Welcome to the December 2025 Water Polo NSW Newsletter! 🤽‍♀️

As we wrap up another incredible year of water polo, we're excited to share our latest achievements, upcoming events, and community highlights. From our Open Country Clubs to our largest State Championships which are still underway, this newsletter celebrates our water polo community.

Inside, you'll find important updates about our upcoming Country Clubs Championships, the Water Polo NSW office closure for Christmas, and essential announcements that will keep you informed and connected as we head into 2026.

Water Polo NSW Christmas Closure

The Water Polo NSW office will be closed from Monday 22 December - Sunday 4 January.

The office will re-open in the new year on Monday 5 January 2026. 

Welcome to our Newly Affiliated Club 🎉

We would like to welcome Central West Water Polo Club, our newly affiliated club for the 2025-26 season.

Good luck to Central West clubs in your inaugural season, we look forward to supporting you and seeing you on the poolside.

Annual Report

Our 2024-25 Annual Report has now been published on our website.

From 1 July 2024 to 30 June 2025 we saw an increase of 6% of members compared to the same period the year before, and an increase of 11% of volunteers. This growth reflects the dedication and hard work of volunteers, clubs, associations, committees who are the backbone of our community.

We also commenced the development of a new Coach Curriculum and embedded an Officials Curriculum tailored to both pathway and performance levels. There was collaboration with key stakeholders to review and align the Metropolitan Competitions and Regional Events Calendar for improved participation and co-ordination and developed and implemented a dedicated Regional Areas Service Plan to enhance support, visibility, and accessibility across all regions.

FunFit

There’s a great energy around NSW as our FunFit Grant Programs roll out across the state. Programs in Coffs Harbour, Drummoyne and Macquarie University are already making waves, with adult participants jumping in each week to learn the game, meet new people and have a whole lot of fun in the water.

And the excitement isn’t over… our final program launches this weekend on the Central Coast, rounding out an inspiring statewide effort to grow the game and welcome more adults into the water polo community.

A huge shout-out to all the clubs involved for creating such positive, vibrant environments - and here’s to more adults discovering the joy of water polo, because there’s always room in the pool, no matter your age or experience.

Final Program:

Central Coast

Started Sunday 7 December, 10-11am at Wyong Pool

It's not too late to join, you van still register here.

NSW Athletes Selected in the Ord Minnett Aussie Stingers Squad

We are proud that 10 NSW athletes have been selected as part of Water Polo Australia's Ord Minnett Aussie Stingers Squad for a training tour in Spain in the new year. 

Congratulations to:

Hayley Ballesty

Claire Durston

Bronte Halligan

Sienna Hearn

Dani Jackovich

Tilly Kearns

Alexie Lambert

Gen Longman

Olivia Mitchell

Ani Pamp

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?

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

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

WPNSW Competitions Update

We have over 200 games taking place this month across Metropolitan competitions.

Metro games will take a break over Christmas between 21 December and resume again on 17 January.

Super League

Congratulations to the Water Polo NSW Super League Clubs on their successful start to the Super League season.

Both the Men's and Women's Leagues are very competitive with Drummoyne at the top of the Men's ladder and UTS Balmain leading the Women's Ladder.

Next Live Stream - Watch on YouTube

Sunday 14 December – Cronulla vs Hunter Hurricanes
Women: 17:00 | Men: 15:30

Looking forward to a successful end to 2025 and an exciting year ahead.

Super League will break from 14 December until 7 February.

2025 State Championships

Our 2025 State Championships are now underway with over 130 teams competing over the 11 days.

University of Queensland and SNB Breakers took the first Gold Medals of the Championships in the U18 Men & Women respectively.

Sydney Uni dominated the U14 categories winning Gold in the Boys Division 1 and the Girls Divison 1 & 2, with Central Coast taking the Gold in the Boys Division 2.

UTS Balmain won the Col Smee U22 in the Women's and Sydney Uni winning the Men's. 

A full list of the medalists and Most Valued Player and Goalkeeper can be found on our website.

We are looking forward to the rest of the Championships which will come to a close on Thursday 11 December.

If you are at the Championships make sure to visit the KAP7 and ACPE stands on the bridge, or to stay updated with everything at State Championships you can follow us on social media and follow games live through live scoring.

All gold medal matches (U12 on Tuesday and U12 on Thursday) are being streamed live on YouTube.

Open Country Club Championships

The Open Country Clubs is an exciting opportunity for the state's regional athletes to come together and compete in a high-quality tournament designed to foster competitive development, teamwork and connection across communities.

🗓23-25 January

📍 Oven's & Murray

Team Entry - 12 December - 6 January

Player Draft Entry - 19 December - 6 January

More information is on our website.

Coach Development Opportunity

We are seeking expressions of interest in a Coaching Development Opportunity, running throughout December 2025 and January 2026.

This summer initiative provides NSW coaches with rare access to observe elite high-performance environments, learn directly from national and international coaching leaders, and deepen their understanding of technical and tactical concepts that shape modern water polo.

More information is on our website.

Coaching & Referees Funding

Through the generous support of the Office of Sport NSW, we are providing targeted funding to help clubs grow, educate, and empower the next generation of referees and coaches across our sport.

This initiative is part of our ongoing commitment to developing quality officials and coaches who create safe, fair, and enjoyable water polo experiences at every level from grassroots to elite.

Each successful club or association will receive up to $800 in funding to support activities such as accreditation, workshops, mentoring sessions, or professional development initiatives that build capacity within their local water polo community.

We can’t wait to see how your club will use this opportunity to make a real impact in the pool and beyond!

Please complete the following short survey to express your interest and outline how your club would use the funding to support referee and/or coaching development.

Applications have been extended for an extra 48 hours, and now close TODAY.

Apply via our website.

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 2026.

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

Integrity Management - Expressions of Interest

WPNSW are looking for Associations & their respective clubs wishing to participate in a dedicated Integrity Management presentation addressing the obligations of Clubs & Associations when dealing with conduct issues.

Please email Mark Marino with any expressions of interest and potential available dates.

Complaints Form

The WPNSW Complaints form is now live on our website.

If you are unsure whether you need to file a report or a complaint you can use this document.

Change in Social Media Minimum Age

As of the 10 December, the minimum age for social media will be 16, under the Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Act. 

This Hub from e-safety will help you understand and prepare for the change.

Sydney Stingers Beach 4's

Following a successful event last month, Sydney Stinger's are hosting an end of summer Beach 4s Blowout on Sunday 15 Mar 2026.

Register today and lock in your ticket to fun. 

Aussie Sharks Test Match Series

The Ord Minnett Aussie Sharks are playing a three match series across ACT and Sydney this December! 

14, 21, 23 December 2025
 Australian Institute of Sport, Sutherland Leisure Centre and Dawn Fraser Baths

Cheer on the Sharks in the ‘Australia Green vs Australia Gold’ matches - which side will you be on?

Felipe Perrone Q&A In-person event

We are excited to announce through our partnership with KAP7 Australia a very special opportunity to hear from Felipe Perrone — five-time Olympian, long-time captain of the Spanish National Team, and one of the most decorated and influential players in modern water polo. This is a unique opportunity to engage with a world-class athlete whose remarkable career has left a lasting mark on international water polo.

Felipe will take part in an in-depth live conversation (moderator TBC), discussing topics such as:

• His early journey from junior athlete in Brazil to the world stage
• What life is really like as an elite international player — training, discipline, and mindset
• Insights and advice for young players striving to reach the next level

There will also be an open Q&A session from 5pm on Wednesday 7 January at ACPE, Homebush and the chance to meet Felipe in person afterwards.

For aspiring coaches: Felipe will be coaching a session with a group of junior men immediately following the talk. Everyone is welcome to stay and watch how he teaches, communicates, and inspires young athletes — an invaluable learning opportunity for coaches at all levels.

This event promises to be inspiring, educational, and truly memorable for players, coaches, parents, and fans alike. Don’t miss out!

👉Register here.

Australian Youth Water Polo Championships

The Australian Youth Water Polo Championships will make a return to Brisbane, Queensland in April 2026.

Team Nominations will open on Monday 8 December.

To find out more information visit the Water Polo Australia website.

Everyone has the Right to Play

Everyone has the right to participate in sport, and this strategy from Australia Sports Commission aims to create safe, welcoming, inclusive, and enjoyable sporting environments. Together, we can change the face of sport and help more Australians play well.

The strategy can be found here.

Useful Links

Aussie Stingers unlock secret weapon ahead of LA 2028 Games - Australia’s Women’s Water Polo team - the Aussie Stingers - are on the cusp of building their strongest squad ever ahead of the 2028 LA Olympics with the team undertaking a world-first research project kicking off in Canberra tomorrow.

Help shape the future of coaching and officiating in Australian sport - The ASC is calling for expressions of interest for two new advisory groups focused on coaching and officiating. EOIs close at 11:59pm AWST Wednesday 10 December.

Play Well 2032 - Water Polo Australia (WPA) has launched an innovative and bold participation strategy - Play Well 2032, providing a blueprint to grow the game like never before. 

The ambition to have more people engaging with water polo, in more ways, more often.

Water Polo Australia launches Competition Framework - WPA has released the Competition Framework that aligns with the newly launched Strategic Plan 2032+ Powered by Purpose. 

The Framework provides players, coaches, parents, referees and administrators at all levels of Water Polo with an understanding of their overall journey within the sport.

WPA lauches Match Official Framework - This Framework is aimed at simplifying the qualification process by establishing minimum standards and a multi-step accreditation process. It is an opportunity for everything to reset and we encourage all officials to check their profile levels on the Learning Centre and make sure there course are up to date and to ensure all their assessments have been uploaded.

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Thanks for being part of our water polo community. See you poolside soon! 🤽‍♂️🤽‍♀️