Brisbane Metropolitan Junior Competition

RiverCity will be competing in the Brisbane Metropolitan Junior Competition - Term 4 2024 and Term 1 2025 - operated by Water Polo Queensland.

The following is Water Polo Queensland's description of the competition:

The Brisbane Metropolitan Water Polo Junior Competition (BMJC) will be scheduled to be held across numerous South-East Queensland venues throughout Terms 4 & 1 in 2025 & 2026, catering for athletes aged from 8 to 18 years of age within 7 age group categories. The competition expects to cater for 21 affiliated Schools and Clubs encompassing over 2,500 competitors.

BMJC Competition will focus around the U12 - U18 age groups with different divisions to cater for competitive, social, and beginner athletes. The purpose of multiple divisions is to ensure that the teams are participating against teams of similar ability, for a more closely contested competition and an enhanced development experience for the athletes

Details of the new competition can be found on Water Polo Queensland’s website.

As always, RiverCity’s philosophy and values remain:

• Passionate advocates for water polo.

• Emphasis on fun and friendships in community sport.

• Committed to supporting every player’s unique water polo journey and goals, from recreational to elite.

• Supporting athletes to play with their school and club friends.

• Providing young athletes with every opportunity for success through an excellent coaching team with unparalleled coaching and playing experience.

• Success reflected in local competition achievements and selections at state, national, and international levels.

Pre-season information

Player eligibility

The Brisbane Metro Water Polo Competition has defined the following age divisions:

Additionally Water Polo Queensland has further set down that any player may play a maximum of three (3) games per round, across both school and clubs.

Player Participation and Fill-In Rules (BMJC 2025/26)

• Games per weekend: Athletes can appear on up to 3 team lists and play a maximum of 3 games per weekend.
• One game per age group: Players may only play one game per week in each age group. They can play in additional age groups if they meet age eligibility.
  • Example: A 2012-born athlete could play one game in U14, one in U15, and one in U16, but not two games in U14 (even if in different divisions).

Fill-In Players

• Allowed only if a team has 9 or fewer listed athletes for a fixture.
• Maximum of 3 fill-in athletes, and total players on the scorecard must not exceed 10.
• Fill-ins must come from different age groups (never the same age group, even with a bye).
• U12 special rules:
  
  • Lower division U12 players may fill in for higher divisions (with WPQ approval).
  • Higher division U12 players cannot fill in for lower divisions.
  • Clubs/schools must email the BMJC Competition Manager for prior approval.
  • Fill-in games do not make the athlete part of that team’s list and do not count toward their season tally.

Come and Try

RiverCity regularly hosts Come & Try sessions for anyone new to the sport. These sessions are a relaxed and supportive way to give water polo a go, guided by our friendly coaches alongside other beginners. It’s a fun, low-pressure introduction to a fantastic game.

If you’re curious but not quite sure, reach out to us at info@rivercitywaterpolo.com — we’ll be happy to help you get started.

Swimming fitness

Water polo is a swimming sport, and RiverCity encourages all players to have the best swimming fitness they can to get the most enjoyment from the sport.

RiverCity players are provided two water polo training sessions a week with their team and coach. However to maximise fitness RiverCity recommends players consider also engaging in pre-season “winter” training, and regular squad swimming.

Fees

Fees for RiverCity teams for the Brisbane Metropolitan Junior Competition are as follows:

These fees are all inclusive - i.e. include training, pool entry, coaching, equipment, awards, end of season break up party...etc.

Pre-season early bird registration options available - Attach your Queensland Government $200 FairPlay voucher or be invoiced $200 towards trials and your summer fees. Upon signing up for summer we will credit $245 towards your summer fees for early bird registration. (FairPlay Vouchers are still available to all Queensland residents and are non means tested)

Registration

Registration is at https://www.rivercitywaterpolo.com/registration, and to play the Brisbane Metropolitan Junior Competition requires Water Polo Queensland Platinum membership, which is $203. RiverCity do not charge any additional membership fees.

Uniforms

Togs still fit? Swimcap about to break? Now is a good time to start preparing your kit for the start of the season.

From the essentials of togs and a cap, to towels, shirts, shorts, hats, hoodies, and more the RiverCity shop has you covered.

We have a number of items in stock in the Poolside Shop, or you can order for direct delivery from Delfina at https://www.delfinasport.com/collections/river-city.

Any questions please contact Danielle at uniforms@rivercitywaterpolo.com who will be happy to help you.

Training

Two training sessions are provided per week for RiverCity teams playing in the Brisbane Metro Water Polo Competition.

Exact training times for various age groups are to be confirmed, but will broadly be:

Communication

The RiverCity team will endeavour to keep you up to date with developments.

The best way to stay informed is to register your interest in the summer season with RiverCity. Regular updates of all important information will be emailed to the player’s registered email address.

We also have a club WhatsApp Community, with dedicated groups for teams and competitions, and general announcements. Please contact info@rivercitywaterpolo.com to join.

We will also post details on our website at www.rivercitywaterpolo.com and on our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/rivercitywaterpolo/ - it is worth following!

Representative Pathways

We are committed to providing the best opportunities for young players to develop and excel, and key avenues for this are the Australian Youth Championships (AYC) and Queensland State Titles.

AYC is the peak selection event for Australian junior squads and provides the opportunity to test yourself against many of the best players/clubs in the country, while the Queensland State Titles is the key selection event for State squads.

RiverCity plans to field teams in both of these competitions to showcase and develop our players.

Coaching

RiverCity encourages and supports anyone interested in coaching water polo, particularly junior players, to get involved. Coaching is a great opportunity to give back to the sport and community, and through training, mentoring, and experience allows you to develop skills and a deeper knowledge and appreciation of the sport.

If you’re interested in coaching please contact Trish at development@rivercitywaterpolo.com to find out more.

Referee Programme

Officials are crucial to any sport, and refereeing is a great way to learn about the sport, develop as a player, and get involved.

RiverCity is committed to helping to train, mentor, and develop referees from community grassroots levels, all the way to elite referees.

If you are interested in refereeing, please contact info@rivercitywaterpolo.com and we’ll help you on your refereeing journey.

Parent support

Beyond cheering from the stands, players’ families play an important role in RiverCity teams.

Team Managers

Every team in the competition requires a team manager, usually filled by a parent of one of the team’s players.

It is not a difficult role, but it is crucial. Duties include

• Communication: Manage the team’s WhatsApp group, coordinate between the team, club, and families.
• Game Duties: Organize officials, manage caps, verify scorecards, assist the coach, and enter results.
• Player & Social Management: Arrange substitutes, plan social events, and handle coach gifts.

More detail is in our Team Manager Guide in the Info Hub menu above.

Table Officials

Each participating team must supply a minimum of one accredited Table Official for their own match. Combined with a Table Official from the opposing team they will fulfil the Secretary and Timekeeper roles for the game.

These roles are not difficult but do require some training and preparation. A free training course with basic accreditation is available in the Water Polo Learning Centre at https://www.waterpoloaustralia.com.au/learn/learn-table-officials.

Please complete this course to increase your understanding of the game. It will genuinely increase your appreciation and enjoyment of the game, and help you share in your player's experience. It also helps spread table duty more fairly across the team and creates backups, rather than always relying on a few parents.

For those that have completed the training, but are not confident, a great way to gain experience is to sit alongside an experienced table official for a game. The pool officials, referees, and other table officials are very welcoming and helpful, and it is a great way to learn more about the game.

More detail is on our Table Duty page under the Info Hub menu above.

Contacts

If you have any questions about the season, please reach out - we’re happy to help. Please use the contact item in the menu above, or refer to our Committee and Volunteers page for contact details for specific roles.