U16's

At Waikato Water Polo we have a strong Under 16 Boys and Girls team that competes in the Under 16 National Championships every year. As a club we welcome new and old players to the club and be part of the team to represent our region. Those eligible to play as part of the 2025 U16 squads are all players born on or after 1 January 2009. 

Once registration for under-16s opens, we ask that all players interested register via the registration process - HERE.

Training

Held at the Waterworld Dive Well.
Current U16 players are welcome to join Swim for Polo sessions, with dates for Squad trainings in Term 3 2025 still to be confirmed. 

• Swim for Polo: 7.00pm - 8.00pm, Tuesday and Thursday nights at Water World, Te Rapa. This is lane swimming, so bring your goggles and drink bottle.
• U16 Boys Training: Term 3 TBC
• U16 Girls Training: Term 3 TBC

In Term 2, trainings were held:

Boys: Tuesday 8.00-9.00pm

Girls: Tuesday 6.00-8.00am; Wednesday 7.30-9.00pm

Membership and Training Fees

Waikato Water Polo Affiliation (Annual Fee) $100

U16 Squad Training (per Term Fee) $150

Secondary Age Group Squad Training (per Term Fee) $80

Register HERE today. 

2025 Under 16 Tournament and Competition Dates/ Locations:

• Sea Wolf U16 Matariki Tournament: 19th June - 22nd June 2025
• Auckland Water Polo U16 League: 19th July - 13th September 2025
• U16 Nationals Championships Division 1: 24-27th August, Auckland - NZWP eligibility rules state that this is for players born 2009-2011, with a maximum of 4 players born 2012
• U16 National Championships Division 2: 27-30th August, Wellington - NZWP eligibility rules state that this is for players born 2009-2011, with a maximum of 4 players born 2012

Coaching Teams

Girls

Girls Division 1: Coach: Brogan Houghton

Manager: Michael Houghton

Assistant Coach: Sophie Mataia

Co-ordinator: Chris van der Aa

Boys

Boys Division 1: Coach: Matt Lander

Assistant Coach: George Oliver-Coffey

Co-ordinator: Kelly McDiarmid

Enquiries

admin@waikatowaterpolo.co.nz

History of Under 16 National Championships in NZ

The Under 16 Club Nationals was first introduced in 1996 when it replaced the Under 16 Provincial Championships.
Previously all Champs were Provincial teams only except for the school events which had changed to Individual school events in 1986 some 10 years previously. The new Under 16 CLUB nationals were first held in Rotorua in 1996. They have subsequently been staged mainly in the Southern regions of Christchurch and Invercargill until the earthquakes changed the rotation system that was in place in 2011. Due to demand, the Division 2 event was added in the early 2000s.
The event was very popular and has now become more diverse among the growing number of clubs with a wider range of winners and medalists, especially from 2010 onwards.

Waikato has performed well at the championships within Div 1:

• 2023 - 
• 2022 - Boys 3rd, Girls 10th
• 2021 - Boys 6th, Girls 9th