After almost 12 months in the chair as General Manager – High Performance, I’m pleased to provide an update on the progress and future of our High Performance program in the LA 2028 Olympic cycle and with a view to Brisbane 2032.
It has been a significant year for our program, with the culmination of the Paris 2024 Olympic cycle and transitioning through to the commencement of the LA 2028 Olympic cycle under the direction of the 2024-2032 High Performance Strategy. The Strategy provides the blueprint for how WPA will enable our Ord Minnett Aussie Sharks and Aussie Stingers to Win Well when it matters and inspire all Australians.
With the strategy comes a need to realign our programs to ensure we are equipped to be able to ENHANCE through 2025/26, to PERFORM in 2027/28 and EXCEL in 2029-2032 on the final home stretch to Brisbane 2032.
NATIONAL PERFORMANCE PATHWAYS
In line with the 2024-2032 High Performance Strategy, we are adjusting the delivery and support of our National Performance Pathways program to enhance the foundations of the program and ensure athletes are best prepared for potential representative squads, including future opportunities to transition into the Ord Minnett Aussie Stingers and Ord Minnett Aussie Sharks programs.
The National U16 and U18 Development programs, administered in partnership by Water Polo Australia and the States, will broaden to focus on more than preparing teams for age group World Championships. WPA will be working and co-investing with the States to provide more ongoing, regionally delivered development activities for athletes throughout the year that will underpin other more targeted activity at national and international level.
WPA has carved out some investment from our High Performance funding to directly invest into state talent development coaching – with a major focus of this initiative around how we can build capacity and capability in the States to better enable a higher scale of activity to be delivered more locally at a junior level. Together with Water Polo Queensland and Water Polo Victoria the first of two coaching roles have been recruited, with former Ord Minnett Aussie Stingers captain Rowie Webster in Victoria and former Ord Minnett Aussie Sharks Rhys Howden in Queensland, both helping to drive enhanced state talent development programs.
ORD MINNETT AUSSIE SHARKS AND AUSSIE STINGERS
WPA has been working hard to re-establish our Ord Minnett Aussie Sharks and Aussie Stingers squads for the 2026 calendar year. While this has been happening informally in years gone by, a shift to this process will see an opportunity to celebrate our Senior National Squads annually, with the announcement of approximately 20 athletes to the Ord Minnett Aussie Stingers and Ord Minnett Aussie Sharks squads in January 2026.
While these squads will likely form the base of teams selected for tours and to compete at international events, our updated National Team Selection Policies no longer preclude the inclusion of athletes outside of these squads, where appropriate and required.
POLICY AND FRAMEWORK UPDATES
The High Performance team has also been working hard to update the policies and frameworks that guide our day-to-day operations. These include:
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A reset of all National Team selection policies (2025 Ord Minnett Aussie Sharks and Aussie Stingers Team Policy published with ongoing policy in final draft, U16 and U18 Selection Policy published, U20 and World University Games to be finalised in early 2026)
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A refresh of WPA’s National Athlete Categorisation Guidelines, in response to the Australian Institute of Sports’s update to the system-wide National Athlete Categorisation Framework
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Establishing the WPA Athlete Development Framework (ADF) that will guide the work we do and attributes we develop in athletes across all phases of an athlete’s development journey toward becoming a world class water polo athlete.
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As an extension to the ADF, the establishment of the WPA Athlete Learning and Development Framework that provides athletes with the knowledge, skills, and support they need to thrive throughout their sporting journey and into life beyond sport.
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Importantly, for all of the above, we have taken time to ensure these policies, guidelines and frameworks have connection and speak to each other, and have direct connection to
ON THE HORIZON
With the National Performance Pathways locked and loaded, and our Senior National Squads set to be re-established and redefined, WPA is now working on how to ‘fill the gap’ between our pathways programs and Ord Minnett Aussie Stingers and Aussie Sharks squads.
One of the initiatives we will be introducing in 2026 (with squads to be announced in January) is the establishment of National Development squads within a newly established National Development Program. These squads will underpin the Senior National Squads, with ‘train up’ opportunities and increased exposure to National and International environments; better ensuring the development of Ord Minnett Aussie Sharks and Aussie Stingers ‘Ready’ athletes.
This program will be administered to provide deliberate and targeted development and exposure for nationally identified 17-24 year olds athletes on the high performance pathway and will provide the anchor to U20 World Championships and World University Games preparations in 2027 and beyond. The National Development Squads will be confirmed through Athlete Categorisation, with announcement of these Squads to also occur in January 2026. More information on the specific activity in the National Development Program will be available in the coming months.
2026 will also see Sydney host the 2026 World Cup Finals which is an incredible opportunity to showcase the very best players from around the world on home soil in the lead up to Brisbane 2032. The event also includes the prospect of hosting international teams for camps and additional matches in the lead up to the major competition.
Andrew Pratley
General Manager – High Performance
