Livestream Queensland Water Polo Premier League a bridge to the future
Subscribe here to watch the Delfina Water Polo Queensland’s Premier League to be livestreamed by News Corp from Sunday. It is the first of four state-based competitions News will stream between October and April.
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The new Delfina Sport Water Polo Queensland’s Premier League is not only an exciting new spectacle on the Queensland sporting calendar, but was also an investment in the sport’s future.
That is according to water polo’s latest Olympians, Abby Andrews and Gabi Palm, who will be among a galaxy of past and present internationals lining up in the Premier League which starts on Sunday at the Gold Coast Aquatic Centre.
The Premier League will be played over four weekends starting on Sunday featuring teams from Brisbane, the Sunshine Coast and Gold Coast.
2021 WPQ Delfina Premier League Draw
Round 1: October 17 - Gold Coast Aquatic Centre, Southport
Round 2: October 31 - Valley Pool, Brisbane
Round 3: November 14 St.Andrews Anglican College, Peregian Springs
FINALS:November 28: Valley Pool, Brisbane
Livestreaming will be through the www.couriermail.com.au, the Gold Coast Bulletin, Sunshine Coast Daily and News Corp affiliates.
In addition to the Premier League, News Corp has locked in an agreement with Water Polo Queensland to live stream another four state-based competitions between October and April. This will include up to 100 junior and senior matches across metropolitan and regional-based events.
Bronwen Knox, fellow UQWPC Barracuda Olympians Palm, Andrews, Australian representative Alice Williams, Olympian Rhys Howden and past legends Jo Clark, Anthony Martin, Billy Miller and Rio 2016 Olympian Kelsey Wakefield will play. Another great Naomi McCarthy will coach North Brisbane Polo Bears.
Andrews said she did not have the benefit of a similar competition when she was a junior coming into national league and Australian representative teams, and she said the Premier League was a great chance for talented juniors to develop against current and past Queensland and Australian players.
Young guns like Molly Nasser, Charlize Andrews, Amelia Watt, Will Valentine, Phoebe Leech, Kate Blew, Lara Owen, Louisa Downes, Chelsea Johnson, Annabel Cowan, Josephine Crimmins - to name a few - will benefit from playing and training around senior players.
Andrews, who like Palm is a UQWPC Barracudas junior,. said the league would be the perfect link from club water polo to national leagues.
“It is really good having that obvious pathway between ages,’’ Andrews said.
“You have the really young girls, the intermediate girls and the senior girls and I think it (this competition) is great because you build friendships with all the different ages and learn things from different people. It is a really good stepping stone.
Palm agreed: “We have been looking for a competition which bridges junior, 18s and nationally because there is quite a big jump between them. And we have never really had a competition which allows people to play before stepping into the national leagues.
“And I think this tournament is a great way to do that.’’
Andrews said it was also a great decision by Water Polo Queensland to share matches between the Gold Coast, Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast.
“It is awesome rotating around venues - the Gold Coast, Sunny Coast and playing in the beautiful Valley pool which we call home.’’
“It is such a great avenue to open up our sport to opportunities,’’ Andrews said.
The teams:
Men: Carina League Warriors, UQWPC Barracudas, Polo Bears, Gold Coast, River City, Kawana, Bushrangers
Women: Carina League Warriors, UQWPC Barracudas, Polo Bears, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Mermaids, Vikings
2021 WPQ Delfina Premier League Draw
Round 1: October 17 - Gold Coast Aquatic Centre, Southport
Round 2: October 31 - Valley Pool, Brisbane
Round 3: November 14 St.Andrews Anglican College, Peregian Springs
FINALS:November 28: Valley Pool, Brisbane
LIVESTREAM SCHEDULE
ROUND 1, October 17
10am: Gold Coast v Mermaids
11:15: UQWPC Barracudas v Vikings
12:30: Polo Bears v Warriors
13:45: Sunshine Coast v Gold Coast
3pm: Merlo Mermaids v HWLE Vikings
4:15: UQWPC Barracudas v North Brisbane Polo Bears
5.30: Carina Leagues Warriors v Sunshine Coast
NOTE: The competitions to be livestreamed by News after the Premier League will be:
December 5: Queensland Junior Country Championships - St Andrew Aquatic Centre, Sunshine Coast
February 20 (date TBC): Queensland Country Championships - Tobruk Pool, Cairns
March 19: Brisbane Water Polo competition - Valley Pool, Brisbane
April 5, 11: State Titles - Chandler Aquatic Centre, Brisbane
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