21-day countdown begins!

With just three weeks to go until #PanPacs2016, today marks the start of our official 21-day countdown where we’ll be releasing things you may or may not know about the festival.

To kick it all off – we’ll be profiling Pan Pacs’ first-ever and therefore oldest venue, the West Wave Aquatic Centre.

Location: 20 Alderman Drive, Henderson,Waitakere, 0612, Auckland

The West Wave Aquatic Centre was purpose-built for the XIV Commonwealth Games of 1990, and 26 years on still enjoys hosting a range of national and international events.

Shortly after the Commonwealth Games, the first-ever Pan Pacific Youth Water Polo Festival was held at the venue. Every Pan Pacific champion team has been decided in that pool since the beginning in 1990. Other games have been played at Glenfield (1990), Sacred Heart (from 2002), AUT Millennium (since 2004), then most recently Epsom Girls’ Grammar School and Diocesan School for Girls. 2016 will be the first year that a large majority of matches are hosted at a different venue – the brand new Sir Owen G Glenn National Aquatic Centre. 2016’s second new venue is the Margaret Beale Aquatic Centre at St. Cuthbert’s College, that was also opened in 2015.

West Wave and water polo had the royal treatment in July 2005, when Prince William visited the New Zealand Water Polo Junior Men’s National Championships. 

Chris Hayward accompanied by Prince William at West Wave in July 2005 (photo: gettyimages)

Prince William can be seen with Chris Hayward, the founder of the Pan Pacific Youth Water Polo Festival. William even donned a whistle and started a game.

Most recently, West Wave hosted the 2015 FINA World League Women’s Intercontinental Tournament. The venue hosted the same tournaments in both genders in 2013.

From the stands during the 2013 World League at West Wave

West Wave is the home of the Waitakere City Water Polo Club, which was founded in 1984. The club won their first-ever national title at the 2015 National League finals, beating North Harbour in the men’s division to win in their home pool.

The Waitakere Blue Devils after winning the 2015 National League in their home pool at West Wave

West Wave will host a variety of games at Pan Pacs 2016 across the ages. Check out their website here.

Don't forget to use the hashtags #PPAuckland2016 and #PanPacs2016 so we can see your team's journey to Auckland this July.