The Black Sea International Cup opens in Batumi, Georgia, on Thursday 15 October 2026 and runs through Sunday 18 October. Eight clubs take part, among them several Champions League regulars, with prize money that organiser Denes Varga compared to Champions League levels: 75,000 dollars for the winner, 50,000 for the runner-up and 25,000 for third place.
Official tournament information is published on bsicup.com. Fixtures below are listed in Central European Summer Time (Zagreb). Batumi is two hours ahead.
Format and prize money
Teams are split into two groups of four and play a full round robin. Final group places decide the Sunday placement games: the two group winners meet in the final, the runners-up play for bronze, and the remaining spots follow the same cross-group pairing.
According to Varga, European clubs also have flights, accommodation and meals covered by the hosts, so the prize fund is pure upside for a four-day test before the European club season settles into its group-stage rhythm. Olympiacos and CNA Barceloneta were invited but could not join because of the date; Marseille and Japan’s Bourbon Waterpolo Club Kashiwazaki filled those places.
The groups
Group A
Hosts A-Polo Sport Management, Pro Recco, Waspo Hannover and Bourbon Waterpolo Club Kashiwazaki.
Recco arrive as the most decorated club in the field and recent Champions League finalists. Waspo are Germany’s top side and a regular in the Champions League group stage. A-Polo, the Georgian champions who also play in the Euro Cup Group Stage this season, host in front of a home crowd with Varga among the main organisers. Kashiwazaki bring Japan’s strongest club side, including a large share of the national-team core that won the recent Asian Games.
Group B
Dinamo Tbilisi, Ferencvaros, CN Marseille and Novi Beograd.
Ferencvaros are the dominant Hungarian champions and a Champions League power. Novi Beograd have reached three Champions League finals in recent years. Marseille are French champions and Champions League participants. Dinamo Tbilisi add a second Georgian club to the draw and know the local conditions.
Key fixtures
Thursday already delivers a Group B heavyweight game: Ferencvaros against Novi Beograd at 16:00 CEST. Friday night closes with A-Polo against Pro Recco at 18:00 CEST, the hosts’ sternest group test. Saturday completes the round robin, and Sunday’s final is set for 15:00 CEST.
Full schedule (CEST / Zagreb time)
Thursday 15 October
| Time | Match | Group |
|---|---|---|
| 12:00 | Pro Recco vs Kashiwazaki | A |
| 14:00 | Dinamo Tbilisi vs CN Marseille | B |
| 16:00 | Ferencvaros vs Novi Beograd | B |
| 18:00 | A-Polo vs Waspo Hannover | A |
Friday 16 October
| Time | Match | Group |
|---|---|---|
| 12:00 | Novi Beograd vs CN Marseille | B |
| 14:00 | Kashiwazaki vs Waspo Hannover | A |
| 16:00 | Ferencvaros vs Dinamo Tbilisi | B |
| 18:00 | A-Polo vs Pro Recco | A |
Saturday 17 October
| Time | Match | Group |
|---|---|---|
| 12:00 | Dinamo Tbilisi vs Novi Beograd | B |
| 14:00 | Pro Recco vs Waspo Hannover | A |
| 16:00 | Ferencvaros vs CN Marseille | B |
| 18:00 | A-Polo vs Kashiwazaki | A |
Sunday 18 October (placement day)
| Time | Match |
|---|---|
| 09:00 | 4th Group A vs 4th Group B (7th/8th place) |
| 11:00 | 3rd Group A vs 3rd Group B (5th/6th place) |
| 13:00 | 2nd Group A vs 2nd Group B (bronze medal) |
| 15:00 | 1st Group A vs 1st Group B (final) |
Times in Central European Summer Time (Zagreb). Batumi local time is two hours ahead. Schedule verified from the official tournament site bsicup.com; prize money and group lists from Denes Varga’s interview with Total Waterpolo.
What to watch
The draw keeps Recco and Ferencvaros apart until a possible final, which is exactly the kind of Sunday storyline the prize fund was built for. Group A also asks whether A-Polo can score points at home against Recco and Waspo, while Group B looks brutally even from first to third on paper.
For live updates, fixtures and media, follow the tournament hub at bsicup.com. For the full background on how the event came together and why the purse sits so high, read our Denes Varga interview.
SUPPORT US
Enjoy our coverage? Help keep it independent.
Our reports, photos and analysis take time and money. Support Total Waterpolo monthly or with a one-time contribution.
Read more
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: total-waterpolo.com
