OUTLOOK WATER POLO YEAR 2007
07.01.2007 Like every year there will be no Club competitions from January till March. Auckland’s Secondary School Competitions will commence over the 1st school term leading towards the National Championships in April (Wellington). Most of our Marist age group players will participate for their respective schools.
The club’s senior teams will in the meantime start their preparations for their National League campaigns starting after Easter. The senior competitions will be delayed this year due to the World Championships from March 17 – April 1 in Melbourne, which will see a New Zealand Mens and Womens team competing against the world’s best. While the men are seen as underdogs against overseas professional the Women (photo, after their Bronze medal win at Commonwealths Championship in 2006) are expected to be very competitive with aspirations to make the top 8.
However, the big highlight for the local water polo community will be the Southern Cross Cup from March 10 – 14 in Auckland. Never before has New Zealand hosted so many world class teams before. Thanks to the World Champs across the ditch teams such as Russia, Italy, USA and Montenegro have committed to play each other and New Zealand in a friendly tournament. Some teams are expected to arrive early for training camps, which will provide further opportunities to watch some of the world’s best in action.
The Junior Women Nationals in Auckland will be over Queens Birthday Weekend this year to make way for World Champs preparations. The National Junior Womens team will travel to Portugal for the World Championships in July. After dominating the domestic female competitions for years Marist is expected to provide many of the players.
The domestic Senior Club competitions will start just after Easter and will finish with the Finals weekend to be held from June 30 – July 2 in Auckland. The home advantage will hopefully provide an additional boost for our Marist teams. The women are to defend their title while the men haven’t been in a final for many years.
The Junior Men will have their Nationals from July 19 – 22 in Auckland. Similar to their female counterparts they will then start their preparations for World Championships a month later in the USA. Last time around the team came 12th and is keen to improve on this result this year. Numerous Marist players are hot contenders for a spot in the team.
The Club age group season will commence over the 3rd and 4th school term, with development tournaments in Rotorua, Regional Northern League and Nationals in Christchurch (U16), Auckland (U18) and Wellington (U14).
Our youngest (U12) will again have a very long season. The Water Polo Institute Year 7 & 8 Competition will start some time in May catering for up to 40 school teams from the Eastern and Central Auckland area. Some of these talents will join the Marist U12 program for tournaments in Tauranga (April) and Auckland (September).
Marist will again seek to maintain its position as the most successful water polo club in New Zealand providing the infrastructure and the coaching know how for great water polo players.