Kate Farquhar (9) is one of several Tamworth players in Brisbane this week for the National U16 water polo championships. She’s pictured here in action in the Southgate Inn Carnival against Hunter, who she will be playing for at the nationals. Photo: Grant Robertson 230912GRA01
TAMWORTH players will take to the water with Hunter players as the Hurricanes in Brisbane this week for the National U16 Boys and Girls’ Club Water Polo Championships.
Nathan Pyne, Morgan Rowbottom, Emily Grellman, Katie Robinson, Mitch Salter, Max Colby, Jack Mihell, Harry Mihell and Katie and Laura Farquhar will all represent the Hunter Hurricanes in the championships commencing today.
Laarn White has also linked up with the Sydney Northern Beaches boys’ team.
The championships will involve over 700 juniors and 54 teams from 23 clubs and seven different states.
The Hurricanes will field four sides, with two in each the boys and girls’ competitions.
Pyne will play for the Hunter Blues boys, and Salter, Colby and Jack and Harry Mihell the Greys boys, while Rowbottom, Grellman and Robinson are in the Blues girls, and the Farquhar sisters the Greys girls.
Former Tamworth players Philly Patterson and Marlee Byrnes are also in the Blues and Kelcee Byrnes the Greys.
Grellman is the only of one the Tamworth group who competed last year but she played with UNSW West then.
But from that, she did make the Australian squad.
She’ll be hoping to keep her spot with the National 1996-born squads to be announced after the championships.
The Hunter sides will carry high expectations after both the Blues sides made the finals last year.
The Tamworth players have been travelling down to Newcastle for training just about every weekend.
They’ve also had a few weekends away for warm-up games.
Two weeks ago the Blues teams contested the Canberra Cup where they played up a division higher – U17s – and did well, with the girls taking it out and the boys finishing third.
The weekend prior to that the two boys’ sides played in a boys’ tournament on the Sunshine Coast.
The Blue boys have been drawn in Group C with Adelaide Jets, Cronulla Black, KFC Breakers Red, Melville Saints, Sunshine Coast Gold and Tasmania.
The Greys will play in Group D against ACT Fins, Cronulla Blue, Drummoyne, Melbourne Collegians and UWA Torpedoes Green.
Both the girls’ sides are in the same groups as the boys.
The Blues have All Hallows A, Cronulla Black, KFC Breakers, Melbourne Collegians, Ovens & Murray and UNSW Killer Whales Black in their group, while in Group D with the Greys is ACT Fins, Barracudas Cudas, Dolphins, Drummoyne Red, Stuartholme Red and UNSW Killer Whales Yellow.
They open their campaign against Drummoyne and the Blue girls Ovens & Murray, while the Grey boys play Melbourne Collegians and the Blues Cronulla.