New Victorian Phoenix Water Polo Club to debut in the Australian Water Polo League in 2022

The Australian Water Polo League (AWL) is set to expand with Victoria re-entering the premier national competition with its new club, the Victorian Phoenix Water Polo Club.

The Victorian Phoenix Water Polo Club has secured an initial three-year licence enabling the Club to develop a strong presence in the competition and establish a formal pathway to national and international representation for high performance athletes in Victoria. The name ‘Victorian Phoenix’ signifies the re-introduction of a strong, courageous and competitive Victorian club into the national league that aspires to elevate Victorian water polo players to the highest level of competition.

The Victorian Phoenix Club will have a highly competitive Men’s and Women’s team, who will compete in a combined tournament and weekend head-to-head games from February to April 2022, against existing league teams in NSW, Queensland, Western Australia, and South Australia / Tasmania.

Rowie Webster, captain of the Australian Women’s team and triple Olympian, will headline the Victorian Phoenix Women’s Team. She will be joined by current and past Australian players as well as the next generation of elite athletes in Victoria.

“It is an extremely exciting time for Victorian water polo and Victorian athletes to have a new team in the AWL. The new Victorian Phoenix Club provides a pathway for upcoming junior and youth athletes in Victoria to transition into high performance senior teams. It also provides an opportunity to increase awareness, grow participation and strengthen the sport of water polo within the Victorian community,” said Ms Webster.

“It has taken a lot of time and effort behind the scenes, and I thank everyone involved. The Victorian athletes will benefit immensely, and their involvement will further strengthening the Australian programs. Returning to play water polo in my hometown is really invigorating and I am excited to give back by mentoring talented upcoming athletes in Victoria,” she said.

The coach’s appointed to lead the Club in the 2022 AWL season are Slobodan Macic as the Men’s Head Coach and Greig Richardson as the Women’s Head Coach. Final teams will be announced in early January 2022.

To support the new AWL entrant, Victorian Phoenix Water Polo Club President Gary Barclay encourages the Victorian and Australian water polo community to visit the Club’s website and subscribe to receive the latest news.
Visit: http://www.vicphoenixwaterpoloclub.com