While for many, today marked their first Australian Youth Water Polo Championships playing in Brisbane, it was also the first for some of the referees.
The AYWPC provides not only a great development opportunity for athletes, but also for referees and coaches – some using the event as a stepping stone to take their skills to the next level.
For 15-year-old Emmett Bartlett, while he’s looking forward to playing next week, he’s on pool deck for week one refereeing at his first AYWPC.
“I’ve been playing since I was 10, for Easts Water Polo and Hunter Hurricanes. I’ll be playing here at AYC next week,” Bartlett said.
“I started refereeing when I was 14 in Newcastle, and I did my first State Championships last year, and now I’m refereeing in AYWPC this year.
“It’s good, it’s different, a bit more competitive I would say,” he said.
Bartlett said he’s enjoying the challenge of refereeing and learning more about the sport he loves…from a different perspective.
“I like refereeing because you get a better understanding of the sport, as a player myself,” Bartlett said.
“One day I hope to be refereeing in the Australian Waterpolo League, and further up from that even,” he said.
But the ‘junior’ referees aren’t alone on pool deck, they’re supported by a network of senior referees and delegates – something that Bartlett takes comfort from.
“Gayle (Rodgers) who’s mentored me since one of my first State Championships, she’s one of the referees I look up to,” he said.
The 2026 Australian Youth Water Polo Championships will take place in Brisbane from 8-18 April 2026. Bringing together over 250 teams from across Australia and internationally, the event will be a true festival of water polo for teams in the 12&U, 14&U, 16&U and 18&U divisions.
A select number of games will be livestreamed via KommunityTV across the two weeks. Click here for the livestream link.
The 2026 Australian Youth Water Polo Championships is supported by Brisbane City Council through Brisbane Economic Development Agency and the Queensland Government through Tourism and Events Queensland.
