Australian women’s water polo player Bronte Halligan signs her first professional contract
Australian women’s water polo player Bronte Halligan has landed her first professional contract after impressing at the Tokyo Olympics.
Women's sport
Don't miss out on the headlines from Women's sport. Followed categories will be added to My News.
A spectacular performance at the Tokyo Olympics has helped Australian women’s water polo player Bronte Halligan land her first professional contract.
Halligan, 25, who has been on the Stingers team since she was 17-years-old, has signed with one of Italy’s top water polo clubs – Orizzonte.
The club has won the Italian Championship 21 times, including this year and also competes in several European competitions.
Playing in European leagues has become a right of passage for the Stingers since they won gold in the first women’s Olympic gold medal in Sydney.
Halligan, from Manly in New South Wales, took up the sport when she was 11 after switching from netball and proved a natural – especially at firing the ball into the net.
Some of her sharp shooting talent could have been inherited from her rugby league playing father Daryl Halligan – who was known for his ability to slot the ball between the posts from almost anywhere on the field.
Daryl, a former Canterbury Bulldogs and New Zealand winger, was a goalkicking star and retired as the highest point scorer in the NRL with 2034 points.
Despite her skills and dedication to the sport, Halligan never imagined it would lead to a paid contract in one of the world’s most competitive leagues.
“I love the sport and that is why I play, I had always dreamt it would take me to the Olympics and possibly college but never a professional contract,” Halligan said.
Orizzonte had sounded out Halligan before the Olympics but it wasn’t until competition wrapped up in Tokyo that the offer became official.
“Now that I’ve actually signed it is getting more exciting,” Halligan said.
The Stingers finished fifth in Tokyo, which was not the result the women had hoped for, but it did remind Halligan how much she missed playing top class teams.
Due to the pandemic the women’s team hadn’t played an international game for almost two years.
“The Australian league is really strong and has some good juniors coming through but because of Covid-19 everything has ground to a halt here,” Halligan said.
Halligan has just two weeks to pack her life into two suitcases and board a plane for Italy.
Her three-year stint living in Los Angeles and playing water polo for UCLA has prepared her for living away from home.
The only difference this time around, due to Covid-19 restrictions, is she won’t be able to duck back during season breaks or have family come and visit.
She won’t be the only Stingers player heading overseas with Queenslander Elle Armit, who also made her Olympic debut in Tokyo, to suit up for Padiva in the same Italian league as Halligan.
“The girls are going to do whatever they can to play as many games as they can, the one thing the last 18 months has taught us is that we miss playing games and Paris is only three years away,” Halligan said.
The Italian water polo league starts next month.
Matildas loss rugby’s gain as teens help Aussies end long Sevens drought
Grit, a fighting spirit and a pair of young guns - including one that was touted as a future Matilda - have helped Australia end a seven-year-long drought in rugby sevens.
NRLW gun Keeley Davis keeping close tabs on future teammates – and rivals
She is one of the pioneers of NRLW but now this rugby league talent is playing a hand in the development of her future teammates - and potential rivals.