Inaugural Water Polo Queensland Premier League Ignites this Sunday
Published Fri 09 Oct 2020
On behalf of Water Polo Queensland (WPQ) and the Queensland Thunder, we are extremely excited to launch the inaugural WPQ Premier League Competition. This League is the culmination of months of planning and engagement between the Clubs and Associations, Queensland Thunder, QAS and WPQ and is a great example of what can be achieved through genuine collaboration in our sport.
The vision of this competition is to be the premier senior water polo competition in Qld that provides the best performance and pathway opportunities for players, coaches, referees & officials as well as Clubs & Associations. We want the League to be the ‘best competition in Queensland, attracting the best athletes, coaches and officials’.
The Premier League will directly underpin the Queensland Thunder and AWL competition and will form part of the selection process for Queensland Thunder Squads. It has been designed to attract the best current & emerging talent within Qld with the 6 top men’s & women’s teams from Brisbane, Gold Coast & Sunshine Coast. Supported by former Olympians, National & State Players in the formative years, it is envisaged that the League will evolve into the premier elite level open competition in years to come.
The League will offer senior athletes an opportunity to represent their Club/Association with a sense of pride and belonging, offering a level of engagement not seen in senior club water polo for many years. Furthermore, the Premier League is designed to build Club culture, increase the retention of athletes and provide a clear pathway from junior to senior water polo.
The new Premier League competition is an exciting addition to our calendar and a great opportunity for our State’s best players to endure some tough competition. It will be a spectacle to see the wonderful water polo talent from across the South East Queensland come together to battle it out. It will be wonderful for our young aspiring athletes and the water polo community in general to watch some of our current Aussie Stingers and KAP7 Aussie Sharks in the water in the lead up to the Tokyo Olympic Games, as well as some of the legends of our game.
Twenty years on from their historic gold medal win, Sydney 2000 Olympic champions Naomi McCarthy (ne Castle) and Jo Clark (ne Fox) will also feature in the new competition. Current Olympians Bronwen Knox and Rhys Howden will feature in the League along with current National Squad members Abby Andrews, Tenealle Fasala, Gabi Palm and Alice Williams. Aussie Sharks capped players Nic Porter and Riley Townsend will be playing alongside a number of former Olympians and National Players including William (Billy) Miller, Anthony Martin, Sean Boyd, Jodie Stuhmcke, Kate Gynther and Kelsey Wakefield. We must also acknowledge Nicola Johnson, the first ever female, Australian Olympic Referee who has been appointed to the Tokyo Olympics and who will be officiating and coaching in the League.
The first round of the Water Polo Queensland Premier League kicks off at St Andrew's Anglican College on the Sunshine Coast on Sunday 11 October, before heading to Valley Pool in Brisbane for round two on Sunday 25 October. Round 3 will be held on Sunday 8 November at the Gold Coast Aquatic Centre, the aquatic venue for the 2018 Commonwealth Games before heading to Yeronga Pool for the Finals Series on Sunday 22 November.
We are very pleased to announce that all of the 2020 Water Polo Queensland Premier League matches will be streamed LIVE via NewsCorp. Spectators are welcome to attend each round and we encourage all Clubs and Associations to promote the Premier League to all of your member via your website and social media channels. Subsribe to The Courier Mail and Tune in for all the action this weekend HERE: https://bit.ly/33JFOKS
Thankyou to all the League Clubs and Associations, Queensland Thunder and QAS for their support and co-operation in establishing this very important League. I would also like to acknowledge the wonderful work, commitment and dedication of the WPQ Staff in bringing this League to life!
Good luck to all League Clubs, teams and athletes for a successful and enjoyable inaugural Premier League. Remember to play with great sportsmanship, pride and in the true spirit of the game and may the best team win!!
