It’s been a busy six months for Queensland’s newest water polo association, Cairns Water Polo. Having competed in their first tournament, the 2018 Queensland Country Championships, the Far North association have now put together a bid to host the 2019 tournament.
The Cairns Reef Sharks were one of 12 teams that recently travelled to Townsville for the regional competition generating an estimated $409,000 for the local economy over the three days.
An estimated 230 competitors will take part in the 2019 Queensland Country Championships in early February. For the young region, it will be a great opportunity to compete in home waters in front of family, friends and a parochial home crowd.
“We put in a lot of work to compete in Townsville and both teams had a fantastic time. We all came away wanting more! The next challenge for us is hosting the event and we couldn’t think of a better time to put our hands up and say we want to host the 2019 Queensland Country Championships. We hope we can welcome the regions to Cairns next year!” said Jesse O’Hara, President, Cairns Water Polo.
It was a successful Championships for Cairns as athletes were selected to represent Queensland at the upcoming Australian Country Championships, whilst junior athletes have been included in the U14 Queensland Country girls team for the upcoming Club Nationals.
“We’ve seen Cairns Water Polo grow rapidly over the past few months and there is clearly an appetite for the sport here in the Far North. There are fantastic facilities across the city that are now supporting this demand and we hope to see this continue to ensure the sport is accessible no matter where you are located across the region. When we assess a bid, we not only look at the facilities and capacity of the region to host the three-day tournament but also the legacy the Queensland Country Championships can have in supporting the continued growth of the game.” said Robert Donaghue, Chief Executive Officer, Water Polo Queensland.
The host region for the 2019 Queensland Country Championships will be announced in the coming months.