{"id":815186,"date":"2026-07-21T21:42:30","date_gmt":"2026-07-21T21:42:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/815186\/"},"modified":"2026-07-21T21:42:30","modified_gmt":"2026-07-21T21:42:30","slug":"how-the-australian-stingers-womens-water-polo-team-gains-strength-through-bonds-of-friendship","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/815186\/","title":{"rendered":"How the Australian Stingers women’s water polo team gains strength through bonds of friendship"},"content":{"rendered":"

They say the truest test of a team’s culture is what they do away from the glare of public scrutiny.<\/p>\n

How they show their respect for each other, those little moments unseen by the public and imperceptible until you see it with your own eyes.<\/p>\n

At St Rita’s College, a week out from the World Aquatics World Cup Finals, which get underway in Sydney on Wednesday, the Australian women’s water polo team, the Stingers, delivered one of those little moments that underline why they epitomise everything great about sport \u2014 to be revealed in a moment.<\/p>\n

Water polo is not one of the nation’s bigger sports, which is why it so often slides under the radar of many fans.<\/p>\n

But at the Paris Olympics of 2024, the public could not help but be carried along in the eddies of success and enthusiasm as the Stingers smiled their way to a sensational silver medal, the best result by any Australian team at those Games.<\/p>\n

\"Australia's<\/p>\n

Australia won a superb silver medal in Paris, their best Olympic result in 24 years. (Getty Images: Andy Cheung)<\/p>\n

“At the Paris Olympics, because we got that silver medal, it kind of brought the whole of Australia on board with how close we are as a team,” Tilly Kearns told ABC Sport during the team’s staging camp in Brisbane.<\/p>\n

“It made everyone kind of see that special connection that we have.”<\/p>\n

Stingers meet success and failure with the same, indomitable spirit<\/a><\/p>\n

How you respond to missing out is just as important as how you respond to success. On that measure alone, these Aussie Stingers are true champions.\u00a0<\/p>\n

That special connection could have been strained to breaking point.<\/p>\n

The Stingers not only had to embrace the general chaos of an Olympic tournament that was as fiercely competitive as any in history, but did so while negotiating a COVID outbreak pre-Games that had the potential to derail their campaign.<\/p>\n

Such an injustice could have shattered the carefully cultivated bonds of any team. But not these Stingers.<\/p>\n

“I think what’s so cool about our team is our connection and the culture that we’ve built,” Abby Andrews told ABC Sport.<\/p>\n

“That tournament in Paris was so up and down; we had so many highs together \u2026 I think we were playing to the best of our ability and we were lifting each other as a team.”<\/p>\n

\"Bronte<\/p>\n

Paris silver stung for a minute, but the smiles were never far from the Stingers’ faces. (Getty Images: RvS.Media\/Monika Majer)<\/p>\n

Bronte Halligan, the team’s captain, said the connection was built on a genuine shared love of their sport.<\/p>\n

“We just love what we do,” she said.<\/p>\n

“We’re so passionate about what we do, and we have such a great bunch that enjoys being together day-in, day-out and working hard together. I think that’s the key.<\/p>\n

“We play a hard sport. Every sport is tough, but our sport particularly. You’ve got people jumping on you, pulling you down, drowning you in the water.<\/p>\n

“But you find the fun in the moments, and we just laugh, and we smile, and when you see a teammate giggling about something in the pool, even though you’re working as hard as you can and you just want to get out and go home, you think, yeah, this is why I love being here.<\/p>\n

“This is what’s awesome about this group, we can do that, we can have a smile in those really tough moments.<\/p>\n

“I think that’s so precious and I hope that never leaves the team.”<\/p>\n

‘Authentic’ Stingers\"Members<\/p>\n

The Stingers are a tight bunch. (Getty Images: Quinn Rooney)<\/p>\n

Australia is hosting the World Aquatics Water Polo World Cup Finals for the first time at the Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre this week.<\/p>\n

Eight of the world’s top teams \u2014 including a Russian side, competing for the first time on Australian soil<\/a> since their international exile was controversially ended by World Aquatics in April<\/a> \u2014 are set to duke it out.<\/p>\n

The Stingers open their campaign against Italy on Wednesday at 6:30pm AEST.<\/p>\n

There is a chance that Australia could meet Spain, the team that beat Australia to gold at the Paris Olympics in 2024, later in the competition.<\/p>\n

There, the Aussies suffered the uniquely bittersweet heartbreak of winning a silver medal at a major tournament.<\/p>\n

Standing on that podium alongside gold medallists Spain and bronze medallists the Netherlands, both revelling in the euphoria of their victories that day, the Stingers had to juggle the success of a silver medal with the leaden-hearted feeling of defeat.<\/p>\n

They did so with lion-hearted stoicism, staring down their anguish to embrace triumph \u2014 a testament to their togetherness.<\/p>\n

\"Abby<\/p>\n

The Stingers hope to inspire others with their success and their togetherness. \u00a0 (Getty Images: Adam Pretty)<\/p>\n

“I think that stuff’s hard to manufacture,” Kearns told the ABC.<\/p>\n

“It’s authentic, and it’s really us.<\/p>\n

“I started playing water polo for the friendship aspect and still, to this day \u2014 I’m almost 26 now \u2014 the reason why I’m still playing is because of my teammates and especially my Aussie Stingers teammates; they’re just the best.<\/p>\n

“I truly love them so much.”<\/p>\n

Talk is cheap, they say, but you don’t have to spend long in the company of the team to realise that they truly live by the ideals they espouse.<\/p>\n

One of the newest members of the team, 17-year-old student Bless Daly, was the last to give an interview to ABC Sport following the Stingers’ training session in Brisbane.<\/p>\n

While the teenage sporting prodigy \u2014 more than adept at hockey, softball and tennis as well as swimming and water polo \u2014 spoke to the ABC, her more senior teammates, obligations over, milled around the pool deck, waiting for her to finish, so she wouldn’t have to make her way to lunch on her own.<\/p>\n

It’s a small thing, tiny in the overall scheme, but a moment that perfectly illustrated their togetherness.<\/p>\n

\"Tilly<\/p>\n

Tilly Kearns is one of Australia’s most powerful shooters. (Supplied)<\/p>\n

“Bless is doing just such an amazing job,” Kearns said of her young teammate.<\/p>\n

“She just fits our vibe so perfectly as Aussie Stingers; she gets in there and has a laugh and works hard when she’s in the pool.”<\/p>\n

Daly, for her part, is desperately soaking up all the knowledge her experienced teammates \u2014 10 of the 15 squad members won silver in Paris \u2014 can give her.<\/p>\n

“This group of girls is so supportive \u2026 They have your back through thick and thin,” she said.<\/p>\n

“I think when you see it outside of the pool and outside of the group, you don’t quite understand the culture, but stepping into it, it’s honestly amazing.<\/p>\n

“It’s something that’s so cool and so special, and I think being a part of it is something I’ve always dreamed of.”<\/p>\n

Stingers performing at apex of the sport\"Abby<\/p>\n

Abby Andrews was named MVP in the Champions League, which she won with Olympiacos. (Supplied: Instagram)<\/p>\n

Daly slots into a squad brimming with talent.<\/p>\n

Halligan recently won her fifth-straight Italian Serie A title for Ekipe Orizonte, while Kearns claimed the Spanish league crown with Matar\u00f3.<\/p>\n

Andrews is fresh off winning the LEN Champions League title with Greek club Olympiacos<\/a>, while fellow Aussies Alice Williams and Kearns also played in the exclusive and prestigious Final Four tournament for Barcelona-based teams Sant Andreu and Matar\u00f3, respectively.<\/p>\n

“Every time \u2014 I mean every time \u2014 we’re having a big game, there’s always another Aussie in the other team,” Kearns said with a beaming smile.<\/p>\n

“In the semifinal and third place game in the Champions League, I was playing against my teammates, my Aussie Stingers teammates.<\/p>\n

“I’m so close to them; they’re my sisters and, at the end of the day, we lost both games, but they won, and that was just \u2014 I was stoked for them.<\/p>\n

“And Abby, winning MVP, all of us Aussies were just so insanely proud of her, and same with the others that were there.”<\/p>\n

How this Champions League winner aims to ignite Stingers<\/a><\/p>\n

Winning the Champions League with Greek giants Olympiacos was “one of the coolest moments” of Abby Andrews’s life. She wants to use that experience to push the Stingers to the next level.<\/p>\n

Having her players excel at the pinnacle of the sport is all part of the plan for Bec Rippon, the Olympic medal-winning coach.<\/p>\n

“Those players are playing in some amazing European clubs, and they’ve really earned the right to do that,” Rippon said.<\/p>\n

“And it’s exciting to watch them go and be outstanding ambassadors for us and great players in those leagues.<\/p>\n

“When they get together from all the different places, wherever they are, overseas or in Australia \u2026 how do we bring all of that knowledge together and all of that experience together?<\/p>\n

“It’s great having them everywhere, but it also presents a bit of a challenge in terms of building a team.<\/p>\n

“That’s a challenge I’m happy to have, because we’ve got amazing players.”<\/p>\n

\"Bec<\/p>\n

Coach Bec Rippon is intensely proud of her squad. (Supplied: Zac Hudson)<\/p>\n

Playing on different teams, often against each other in such a fiercely competitive and physical sport as water polo, could also pose a problem to some groups. But not these Stingers.<\/p>\n

“Look, they’re competitive with each other, but they actually care a lot about each other, which is something that we value a lot in the team,” Rippon said with obvious pride.<\/p>\n

“We’re trying to create a team that really lifts each other, not through just trying to tell each other that they’re good, but genuinely supporting each other when it’s tough.<\/p>\n

“I just love seeing them get around each other.”<\/p>\n

\"Alice<\/p>\n

Alice Williams also played in the Champions League Final Four this year. (Getty Images: Dean Mouhtaropoulos)<\/p>\n

And it is clearly not for show. Even a cursory glance across social media posts from these athletes reveals heartfelt messages of support.<\/p>\n

“I think you just want to celebrate your teammates’ wins, even if that’s not your own team,” Hannigan said.<\/p>\n

“It’s not just about winning though. We want to put ourselves in really tough competition that gets us better day-in, day-out to be the best in the national team.<\/p>\n

“I’m so proud of all the girls, overseas and in Australia.<\/p>\n

“So the girls in Spain, myself in Italy, other girls in Italy, there’s girls in Greece, there’s girls over in America playing in the college system, and then there’s the Australian League; I think all of that combines together, and we’re playing at the highest level ever now.<\/p>\n

“All the girls [in the squad] are up in the top one, two, three teams of every league in every season.<\/p>\n

“I think that that’s the most important thing, putting ourselves in really high quality competition which means that then we can perform on the big stage when we come together. I think that’s a great thing.”<\/p>\n

Now attention turns to the biggest tournament to take place in Sydney since the Olympic Games in 2000.<\/p>\n

‘I couldn’t be more blessed to play for an Australian women’s team’\"Bronte<\/p>\n

Bronte Halligan is thrilled to be captaining the team in her home pool. (Getty Images: Quinn Rooney)<\/p>\n

Challenging for a medal will, of course, be the biggest litmus test of whether this team is building successfully towards the LA Games of 2028.<\/p>\n

But for Kearns, the way they do it is just as important.<\/p>\n

“What I really love about us is, sure, we’re performing, and we’re scoring goals and doing all the right things in the pool, but the fact is that we’re doing it with smiles on our faces,” Kearns said.<\/p>\n

“We just respect each other so much and push each other and work hard for each other.<\/p>\n

“I think it sets such a great example.”<\/p>\n

\"Tilly<\/p>\n

Water polo can be a physically testing sport. (Getty Images: Adam Pretty)<\/p>\n

It’s an example that Kearns said will, hopefully, drive others to follow in their footsteps.<\/p>\n

“I love talking to the girls and all the kids that are coming to watch afterwards because I remember when I was their age, and I was the kid with a pen and paper chasing signatures.<\/p>\n

“I didn’t even know the girls’ names, but I didn’t care; I saw they were wearing green and gold, so I wanted a signature.<\/p>\n

“And now I’m playing with players like Bronte, and I still have a little poster that I had her sign when I was young, and now we’re teammates.<\/p>\n

“So hopefully, maybe one day, one of those girls will be in the mix with me and with us.<\/p>\n

“To be on home soil and playing in front of them is great, but also to invite them into our special team, to give people insights into truly how special the culture is here and hopefully put up some good water polo is really exciting.”<\/p>\n

\"Bec<\/p>\n

Bec Rippon and Bronte Halligan will lead the Stingers at the Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre. (Supplied: Zac Hudson)<\/p>\n

Halligan agreed.<\/p>\n

“I think this is what it’s about. It’s about creating a fun, exciting game that people want to watch,” she said.<\/p>\n

“And if we can do that, then we’re creating a community around us that wants to be a part of our story, that wants to be a part of our journey.<\/p>\n

“I think there’s just so much joy in the water and there’s joy to be a part of it.<\/p>\n

ABC Sport Daily podcast<\/a><\/p>\n

ABC Sport Daily is your daily sports conversation. We dive into the biggest story of the day and get you up to speed with everything else that’s making headlines.<\/p>\n

The end goal for the current squad is the Los Angeles Olympic Games, where they will once again strive for a medal.<\/p>\n

But the captain acknowledged there is a bigger picture.<\/p>\n

“Yes, we’re building for LA and LA is the end goal for this group, but you’ve got to enjoy it every day. If you don’t enjoy it, then there’s no point in being there,” she said.<\/p>\n

“We bring that joy and that fun in the water. And if you can do that and do it in a way that you’re competing with the best in the world, then I think that’s a phenomenal thing, and I think that’s what this group is really doing at the moment.<\/p>\n

“I think we started that in Paris and we’re building on that momentum.<\/p>\n

‘When we get these opportunities on home soil \u2026 that’s what creates the real excitement and momentum behind us. We feel it, and we love it.<\/p>\n

“Australian culture is really getting behind women in sport now.<\/p>\n

“I don’t want to leave ever \u2026 it’s so great, and I couldn’t be more blessed to be an Australian and to play for an Australian women’s team.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"They say the truest test of a team’s culture is what they do away from the glare of…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":815187,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[388882,64,63,390626,390627,85,375248,388884,390625,107733,388883,317858],"class_list":["post-815186","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-sports","tag-abby-andrews","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-bec-rippon","tag-bronte-halligan","tag-sports","tag-stingers","tag-sydney-world-cup","tag-tilly-kearns","tag-water-polo","tag-water-polo-world-cup","tag-world-aquatics"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/815186","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=815186"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/815186\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/815187"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=815186"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=815186"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=815186"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}