Water Polo Australia is pleased to announce the appointments of Andrew Yanitsas and Fabio Pavanello as head coaches of Australia’s U20 men’s and women’s squads respectively for the 2027 World Aquatics U20 Water Polo World Championships.
The World Aquatics U20 Water Polo World Championships will be played from 23-30 May (men) and 15-22 August (women).
Yanitsas, a six-time Australian Waterpolo League (AWL) winning coach, led the Australian U20 men’s team to the 2019 U20 World Championships. He has since been an assistant coach with the Sharks National Program, including at the Paris Olympic Games and most recently at the home 2026 World Aquatics Water Polo World Cup Finals.
In June, Yanitsas was appointed as the National Men’s Development Lead with key focus on athlete development across the National Development Program underpinning the Ord Minnett Aussie Sharks National Program. He will bring with him to this role extensive experience in major campaigns but also in supporting the development of athletes for future Sharks representation.
“There’s a talented group of young players coming through our pathway, and this campaign is a fantastic opportunity for them to test themselves against the best in the world,” Yanitsas said.
“With the World Championships starting in late May, we have a short window to prepare, so every camp and every training session will count. The U20 level is where young athletes find out what international water polo really demands, and our goal is to build a team that competes with confidence and is ready for the physicality, intensity and decision-making required at the highest level.
“Just as importantly, we want to create strong, clear connections between this group and the Aussie Sharks, so our best young players are ready when their opportunity comes,” Yanitsas said.
Pavanello’s appointment comes off the back of a successful year coaching the Australian U18 women’s team to an historic gold medal at the 2026 U18 Women’s World Championships in Spain in August. He led the group through its full 2026 campaign which culminated in an historic tournament victory where he was awarded the Coach MVP of the 2026 U18 Women’s World Championships.
Pavanello, a four-time AWL winning coach with the Brisbane Barracudas, is also a part-time specialist coach within Water Polo Australia’s Queensland Academy of Sport (QAS) Program. This appointment both recognises the success of the U18 National Team that he led in 2026, and provides important continuity to WPA’s National Performance Pathways programs underpinning the Ord Minnett Aussie Stingers program.
“I’m excited and honoured to be appointed Head Coach of Australia’s U20 Women’s team for next year’s World Championships campaign,” Pavanello said.
“Building on the success of our U18 World Championship winning team, and the Ord Minnett Aussie Stingers’ World Cup campaign in Sydney this year, I’m looking forward to supporting the continued development of our next generation of Australian female water polo players, as we prepare to take on the international stage once again in 2027.
“It’s a privilege to hold a role where I can support the athletes as they take the next step in their water polo journeys. Australia has an exciting depth of young female talent, and I’m looking forward to working with the players and staff to create an environment where they can continue to grow, be challenged and compete at the highest level on the world stage.”
WPA General Manager – High Performance Andrew Pratley said: “The U20 level is a critical point in an athlete’s development in preparing them for senior level international competition.
“Andrew and Fabio both have a deep understanding of our pathway and what it takes to succeed internationally. We’re confident that they’ll get the best out of this group of athletes as they build towards the 2027 U20 World Championships whilst developing their readiness for senior national team representation.
“Whilst we have performance ambitions for the U20 World Championships next year, we’re also excited to see the athletes develop under the guidance of Andrew and Fabio as the next generation of Ord Minnett Aussie Stingers and Aussie Sharks.”
Further support coaching roles for the 2027 U20’s World Championship campaigns and all coaching roles for the 2027 World University Games will be finalised once confirmation is received from FISU around our 2027 World University Games involvement.
