Dutch international Bente Rogge will continue her club career in Greece after completing a move from ZV De Zaan to Vouliagmeni.
The transfer brings an end, for now, to a long chapter with De Zaan, where Rogge has played since childhood and spent the last five seasons as part of the senior team. Her final campaign ended with a Dutch league title, but also came after a demanding period in which she managed a heavy schedule between club commitments and the national programme in Rotterdam.
The move to Vouliagmeni has been made with a clear focus on recovery, balance and building towards the next Olympic cycle. Rogge has dealt with injuries over the past two years and believes a more settled environment, with less travel and a more controlled workload, can help her return to full fitness.
Vouliagmeni offers a different kind of challenge. The Greek club has been a regular presence near the top of European women’s water polo and narrowly missed out on reaching the Champions League final last season. Rogge will join a squad that already includes familiar Dutch faces Lola Moolhuijzen and Kitty Joustra, both of whom helped influence her decision.
Her role in Greece will be unusual but deliberate. As Vouliagmeni’s third foreign player, Rogge is expected to feature mainly in the Champions League, with Greek domestic rules allowing only two foreigners to be selected in league matches. Rather than seeking a heavier match schedule, the move is designed to give her high-level European competition while also allowing more time to recover and rebuild physically.
Before joining Vouliagmeni, Rogge’s immediate focus remains with the Netherlands national team and the upcoming World Cup in Sydney. Now back injury-free, she will use the summer as an important step towards rediscovering her best level.
Although her departure from De Zaan is emotional, it is not necessarily permanent. Rogge has indicated that she expects to return to the club in the future, with the move to Greece viewed as an important step towards becoming the best version of herself ahead of the Olympic year.
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