Sixteen more Australian athletes will be inducted into the Water Polo Australia Hall of Fame on 27 July where the gold medal-winning teams of 1986 and 2000 are celebrated at the 2026 Gala Dinner at Accor Stadium in Sydney Olympic Park.
The 1986 inductees mark 40 years since Australia claimed gold at the inaugural women’s World Championships for water polo in Madrid. Being the only country competing from the Southern Hemisphere, the team went undefeated throughout the tournament to become the first-ever world champions of women’s water polo.
After opening wins over Great Britain and Belgium, Australia was locked at 5-5 with the Netherlands heading into the final quarter, before Debbie Watson snatched the win with just 18 seconds on the clock. Further victories over West Germany, Canada and Hungary left Australia needing the Netherlands to beat the USA to confirm gold outright, and the Dutch held on despite a late American fightback to seal it. Coach Ian Trent called his side far and away the best team at the tournament, and the best he’d ever coached.
The Sydney 2000 inductees celebrate 26 years since the Aussie Stingers delivered one of the most iconic moments in Australian Olympic history, winning the first-ever Olympic gold medal in women’s water polo. The historic win was even more special with the team winning on home soil at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games at Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre.
With women’s water polo being overlooked for Olympic inclusion, the Australian players fought hard to advocate for the sport to be recognised at the pinnacle of sport, including advocating at airports and during press conferences until FINA announced that women’s water polo would be finally added to the Sydney 2000 program.
Winning the hard-fought battle out of the water made it even more fitting that Australia went on to win the inaugural gold medal. With only one match lost during the campaign, Australia found themselves primed for a gold medal showdown with the USA. With the scores locked and just seconds remaining in the final, Yvette Higgins found the back of the net with 1.3 seconds left on the clock. The iconic play sealed the gold in front of the home crowd and etched itself into Australian Olympic folklore.
Both teams left a lasting legacy on Australia water polo. The 1986 side’s world title, alongside a string of World Cup and World Championship success throughout the 1980s and 1990s helped build the case that ultimately saw women’s water polo added to the Olympic program. The 2000 team repaid the legacy to inspire a generation of women’s water polo athletes across the country, including three more Olympic medals won by the Australia women’s water polo teams over the next 26 years.
Water Polo Australia wishes to congratulate the 16 athletes on their Hall of Fame induction:
1986 Australian Women’s Water Polo Team
- Katie McAdam
- Sandy Mills-O’Melia
- Janet Rayner
- Megan Carter (nee Meloncelli)
- Judy Darbyshire (nee Gair)
- Lynne Morrison
- Jacki Northam
- Julie Rohl (nee Shepherd)
They will join the following members of the team already inducted into the Hall of Fame:
- Wendy Arancini (nee Meloncelli)
- Debbie Handley-Cummins
- Debbie Watson
- Amanda Leeson-Smith
- Cathy Parkes (deceased)
Sydney 2000 Australian Women’s Water Polo Team
- Jo Clark (nee Fox)
- Simone Fountain (nee Hankin)
- Yvette Higgins
- Kate Hooper
- Gail Miller
- Melissa Mills
- Elizabeth Scott (nee Weekes)
- Danielle Woodhouse
- Taryn Woods
They will join the following members of the team already inducted into the Hall of Fame:
- Naomi McCarthy (nee Castle)
- Bridgette Gusterson
- Bronwyn Smith (nee Mayer)
- Debbie Watson
Tickets to the 2026 Gala Dinner are on sale now, offering a rare chance to celebrate these champions in person alongside the wider water polo community. With a premium dining experience, the presentation of the 2026 Performance Awards and the launch of the WPA Foundation all part of the night, it promises to be one of the standout events on the Australian water polo calendar.
Get your tickets here: https://tickets.oztix.com.au/outlet/event/5ff01416-a1a7-4f93-98d8-66a0c46b6146
