NEW LOOK AUSTRALIAN WATERPOLO LEAGUE UNVEILED AHEAD OF 2023 SEASON

Water Polo Australia is pleased to announce the new look Australian Waterpolo League (AWL) format ahead of the 2023 season.

The AWL is Australia’s premier domestic water polo competition, providing important competition opportunities for national squad members as well as the next generation of Australian water polo talent.

The 2023 season, finally sees the introduction of the new format developed by the AWL Clubs and WPA during 2020 and 2021, which is focused providing more competitive games, more often in a financially sustainable model.  The format introduces a two phase approach.

The season will start with teams battling it out for the KAP7 Cup, during which each team will play every other team once, across multiple short tournaments. The KAP7 Cup standings will then  determine whether teams progress to the Championship or Challenge rounds in phase 2.  This ensures that every game played is important..  WPA are delighted to have KAP7 Australia on board as the naming rights partner of the phase 1 tournaments.

Teams ranked 1 to 6 after the KAP7 in each gender will progress through to the “AWL Championship”, and will play each other twice, across five rounds. The top four sides qualifying a spot in the Finals Series from 28-30 April.

Teams ranked 7-11 following the KAP7 Cup, will continue the season playing for the Southern Cross Cup that will be held over four round, again playing each other twice.

WPA CEO Richard McInnes said he is excited to roll out the new format, after COVID curtailed its introduction in 2022.

“This is an exciting chapter for the Australian Waterpolo League, designed to not only give fans more quality water polo, but aligns with our player development strategy as well, to improve our chances of success internationally,” McInnes said.

“We have spent the best part of the last two years working closely with the AWL Advisory Committee, AWL Clubs, as well as our high performance staff and coaches to develop this new horizon for our premier competition.

“The AWL forms an important part of our high performance program in developing players, coaches and referees, and this new look format will help us to be able to achieve that,” he said.

Action from the Australian Waterpolo League will be streamed via Water Polo Australia partners News Corp Australia.

CLICK HERE for the 2023 Australian Waterpolo League KAP7 Cup draw