WATER POLO AUSTRALIA LAUNCHES ‘REFLECT’ RECONCILIATION ACTION PLAN

Water Polo Australia (WPA) has taken the first step on its journey of reconciliation through sport with the launch of its ‘Reflect’ Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) today.

CLICK HERE to view Water Polo Australia's 'Reflect' Reconciliation Action Plan

WPA believes that reconciliation is a vital component of our social impact responsibility but more importantly acknowledges the potential to support teams and the community to have a greater connection with the history of the country we represent, the lands and waters in which water polo is played and the cultures that can be learned from.

WPA General Manager Strategy Holly Tyrrell said: “We are proud to launch Water Polo Australia’s ‘Reflect’ Reconciliation Action Plan, as the first stage in water polo becoming a more inclusive sport for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples.

“Engaging with people from our water polo community such as Dean Semmens and Nathan Thomas to lead this process, has been crucial in the development of our Reconciliation Action Plan, and I’d like to thank them for their support and input.

“On taking these first steps towards reconciliation as an organisation, we hope to not only recognise and celebrate our history but create an opportunity to connect with the Traditional Owners of the lands, waters and communities in which we currently play,” she said.

Indigenous Olympians Dean Semmens and Nathan Thomas were appointed co-chairs of Water Polo Australia’s RAP Working Group and have been integral in the development and implementation of the plan.

“As Water Polo Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Olympians, we are extremely proud to present WPA’s first Reconciliation Action Plan,” said Semmens, who represented Australia at the Athens 2004 Olympic Games.

“The WPA RAP Working Group is genuinely committed to reconciliation and this RAP is our opportunity to turn good intentions into action. It is WPA’s first step in driving sustainable opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples within water polo and Australia more broadly,” he said.

Sydney 2000 and Athens 2004 Olympian Nathan Thomas said: “WPA’s RAP will enable us to improve relationships with, show respect for, and increase opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as members, participants, volunteers, stakeholders, jobseekers and the community.

“We are hopeful that through this RAP we will move forward together in the spirit of reconciliation and solidarity toward a reconciled and equitable Australia,” he said.

The WPA RAP is designed to increase opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, which 19 year old Tanna-Lai Hornung, a proud indigenous player from North Brisbane Polo Bears, said is great for the future of the sport. 

“What I love about water polo is the culture, it’s a really good place to be social,” Hornung said.

“As well as the playing aspect, and being competitive, it’s also great making friends along the way, that has really paved my journey.

“It would definitely be really nice to see more First Nations people [playing water polo]. 

“When we get this [Reconciliation Action] Plan in it should be really good, we’ll see more people playing, and we can bring in those traditions and cultures into the sport,” she said.

WPA also engaged former Olympic boxer, and proud Dunghutti man, Brad Hore to design a Reconciliation artwork, representing the story of the organisation.

“I really enjoyed working on this one - I know Nathan (Thomas) from our Olympic days and we’re also both on the Australian Olympic Committee Indigenous Advisory Committee,” Hore said.

“And I had the opportunity to work with him to do some work for Water Polo Australia [on their reconciliation art]. I put up the Shark, and inside the Shark you’ll see the men that represent the team, and then the Stingray with the ladies represented in there. And the colours are the branding of Water Polo Australia.

“Some of these designs, it’s really up to you and how your imagination, but it’s a ripple effect of starting from your juniors all the way through to the seniors,” he said.

To find out more about WPA’s Reconciliation Artwork - click here