Article by Ionuţ Iordache, Adrian Jitea – Published Friday, November 28, 2025, 9:02 p.m. / Updated Friday, November 28, 2025, 9:07 p.m.
Rafael van der Vaart, the partner of the Dutch star Estavana Polman, will miss the first match played by the Netherlands in Women's Handball World Championship. The former great footballer is “detained” with household chores in Bucharest.
Estavana Polman, one of the greatest handball players in the history of the Netherlands, world champion in 2019, will retire from the national team at the end of the current tournament. He has the opportunity to do it in his native land, in Rotterdam. He will continue, at least until the end of the season, only at the club team, Rapid.
Polman at the Rotterdam World Cup, Van der Vaart in Bucharest
Friday night's opener against Argentina is a “closed house” with over 7,000 fans. Among the spectators not including Rafael var de Vaart, Polman's life partner. The former star of “Machine Orange” stayed in Bucharest with daughter Jesslynn.
“They have to go to school. Our schedule is a bit chaotic at the moment. They will definitely make it to the next games, I just don't know exactly when. We have to prepare everything carefully. It also depends on how far we will go in the competition,” explained Polman, according to sportnieuws.
Next, the certified coordinator at Rapid joked about the fact that Rafael made history in the shirt of Ajax, and now he will have to appear in the stands in Rotterdam, the fiefdom of rival Feyenoord.
He will have to wear a helmet and be prepared for the eggs that will be thrown at him. I think he'll be fine, he's coming for me, it's not football related
– Estavana Polman
Rafael Van der Vaart is a product of Ajax's academy. He played in the first team of the “spearers” between 2000 and 2005, before transferring to Hamburger SV. He won two championship titles during this period.
Estavana Polman and Rafael van der Vaart
Group E schedule at the Women's Handball World Championship:
- November 28, 19:00 » Austria – Egypt
- November 28, 21:30 » Netherlands – Argentina
- November 30, 19:00 » Austria – Argentina
- November 30, 21:30 » Egypt – Netherlands
- December 2, 19:00 » Argentina – Egypt
- December 2, 21:30 » Netherlands – Austria
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