Dear Water Polo NSW Family,

Welcome to 2025!

I hope you all had a chance to recharge over the Christmas period, spending quality time with family and friends. As we start the new year, the team at Water Polo NSW is already hard at work on several key initiatives to strengthen and grow our sport.

Since the start of the year, we have been making great progress on projects such as our website upgrade, new integrity platform, integrity education plan, governance workshops, referee training and education, coaching development opportunities, and a refreshed coaching curriculum. We are also planning a regional road trip in the coming weeks to connect further with our regional water polo community.

I’m also thrilled to share some fantastic news—Water Polo NSW has secured an annual grant of $180,000 for the next two years from the NSW Office of Sport. This funding will help us continue delivering on our strategic objectives and governance commitments, ensuring a bright future for our sport.

There’s plenty more happening, so be sure to read on for the latest updates.

Looking forward to an exciting year ahead!

Yours in Water Polo,
Lucy

Welcome to Our Newest Board Members!

We're thrilled to announce three new appointed directors to the Water Polo NSW Board: Lisa May, Deb Watson, and Shaun McEachin. These board appointments reflect our ongoing commitment to strong governance, strategic leadership, and the continued growth of water polo in New South Wales. Their diverse backgrounds as players, coaches, managers, in corporate governance, risk and finance, and from working in other government funded sports will be invaluable as we continue to grow and develop water polo across NSW. Join us in giving them a warm welcome!

Visit our website to view the complete WPNSW Board https://www.waterpolonsw.org.au/about/directors

Welcome to Our Newest Team Member! 👋

Hello! I'm Grace and I have recently joined the team at Water Polo NSW as the Business and Participation Manager. I've grown up playing the sport myself after joining the sport at a young age in Flippaball, playing both a mix of regional and metro Water Polo. Previously, I have come from working in a football background as the Team Manager for the Central Coast Mariners A-League Women's team and in the participation sector at Football Australia… but I'm keen to return to my roots with Water Polo! Outside of water polo, I enjoy competing in Inflatable Rescue Boat racing. I'm excited to meet you all if I haven't already!

Join us in giving Grace a warm welcome to the Water Polo NSW family! 💙

Upcoming Webinar: Child Safe Principles in Sport

Sport Integrity Australia is hosting an essential webinar focused on implementing Child Safe Principles in sporting organisations. This educational session is crucial for all clubs and sporting bodies committed to creating safe environments for young athletes.

Key Details:

• Date: March 13, 2025
• Time: 7:30 PM AEDT
• Format: Online Teams Webinar

Webinar Focus:

Participants will gain valuable insights into the Ten National Principles and their practical application in sporting environments. The session will provide actionable strategies for:

• Implementing child safeguarding measures
• Minimising risks of abuse and harm
• Establishing benchmarks for child safety capabilities
• Developing ongoing improvement strategies

This webinar is highly recommended for all club officials, coaches, and administrators. Register now to secure your place in this important educational session.

For any questions regarding integrity support, Please email businessandparticipation@waterpolonsw.org.au

State Championships Wrap-Up

The 2024/25 State Championships concluded with an outstanding display of talent and sportsmanship across all divisions. Teams from across NSW, QLD & ACT showcased their skills in what proved to be an intensely competitive tournament. The winners were the following:

U12 Men's:                                              U12 Women's:          
🥇 Sydney Uni                                       🥇 Sydney Uni
🥈 Hunter Hurricanes                          🥈 SNB Breakers
🥉 Drummoyne                                     🥉 UTS Balmain

U14 Men's Division 1:                            U14 Women's Division 1:
🥇 Sydney Uni                                       🥇 Sydney Uni
🥈 SNB Breakers                                   🥈 Hunter Hurricanes
🥉 Cronulla                                            🥉 UTS Balmain

U14 Men's Division 2:                            U14 Women's Division 2:
🥇 SNB Breakers                                  🥇 Nordek
🥈 Nordek                                             🥈 Cronulla
🥉 Drummoyne                                    🥉 Sydney Uni

U16 Men's Division 1:                            U16 Women's Division 1:
🥇 Sydney Uni                                       🥇 SNB Breakers
🥈 SNB Breakers                                   🥈 UTS Balmain
🥉 UTS Balmain                                     🥉 Drummoyne

U16 Men's Division 2:                           U16 Women's Division 2:
🥇 Nordek                                             🥇 Central Coast
🥈 SNB Breakers                                  🥈 Canberra Krakens
🥉 Cronulla                                           🥉 Drummoyne

U18 Men's Division 1:                            U18 Women's Division 1:
🥇 UQ Barras                                         🥇 UTS Balmain
🥈 SNB Breakers (STATE CHAMPS)     🥈 Sydney Uni
🥉 UTS Balmain                                     🥉 SNB Breakers

U22 Col Smee Champions Men's:        U22 Col Smee Champions Women's:
🥇 Sydney Uni                                       🥇 UTS Balmain
🥈 Drummoyne/SNB                            🥈 AUS
🥉 Cronulla                                            🥉 Drummoyne


Open Country Club Championships Highlights

Our Open Country Club Championships brought together the best regional talent NSW has to offer. The event demonstrated the growing strength of water polo in our regional areas, with exceptional performances from all participating clubs. The winners were the following:

Division 1 Men's:                            Division 1 Women's:
🥇 Gosford                                      🥇 Gosford
🥈 Lake Macquarie Dolphins       🥈 Sharks
🥉 Central Newcastle Blue           🥉 Woy Woy Wombats

Division 2 Men's:                            Division 2 Women's:
🥇 Illawarra                                    🥇 Central Newcastle Blue
🥈 Newcastle Uni                          🥈 Illawarra
🥉 East                                            🥉 Gosford

Upcoming Event: Masters Championship in Tamworth

Mark your calendars! The WPNSW Masters Championship is heading to Tamworth. This exciting event will feature age divisions from 34+ for both men's and women's competitions.

Venue: South and West War Memorial Swimming Pool (Scully), Tamworth

Dates: Saturday the 22nd - Sunday the 23rd Feb 2025

Upcoming Event: The Big Orange U12's Festival

Get ready for our exciting U12 Festival - a participation tournament designed to inspire our youngest water polo enthusiasts! This development-focused event creates a fun and friendly environment perfect for young players, coaches, and referees to grow their skills.

Important Note: This is a Formal Competition/Activity. As per Water Polo Australia National Membership and Registration Policy, all participants must be registered with WPA Platinum Capitation Fee to be eligible.

Date: March 7-9, 2025 (Friday to Sunday)

Age Requirement: Born 2013 and Younger

Venue: ORANGE AQUATIC CENTRE

Entries Close: February 20th, 2025

For any questions for upcoming events, Please email events@waterpolonsw.org.au

Water Polo NSW proudly celebrates the outstanding achievements of our local athletes at the Women's World Aquatics Division 1 World Cup Preliminary Rounds, held in Alexandroupolis, Greece (January 14-19, 2025). Ten of our talented members represented Australia as part of the Ord Minnett Australian Stingers:

• Genevieve Longman, Claire Durston, Danijela Jackovich, Hayley Ballesty, Bronte Halligan, Lucinda Marsh, Nioka Thomas, Olivia Mitchell, Sienna Hearn, and Tayla Dawkins

The Stingers demonstrated exceptional skill and teamwork throughout the tournament, successfully securing their place in the World Cup Finals scheduled for April 2025. This achievement marks another significant milestone for Australian water polo on the international stage.

We extend our heartfelt congratulations to all players and look forward to supporting our Stingers in the upcoming Finals.

Water Polo NSW Announces New Referee Staffing Structure and Development Initiatives

Water Polo NSW is pleased to unveil a new and enhanced approach to supporting our officials, following months of consultation with the refereeing community. This refined model aims to bolster referee development, streamline administration, and maintain high standards of officiating across all competitions.

Integrate tax-deductible donations into your registration flow - WATCH THE FULL VIDEO
This year RevSport introduced the Australian Sports Foundation (ASF) donation add-on into revolutioniseSPORT—a new way to raise tax-deductible donations for essential needs, efficiently manage registrations, and focus on enhancing the sporting experience. All within one seamless platform.
  
Ready to elevate your club’s fundraising? Sign up now for an ASF account and link it in your revolutioniseSPORT portal via the Fundraising feature.
Already fundraising with the ASF? Log in to the ASF platform for your ASF Member ID and link it in your revolutioniseSPORT portal via the Fundraising feature.

If you have any questions or want WPNSW to coordinate with RevSport to have a webinar on this topic please contact enquiries@waterpolonsw.org.au

📬 Stay Connected: We Want to Hear from You!

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We'll dive right in and get back to you as soon as possible!

Thanks for being part of our water polo community. See you poolside next month! 🏊‍♂️🏊‍♀️