Ord Minnett Aussie Stingers Head Coach Bec Rippon has named her 16-strong team for the World Aquatics World Cup Division 1 in the Netherlands.
Held in Rotterdam from 1-6 May, the World Cup Division 1 will be the final qualification event for the World Cup Finals to be held in Sydney in July.
“We’re excited to have the finals at home, everyone is already looking forward to it, but we see Rotterdam as a qualifier for that and it’s all part of our preparations,” Rippon said.
It will be the first chance for the Ord Minnett Aussie Stingers to come together for a competition in 2026, with some new faces featuring in the line up.
“With players all around the world, it’s hard to get everyone together – so we’re really looking forward to getting over there and getting our team back together,” Rippon said.
“We’ll also welcome two new Stingers to the international competition environment in Ani Pamp and Bless Daly. They’ve performed well, we’re impressed with their progress and we’re excited to see what steps they can take in a senior competition environment,” she said.
As the host nation of the World Cup Finals, Australia is guaranteed a men’s and women’s team at the Finals. The World Cup Division 1 however will be a crucial opportunity for the Ord Minnett Aussie Stingers to gain more international game time on the road to Sydney.
“Having a ticket to the finals is an advantage, but we want to go there and put our best foot forward,” Rippon said.
“It will be a good chance for us to get everyone together, continue to build our team, and play with a balance of not only results and performance, but the freedom to try different things, make mistakes and find opportunities to make our mark on the competition,” she said.
The Ord Minnett Aussie Stingers have been drawn in Group B, and will play against the Netherlands, Italy and Greece in the group stages.
“There will be eight quality national teams so we’re really looking forward to getting some more international competition time under our belt in 2026, leading into Sydney,” Rippon said.
Water Polo Australia would like to congratulate the following athletes on their selection:
ORD MINNETT AUSSIE STINGERS
Abby Andrews (QLD)
Charlize Andrews (QLD)
Hayley Ballesty (NSW)
Bless Daly (QLD)
Tenealle Fasala (QLD)
Sienna Green (NSW)
Bronte Halligan (NSW)
Sienna Hearn (NSW)
Dani Jackovich (NSW)
Tilly Kearns (NSW)
Gen Longman (WA/NSW)
Olivia Mitchell (NSW)
Gabi Palm (QLD)
Ani Pamp (NSW)
Pippa Pedley (WA)
Alice Williams (QLD)
