The History of Water Polo

In 1876, a Scotsman named William Wilson developed the first rules for a game played between teams in the water. The first games were held in England as a reaction to the public's boredom with the swimming carnivals of the time. The game was later to be known as WATER POLO. That game was played atop barrels and truly resembled the sport of polo. The game is an energetic sport which emphasizes swimming ability and ball skill over sturdiness. It is played by both men and women and is the longest-standing team sport in the Olympic Games, being introduced in Paris in 1900. The sport is governed by FINA, the world swimming body, and is played in more than 100 countries. 

Water Polo is the most physically demanding of all team games, requiring top performers to cover up to three kilometers in the pool during the one hour it takes to complete a game. This exertion is quite apart from the physical contact, both above and below the surface of the water that players must endure.

While the general public views Water Polo as a tough sport, this is not generally the case in top-class play. However, water polo players do command respect reserved for few other athletes. The typical player is tall, well built, powerful, and possessed of outstanding endurance, mainly because of the swimming in each match. 

A modified form of the game called Flippa Ball has taken off across Australia, allowing children less than 10 years for age to engage in regular participation which was not possible in the past. This can only encourage more youngsters to take up the sport – even if it's another branch of their swimming ability.