Brisbane Metropolitan Junior Competition

This year, RiverCity will be competing in a new competition operated by Water Polo Queensland, the 2024-25 Summer Season in the new Brisbane Metropolitan Junior Competition - Term 4 2024 and Term 1 2025.

This competition will be similar to the Brisbane competition previously operated by BWPI, however as a new competition there may be some adjustments and bedding-in.

The following is Water Polo Queensland's description of the competition:

The Brisbane Metropolitan Water Polo Junior Competition will be scheduled to be held across numerous South-East Queensland venues throughout Terms 4 & 1 in 2024 & 2025, catering for athletes aged from 8 to 18 years of age within 6 age group categories. The competition expects to cater for 21 affiliated Schools and Clubs encompassing over 2,500 competitors.

The format of the 2024/25 Brisbane Metropolitan Water Polo Junior Competition will see 14 Rounds plus a 3 Round Finals and Playoff series. Competition will focus around the U12, U13, U14, U15, U16, U17 and U18 divisions with 4 grades within each age group to cater for competitive, social, and beginner athletes. The purpose of multiple divisions is to ensure that the teams are participating against teams of similar ability, for a more closely contested competition and an enhanced development experience for the players.

Details of the new competition can be found on Water Polo Queensland’s website.

RiverCity is looking to field teams in all age groups during the 2024/25 season - U12, U13, U14, U15, U16, U17 (girls only) & U18, and needs to notify QWP of team numbers by 19 August and submit team lists by 30 September.

If you are interested please register your interest now!

As always, RiverCity’s philosophy and values remain:

• Passionate advocates for water polo.

• Emphasis on fun and friendships in community sport.

• Committed to supporting every player’s unique water polo journey and goals, from recreational to elite.

• Supporting athletes to play with their school and club friends.

• Providing young athletes with every opportunity for success through an excellent coaching team with unparalleled coaching and playing experience.

• Success reflected in local competition achievements and selections at state, national, and international levels.

Pre-season information

Player eligibility

The Brisbane Metro Water Polo Competition has defined the following age divisions:

Additionally Water Polo Queensland has further set down that any player may play a maximum of three (3) games per round, across both school and clubs.

This rule is in place to facilitate players to be able to enter both school and club teams. Members may utilise the following scenarios

Players are eligible to play in teams up to three (3) years above their true age group if they demonstrate the necessary skills and capabilities. For example, a player in the U14 age group may also be selected to play in the U15, U16 and U17 teams.

Come and Try

RiverCity ran a Come and Try session for those new to water polo on the 25th of August at the Somerville House Aquatic Centre.

This is a great, risk-free way to try water polo with our friendly coaches and other new players. The session was be a fun and gentle introduction to a great sport, prior to the grading days.

But don't worry if you missed out. If you want to play and aren't sure, feel free to contact us at info@rivercitywaterpolo.com and we'll do our best to help.

Swimming fitness

Water polo is a swimming sport, and RiverCity encourages all players to have the best swimming fitness they can to get the most enjoyment from the sport.

RiverCity players are provided two water polo training sessions a week with their team and coach. However to maximise fitness RiverCity recommends players consider also engaging in pre-season “winter” training, and regular squad swimming.

RiverCity also runs water polo swimming fitness sessions led by our head coach Dmitry Gorshkov which perfectly augments team training. Details for term 4 haven't been finalised yet, but please contact us at info@rivercitywaterpolo if you are interested.

Fees

Fees for RiverCity teams for the Brisbane Metropolitan Junior Competition are as follows:

These fees are all inclusive - i.e. include training, pool entry, coaching, equipment, awards, end of season break up party...etc.

Pre-season early bird registration options available - Attach your Queensland Government $200 FairPlay voucher or be invoiced $200 towards trials and your summer fees. Upon signing up for summer we will credit $245 towards your summer fees for early bird registration. (FairPlay Vouchers are still available to all Queensland residents and are non means tested)

Registration

While registration can’t be completed yet, you can register your interest to participate in a RiverCity 2024-25 Brisbane Metro Water Polo Competition team.

This is a commitment free expression of interest, and we strongly recommend all those intending to participate to complete the form. Completing the form will:

• Ensure you are updated as trials and team formation progress, and with any competition detail changes that emerge.

• Allow you to commit and take advantage of early bird registration discounts, including using Queensland Government Fair Play vouchers.

Trials

RiverCity will be holding trials for the upcoming Summer Season to help form teams. Below are key dates for the trials.

Uniforms

Togs still fit? Swimcap about to break? Now is a good time to start preparing your kit for the start of the season.

From the essentials of togs and a cap, to towels, shirts, shorts, hats, hoodies, and more the RiverCity shop has you covered.

We have a number of items in stock in the Poolside Shop, or you can order for direct delivery from Delfina at https://www.delfinasport.com/collections/river-city using the password “rivercityWP”.

Any questions please contact Danielle at uniforms@rivercitywaterpolo.com who will be happy to help you.

Training

Two training sessions are provided per week for RiverCity teams playing in the Brisbane Metro Water Polo Competition.

Exact training times for various age groups are to be confirmed, but will broadly be:

Communication

The RiverCity team will endeavour to keep you up to date with developments.

The best way to stay informed is to register your interest in the summer season with RiverCity. Regular updates of all important information will be emailed to the player’s registered email address.

We will also post details on our website at www.rivercitywaterpolo.com and on our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/rivercitywaterpolo/ - it is worth following!

Representative Pathways

We are committed to providing the best opportunities for young players to develop and excel, and key avenues for this are the Australian Youth Championships (AYC) and Queensland State Titles.

AYC is the peak selection event for Australian junior squads and provides the opportunity to test yourself against many of the best players/clubs in the country, while the Queensland State Titles is the key selection event for State squads.

RiverCity plans to field teams in both of these competitions to showcase and develop our players.

This year presents a unique challenge with the State Titles scheduled 5 to 13 April 2025, and AYC in Perth in two age groups straddling the Easter weekend (18-20 April)

• U14 & U18 - 14 to 18 April

• U12 & U16 - 20 to 24 April (Note: Qld schools return 22 April).

To plan, RiverCity is asking players interested in participating to register their interest. Please note: full information has not yet been released for these events and will be provided as we receive it from Queensland and Australian water polo.

Coaching

RiverCity encourages and supports anyone interested in coaching water polo, particularly junior players, to get involved. Coaching is a great opportunity to give back to the sport and community, and through training, mentoring, and experience allows you to develop skills and a deeper knowledge and appreciation of the sport.

If you’re interested in coaching please contact Trish at development@rivercitywaterpolo.com to find out more.

Referee Programme

Officials are crucial to any sport, and refereeing is a great way to learn about the sport, develop as a player, and get involved.

RiverCity is committed to helping to train, mentor, and develop referees from community grassroots levels, all the way to elite referees.

If you are interested in refereeing, please contact info@rivercitywaterpolo.com and we’ll help you on your refereeing journey.

Parent support

Beyond cheering from the stands, players’ families play an important role in RiverCity teams.

Team Managers

Every team in the competition requires a team manager, usually filled by a parent of one of the team’s players.

It is not a difficult role, but it is crucial. Duties include

• Communication: Manage the team’s WhatsApp group, coordinate between the team, club, and families.
• Game Duties: Organize officials, manage caps, verify scorecards, assist the coach, and enter results.
• Player & Social Management: Arrange substitutes, plan social events, and handle coach gifts.

More detail is in our Team Manager Guide in the Info Hub menu above.

Table Officials

Each participating team must supply a minimum of one accredited Table Official for their own match. Combined with a Table Official from the opposing team they will fulfil the Secretary and Timekeeper roles for the game.

These roles are not difficult but do require some training and preparation. A free training course with basic accreditation is available in the Water Polo Learning Centre at https://www.waterpoloaustralia.com.au/learn/learn-table-officials.

Please complete this course to increase your understanding of the game. It will genuinely increase your appreciation and enjoyment of the game, and help you share in your player's experience. It also helps spread table duty more fairly across the team and creates backups, rather than always relying on a few parents.

For those that have completed the training, but are not confident, a great way to gain experience is to sit alongside an experienced table official for a game. The pool officials, referees, and other table officials are very welcoming and helpful, and it is a great way to learn more about the game.

More detail is on our Table Duty page under the Info Hub menu above.

Marshal

A team marshal is required for each team at each game. Because the Team Manager may be away from the spectator group on the bench, their responsibility is to help the Team Manager and Pool Coordinator ensure that all club players, spectators, and volunteers comply with the competition code of conduct.

The team marshal

• must be identifiable (wearing a supplied Marshall vest) and present in the seating area.

• follow the direction of the Pool Co-ordinator if asked to speak to club or team spectators in relation to their behaviour

• work together with the Pool Co-ordinator to remove spectators who refuse to adhere to the competition code of conduct

• confirm the identity of suspended persons if they are present in a venue when asked by an official.

Given the RiverCity ethos, hopefully this role is completely redundant and merely involves uneventfully wearing a high visibility vest while watching the game. However RiverCity holds a high standard of behaviour and zero tolerance for inappropriate behaviour, and this role is key to upholding that.

Contacts

If you have any questions about the season, please reach out - we’re happy to help. Please use the contact item in the menu above, or refer to our Committee and Volunteers page for contact details for specific roles.