Welcome to 2026 and our January Water Polo NSW newsletter! As we head into a new year, we’re excited to kick off another action-packed season with competitions recommencing and a busy calendar of events across New South Wales. From Metro and Super League action to pathways, championships and community initiatives, 2026 is shaping up to be a big year for our water polo community. We look forward to sharing it with you and seeing you poolside soon.

Competitions

We hope you all enjoyed the break over Christmas, a reminder when the Metro competition recommences.

•    Division 1 (Metro): recommences on 17 January
•    Division 2 Men & Women (Metro): recommence on 20 and 21 January
•    Juniors (Metro): recommence on 1 February

Look out for Winter Metro competition information, which will be distributed to clubs by the end of January 2026.

Super League will commence again early February.

Upcoming Events

We have a lot of upcoming events across New South Wales in the coming months. All details are available on our social media channels and on our website.

Open Country Clubs

The Player Draft and Team Draft for Open Country Clubs in Ovens & Murray from 23-25 January, are open for a few more days.

Enter the Player Draft or the Team Draft before the deadline at 11:59pm on Sunday 11 January.

You can now pre-order merchandise for Open Country Clubs through Kap7's website.

Junior Country Clubs

The Player Draft and Team Draft for Junior Country Clubs in Central Coast from 6-8 February, are open for a few more days.

Enter the Player Draft or the Team Draft before the deadline st 11:59pm on Monday 12 January.

Masters Championships

Team entries for Masters Championships from 21-22 Febuary in Tamworth is also now open.

Enter here, the deadline is at 11:59pm on Thursday 29 January.

Player Draft and Team Draft will be open from 16 - 29 January.

2025 State Championships

From 1-11 December 130 teams competed at our State Champions at Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre.

Congratulations to all the teams that took part, especially our medallists and Most Valued Players and Goalkeepers. All of the winners can be found on our website.

Want to relive the event? You can rewatch the gold medal matches on our YouTube, and can access the photos from throughout the event here using the password - StateChamps25, and here using the password - natsportsmedia.

Once again a huge thank you to the coaches, volunteers, referees, parents and officials to helped us to enable a successful event.

NSW Athletes Selected in the Ord Minnett Aussie Sharks Squad

We are proud that 15 NSW athletes have been selected as part of Water Polo Australia's Ord Minnett Aussie Sharks Squad for their current tour in the USA. 

Congratulations to:

Laurence Barker (Drummoyne) 

Marcus Berehulak (Cronulla)

Matthew Byrnes (UNSW Wests)

Tristan Glanzig (Drummoyne)

Andrej Grgurevic (Sydney University)

Zac Izzard (Sydney University)

Sam Keightley (UTS Balmain)

Luka Krstic (Sydney University)

Drew McJannet (UNSW Wests)

Jacob Mercep (Sydney University)

Sam Nangle (UNSW Wests)

Charlie Negus (UNSW Wests)

Tim Putt (UNSW Wests)

Loui Schuler (Sydney University)

Matt Wilson (Drummoyne)

Coach & Referee Development Grant – Successful Applicants Announced

Water Polo NSW is pleased to congratulate the following affiliated clubs and associations who were successful in receiving a Coach and Referee Development Grant, supported by the NSW Office of Sport and Water Polo NSW:

• Bar In Water Polo
• Central Coast Water Polo
• Central Newcastle Water Polo
• Coffs Harbour Water Polo Club
• Cronulla Sutherland Water Polo Club
• Drummoyne Water Polo Club
• Far North Coast Water Polo
• Gosford Water Polo Club
• Illawarra Water Polo
• Knox Water Polo Club
• Lake Macquarie Dolphins Water Polo Club
• Newcastle Water Polo Association
• Ovens & Murray Water Polo Association
• Pool Pirates Water Polo
• Sharks Water Polo Club Albury
• St Catherine's Aquatics
• Sydney Stingers
• Tamworth Water Polo
• UNSW Wests Water Polo Club
• UTS Balmain Water Polo Club
• Water Polo Central West
• Woy Woy Water Polo
• Wyong Water Polo Club

The funding will support a range of coach and referee development initiatives, including education sessions, mentoring, workshops, and local development activities that strengthen pathways and build capability within clubs and associations. We look forward to seeing the positive impact these initiatives will have across the water polo community.

Clubs and Associations that did not apply are encouraged to get in touch to learn more about future opportunities and how Water Polo NSW can support coach and referee development within your organisation. Please email Grace Morley for further information.

We Want to Hear From You!

This newsletter is for you, our members, so we want to make sure it is something you look forward to recieving each month.

Let us know what you love or what parts you skip over.

👍What do you enjoy?

⏳Too long or short?

😃What do you look forward to?

Your honest feedback helps us keep things fresh, useful, and fun.

You can fill in this survey or send any thoughts through via email.

Introducing the Water Polo NSW Coaching Handbook

Water Polo NSW is proud to launch the Coaching Handbook, a statewide initiative designed to strengthen coach education, athlete development and alignment across the sport. Led by WPNSW Performance and Pathways team manager Vedran Cirkovic, the handbook was developed through a genuine co-design process involving coaches, technical experts, and stakeholders from across NSW.

With water polo’s technical and tactical concepts often interpreted differently between clubs and regions, the handbook provides a shared framework and common language to support smoother athlete transitions from club to regional, state and national environments. This is particularly important given NSW’s broad geography and diverse coaching contexts.

The handbook is a highly practical and visual resource, featuring instructional videos, diagrams, and clear definitions covering key skills, tactics, and systems from U13 through to senior athletes. It also includes age-specific development benchmarks and links to AIS resources to support holistic athlete development.

Designed as a living digital resource, the handbook will continue to evolve alongside the sport, with future additions planned, including a Referees’ Handbook and team-specific tools. Together, these resources reflect Water Polo NSW’s commitment to building a unified, high-quality coaching pathway across the state.

Join us as we launch the NSW Water Polo Coaching Handbook online.

🗓Tuesday 13 January
⏰6:00pm
💻Online via Microsoft Teams
🔗https://www.waterpolonsw.org.au/surveys/9637

Expressions of Interest - NSW Country Team 2026

Expressions of Interest (EOIs) are now open for athletes wishing to be considered for selection in the 2026 NSW Open Country Teams, who will compete at the Australian Open Country Championships in Ballarat, Victoria, on 6-9 May 2026.

The NSW Country Program aims to identify, prepare, and support eligible country-based athletes to represent New South Wales in a competitive and high-quality national environment. Athletes must be registered and actively competing with a recognised NSW Country club or association and meet WPA and WPNSW eligibility requirements.

Selection for the 2026 NSW Country Teams will be primarily based on performance at the NSW Open Country Club Championships, which serves as the main selection event. Athletes unable to attend may still be considered through an exemption process, provided a written exemption request is submitted in addition to completing the Expression of Interest.

Expressions of interest can be submitted here by Friday 18 January.

2026 Water Polo NSW Pathways Coach Allocations

We are pleased to announce the following coaches have been selected as the Pathways coaches for 2026.

State Team

NSW Country Teams

Boys
Head Coach - Lorenzo Uda
Assistant Coach - Nathan Royle

Girls
Head Coach - Shannon Jones
Assistant Coach - Andrea Hodges

Development Academy

Game on for Change

The Game on for Change – Preventing Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence through Sport aims to empower all levels of the sporting sector to play a leading role in the prevention of domestic, family and sexual violence.

Visit The Office of Sport website for more information.

Local Sporting Champions

The Local Sporting Champions program provides financial assistance for coaches, officials and competitors aged 12-18 participating in state, national or international championships.

If successful, applicants will receive $500-$750 towards the cost of attending their championships.

Applications will close on 31 January.

For more information, and to apply, visit the ASC website.

Check out what's happening in the WPNSW Community! Have a good news story or information to share? Let us know by emailing enquiries@waterpolonsw.org.au.

Devils Bondi Swim for Scott

Following the sad news that Scott Dyson, a member of Drummoyne Water Polo Club, was injured in the Bondi Beach shooting last month, we continue to wish Scott a speedy recovery.

North Bondi RSL

9.00am

Saturday 10 January (ocean conditions pending)

 

Support is available -

Lifeline on 13 11 14 or text 0477 13 11 14

Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800

Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636 or online.

 

An appeal has been set up by NSW Police Legacy to support Scott and his family as they focus on treatment, recovery, and the road ahead.

 

If you are able to donate, thank you. If you are not, sharing the link still makes a real difference.

 

The link can be found here.

 

Sydney Stingers Beach 4's

Sydney Stinger's are hosting an end of summer Beach 4s Blowout in Manly on Sunday 15 March.

Register today and lock in your ticket to fun. 

Coach Wanted

Ravenswood School is seeking a Term 1 Water Polo coach for their IGSA competition. This is an exciting opportunity for experienced players to contribute to our rapidly growing Ravenswood Senior Water Polo Program.

Successful applicants will work closely with the Water Polo Sports Coordinator and the Director of Sport to plan and deliver high-quality Water Polo training sessions. The role involves leading midweek morning and afternoon training sessions, as well as coaching teams during Saturday morning fixtures throughout the Term season. This is a casual position offering a competitive hourly rate. 

Applicants must hold a current Working With Children Check.

This role would commence in February.

If you are interested, please contact Samantha Connellan with a resume and cover letter.

Female Wellbeing Conference - Saturday 17 January

The Evlove Academy is holding a Wellbeing Conference for female athletes aged 16 and 17 on Saturday 17 January from 10am - 3pm at ACPE, Sydney.

More information, and how to book can be found here.

Game Plan

We are encouraging all affiliated Clubs/Associations to take advantage of Game Plan, a free online club planning and governance tool supported by the Australian Sports Commission (ASC).

Game Plan can help water polo clubs to:

• Strengthen governance and compliance
• Support volunteers and workforce sustainability
• Improve the member experience
• Align with national and state sport priorities
• Access free tools and templates

To get started click here.

Australian Youth Championships

The Australian Youth Water Polo Championships will take place on 8-18 April in Brisbane, Queensland.

Team Nominations close on Sunday 11 January, and the draft will open on Monday 12 January.

For more information and to enter, visit the Water Polo Australia website.

Australian Water Polo League 

The Australain Water Polo League beings on Thursday 15 January.

Good luck to all of our NSW teams that are taking part in the men's and women's league:

• Cronulla Sharks
• Drummoyne Devils
• Hunter Hurricanes
• Sydney University Lions
• UNSW Wests
• UTS Balmain Tigers

To find out all the fixtures and results click here.

📬 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 soon! 🤽‍♂️🤽‍♀️