When Bless Daly was growing up, all she dreamed of was representing Australia and wearing the green and gold. Now, at just 17 years old, her dream will become a reality.
Still balancing school alongside the demands of elite sport, the teenage Ord Minnett Aussie Stingers squad member is preparing for the biggest moment of her young career when she makes her first major appearance for Australia at the World Aquatics Water Polo World Cup Finals in Sydney.
For Daly, the opportunity is another milestone on a journey she hopes will one day lead to the Olympic Games.
“Playing for Australia is something that I’ve dreamed of forever,” Daly said.
“It’s always awesome to wear the green and gold. I think singing that anthem is going to be very emotional.”
Singing the national anthem in a crowded stadium for the first time, rather than just at a school assembly, will be something she never forgets, but getting to this point hasn’t come without sacrifice.
Juggling school commitments alongside national team duties has brought its challenges for Daly, however credits her school, St Margaret’s Anglican Girls School in Brisbane, for all of its support of her, and her Olympic dream.
“It’s definitely hard. But my school is so amazing. They support me through everything.”
“Competing for your country is something that I’ve always dreamed of as a kid. So I’m taking this opportunity with everything I have.”
In her first year as part of the Stingers environment, Daly said she feels so inspired by the team around her.
“It’s an amazing group of girls. I feel so backed up and supported to just be myself and play at my best.”
“It’s so special being around everyone, they are so supportive and fun. I love this team.”
For most teenagers, competing in front of a passionate, home crowd might be intimidating, but Daly has been waiting her whole life for this opportunity and is ready for the crowd’s energy to fire her up.
“I have so many family members coming, so just being able to look up to the stands and see so many people supporting me is definitely going to be special.”
While the 2026 World Aquatics World Cup Finals will represent one step closer to a childhood dream, Daly admits everything is building towards the bigger goal on the horizon. One that still means pulling on the green and gold.
“I’ve dreamed of the Olympics forever,”
“LA is so close, it’s only two years away. So I am definitely going to put my head down and work my heart out to get there.”
For the teenager who simply once dreamed of representing Australia, the World Cup Finals are more than a debut. It’s the first chapter of a much bigger story.
ABOUT THE WORLD CUP FINALS
Australia will host the World Aquatics Water Polo World Cup Finals for the first time this month, with the top water polo nations to battle it out from 22-26 July 2026 at Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre.
The top nations including Paris Olympic men’s silver medalists Croatia (men) and gold medalists Spain (women) will take centre stage, with Aussie sports fans offered a rare glimpse of the world’s top eight men’s and women’s teams competing for the ultimate glory in international water polo.
The Ord Minnett Aussie Stingers were the story of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games with their silver medal success, where the Ord Minnett Aussie Sharks embraced the underdog status to deliver historic victories against European powerhouses Serbia and Hungary.
Aussie fans will have guaranteed front-row action to the Ord Minnett Aussie Stingers and Aussie Sharks World Cup Finals campaign with the teams competing on days one and two of the tournament.
The women’s and men’s semi finals will take place on Friday 22 and Saturday 23 July, with the bronze and gold medal playoffs to be held on Sunday 24 July.
Tickets on sale now – click here
Find out more about the 2026 World Aquatics World Cup Finals – click here
