How Australia can harness home support in lead up to Brisbane 2032

Water Polo Australia is eager to leverage the success of the recent World Cup finals in Sydney, viewing it as a strong indicator of Australia's readiness to host additional global aquatic events in the lead-up to the 2032 Brisbane Olympic Games. The eight-team World Cup finals, held over five days at the Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre, marked the return of a major international water polo event to the city for the first time since the 2000 Olympics.

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To have a whole pool full of our friends and family, and the water polo community, it's really special … this is such a huge part of our careers and something that we'll never forget.

The Australian Stingers secured an impressive bronze medal, building on their silver medal performance at the Paris Olympics. This success has solidified their status as a highly popular and supported national team. Simultaneously, the Sharks achieved a commendable fourth-place finish, notably defeating world champions Spain in a dramatic penalty shootout during the quarterfinals. This performance underscores their development as a team with genuine medal aspirations for the 2032 Games.

Beyond the athletic achievements, the event drew over 10,000 spectators across the five days, creating a vibrant atmosphere at the former Olympic venue. The players expressed deep appreciation for the home crowd's impact. "To have a whole pool full of our friends and family, and the water polo community, it's really special… this is such a huge part of our careers and something that we'll never forget," said Sienna Hearn, reflecting on the semifinal loss. She added that the atmosphere in Sydney motivated them to strive even harder for their supporters.

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Any game on home soil is unreal. But then to win a medal, at a world event, on home soil is just phenomenal. The crowd was epic, they got us through the game, we stayed in it, we got the result and I couldn't be prouder of the girls.

Bronte Halligan highlighted the crucial role of home support in the Stingers' comeback victory for the bronze medal. "Any game on home soil is unreal. But then to win a medal, at a world event, on home soil is just phenomenal," she stated. "The crowd was epic, they got us through the game, we stayed in it, we got the result and I couldn't be prouder of the girls." Head coach Bec Rippon echoed these sentiments, describing the crowd as "amazing." She noted the rarity of such opportunities for the team, emphasizing that playing under pressure with a home crowd provides invaluable experience that cannot be bought. "We have such a privilege of going overseas and playing in front of other nations' home crowds, so it was really amazing to be able to do that for our fans, friends and family here tonight who follow us all over the world," Rippon added.

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We don't get many opportunities to play in these big moments, and for this team the semifinal the other day was only the second ever semifinal that we've played in. So to have opportunities like this, under pressure, with a crowd, you can't buy that kind of experience.

Water Polo Australia chief executive Tim Welsford expressed his organization's strong desire to capitalize on this home-crowd advantage over the next six years and beyond. "We were really keen to make sure we leveraged the home crowd advantage," Welsford told ABC Sport the day after the tournament, his voice still hoarse from cheering.

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We have such a privilege of going overseas and playing in front of other nations' home crowds, so it was really amazing to be able to do that for our fans, friends and family here tonight who follow us all over the world.