THREE Dorset players are celebrating after helping the South West team to victory in a prestigious national water polo tournament.

Christchurch-based Seagulls Elliot Wilks and Sam Webber and Bridport’s George Sparks were members of a 13-man squad who won all five of their matches in the ASA Inter-regional Under 17 Championship in Cardiff.

The South West representatives survived a tough group stage with victories over the East Midlands (16-2), North West B (8-6) and the East region (9-6) to secure a semi-final match against Wales.

A resounding 24-10 win over the home nation then took them into a second showdown against North West B in the final – and this time they completed an impressive 22-10 victory over a team ranked as joint favourites with themselves before the tournament.

The South West team also included seven Gloucestershire players, two from Devon and one from Somerset.