Bushrangers’ deep desire for progress
THEY may seem to be just a rag-tag bunch of regional water polo players, but the Queensland Bushrangers are blazing a trail for the next generation.
The team, made up of players from Cairns, Townsville, Mackay, Rockhampton, Toowoomba and the Sunshine Coast, is competing in the Water Polo Queensland Premier League.
Cairns players in the squad include Sean Spring, Ryan Barton, Jesse O’Hara and Marijn Kerkhoven, while Water Polo Queensland development officer Camille Reed is the coach.
Reed said the team was established to provide an elite pathway for the state’s regional water polo players, with an aim to help bridge the gap between them and their metropolitan counterparts.
“The (WPQ) Premier League was established last year and so this year I proposed the inclusion of a regional composite side to showcase the talent that we had in the regions and provide
an elite pathway for our regional players, which previously didn’t exist,” Reed said.
“It was quite limiting for our regional players to only have a pathway to the Australian Country Championships, which doesn’t seek them representation in the national league or the national team, as you must compete in the national league to be selected.
“This was just the next step. The natural progression was forming this team to mutually supporting our neighbouring regions and provide a pathway for those who are capable.”
Spring, who moved to the Far North from Melbourne four years ago, said being a part of the inaugural Bushrangers
team was a great experience.
“It’s a great opportunity for regional water polo, just creating pathways for younger kids to have something to aim for,” he said.
“Coming from a city where everything’s developed and established and coming to the regions where it really does rely on community support and has a much closer, friendlier vibe to it.
“It’s a great thing to build up and be a part of.”
Reed said it was “just the beginning” of a new era for regional water polo, with the team already looking at ways to bring in younger development players next season.
“The Bushrangers isn’t about just a team, it’s about all
the regions that feed into that team and growing and developing regional water polo,” she said.
“There has to be some ownership from the players – it’s their pathway, if they want it, they’ve got to own it and nurture it.”
The Bushrangers didn’t take long to prove they were not making up the numbers, bouncing back from a firstround loss to Kawana Wolves to defeat the Gold Coast in round two.
They will be back in action this Sunday, taking on Carina League Warriors at 11.15am and North Brisbane Polo Bears at 4.15pm.
The WPQ Premier League is being livestreamed on the Cairns Post website.
HERE HAS TO BE SOME OWNERSHIP FROM THE PLAYERS – IT’S THEIR PATHWAY, IF THEY WANT IT, THEY’VE GOT TO OWN IT AND NURTURE IT. WATER POLO QLD DEVELOPMENT OFFICER CAMILLE REED