About Us

A PLACE WHERE EVERYONE THRIVES

Our Mision
For Waitakere Water Polo Club to be recognised as New Zealand’s most inclusive water polo club and the most significant contributor to the growth of water polo within the community.

Our Purpose
To develop and grow our members into well rounded athletes, coaches and officials, through encouraging knowledge, ability and fun.

Our Principles
In pursuing our purpose, we:

– Empower
Our athletes, coaches and officials take up opportunities which are provided to contribute towards their own success.

– Encourage
Our athletes, coaches and officials develop their skills and abilities in a team lead environment.

– Engage
Our athletes, coaches and officials respect the game of water polo in a fair and challenging way, with respect to each other, other clubs and officials. We support each other in and around the pool, by being role models for each other to inspire others in our love of the sport.

In December 2018, the Waitakere Committee released our 5 year strategic plan (2019-2023), including strategic priorities for 2019. View the plan below, and send any feedback to Matt at president@waitakwaterpolo.co.nz.

Administration

We have an active committee which meets regularly (see the calendar). All club members are welcome to attend these meetings. If you're keen to join us or help out in any way, please email Matt president@waitakwaterpolo.co.nz – whether you are an ex-international swimmer, a whiz with numbers or an ideas person, we want you!

Our team supporters can be found poolside at games (wearing our supporters gear which you can purchase here) –we are a friendly, supportive club. Check out our social media (@waitakwaterpolo on facebook and instagram) for details about game times and locations. 

Our amazing Club administrator is Deborah Cameron, who you can contact at admin@waitakwaterpolo.co.nz.

Pool Bookings
To book pool space and water polo equipment at West Wave, please email Deb as above. Learn more about our facilities here. 

Accounts
For accounts queries, please contact Karen Drage at accounts@waitakwaterpolo.co.nz.

The Club's account number is 12-3086-0142045-00. Please include the player's name and invoice number with any with any payment made. Please note that we are currently transitioning our accounting system to Xero. If you have any questions about your statements, please email Karen as above.

 Committee

Oversight of the club is shared between the governance and operations committees. The governance committee is elected annual at our AGM, and the operations committee is open for any member of the club to join - we are always looking for more volunteers!

History

The organisation that is now the Waitakere Water Polo Club was founded in 1984 as the Mt. Wellington–Panmure Water Polo Club. In its early years, Chairman Simon Curnow was responsible for much of the Club’s development (Mr. Curnow’s 1986 report can be read below). During that period, the Club received significant financial support from the Realty Brokers firm, which was reflected in the Club’s name. Also instrumental in early successes was acclaimed UCLA coach Bob Horn (RIP), alongside player/coach imports Steve Granick and Scott Leonard (USA players who Bob introduced to the Club). In 1990, the Club was recognised as the top club in New Zealand for the combined finishes of our senior teams at the National Championships (silver for the Men and bronze for the Women). In that year the relationship with Realty Brokers ended, and the Club was renamed to the Waitakere City Water Polo Club, in recognition of an increasing presence in West Auckland and usage of the West Auckland Swimming Centre (now West Wave). The organisation became an incorporated society under that name in 2000.

Attila Biro became Waitakere’s first Head Coach in 2014, coming to New Zealand from Hungary to coach the Blue Devils and Blue Diamonds as well as the National Women’s side. Under Attila’s leadership, our the Blue Devils were National League champions for the first time in 2015 – claiming the last title national title that the Club had to yet to win (under the National League format, which was introduced in 2003). The Blue Diamonds also took out the National title in 2017. We have teams across all age groups, from Under 12s through to Seniors. The Under 12 program alongside our Flippa Ball and Year 7 & 8 leagues are key areas for encouraging the uptake of water polo, after which our programs take a development focus. Performance becomes an increasingly important component of the sport as players progress through the age groups toward the Senior program.

Waitakere teams compete in regional competitions through Auckland Water Polo and national competitions through New Zealand Water Polo. We encourage our members to compete to the best of their ability while also promoting enjoyment of the sport.

In 2018, the Club dropped the word 'City' from our name, reflecting local changes to become known formally as Waitakere Water Polo Club – or Waitak informally. 2019 (our 35th anniversary) was an exciting year for the Club, with a local Flippa Ball league returning to West Auckland, registration as a New Zealand charity and significant growth in membership.