There are now only 50 days to go until the 2016 Pan Pacific Youth Water Polo Festival in Auckland, New Zealand!
The tournament is one of the largest of its kind – stretching over 11 days in July catering for an estimated 1650 water polo athletes from under 14 through to under 20 age groups.
“The festival is shaping up to be the biggest event New Zealand Water Polo has ever organised” said Competitions and Communications Manager Fabian Wanrooij.
“We’re working closely with the teams and officials from NSW coming over. We have had the NSW sports development manager, Chris Dyson, over last week, and have shown him the facilities across Auckland we will be using.”
The tournament will span six venues across Tamaki Makaurau: Sacred Heart Aquatic Centre, Diocesan Aquatic Centre, Margaret Beale Aquatic Centre (St. Cuthbert’s), West Wave Aquatic Centre, and AUT Millennium – including the National Aquatic Centre which was opened last year.
“Chris was especially impressed with the National Aquatic Centre facility” said Wanrooij.
Across four age-groups and eight divisions, over 150 teams have entered – the highest number of entries ever recorded for the festival that has run biennially since 1990, making 2016 its 14th running.
“We have more teams in every age group than we’ve ever had and have room for all second teams that have entered as well which is pretty impressive.”
Auckland will play host to over 50 international teams; coming from Australia, America, and South Africa, as well as close to 100 New Zealand teams that have signed up.
The tournament kicks off at the beginning of the New Zealand school holidays on July 9th and runs through until the 19th.
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