championships in Graz, Austria.
The growth of the sport is tied to the accessibility of diving pools. With 4 public diving pools and a dozen of players, UWR in Budapest is yet to reach its potential, despite the fact, that the sport uses skillsets similar to ones in finswimming and water polo, two sports which are basically Hungarian national sports.

The Halassy-program is an educational sport-development program with a broad mission to increase the number of athletes involved in playing UnderWater Rugby in Hungary. I intend to fully document the process for later research purposes. 

The program has 3 pillars: 

• youth development is crucial for any sport to improve. It is important to offer training times which are suitable for the younger generation. In order to organize education for trainers, core knowledge of UWR tactics and training is to be collected and translated to Hungarian, while standard knowledge of psychology, physiology, management, etc. can be obtained from collaboration with other sports and educational institutes. 
• engaging water polo and swimming and creating a tournament scene open only for registered water polo and (fin)swimming clubs so they can try competitive UnderWater Rugby with opponents at the very same level. It is also easier to observe the skills of possible recruits if they are not overpowered by a more experienced opponent. Having a multisport attitude and engaging other clubs tie UWR deeper into the network of Hungarian sports, while offering an additional chance to excel for athletes who’ve past their peak, and may drop out of competitive sports due to the loss of motivation. 
• building international connections with the aid of the EU’s Erasmus+ program. International competitions and training camps are the most effective ways for teams to improve. Furthermore, cooperation and exchange at this grassroot level, between the clubs is a powerful tool to multiply the efforts of individuals and create a positive overall impact on sport and society. 

I would like to kindly invite schools and clubs to participate in the Halassy-program. Everything you’d need is provided by The Current UWR. Let’s learn from each other!