Membership - FAQs

What do registration fees cover?

Member registration with Water Polo Australia, Water Polo NSW and Cronulla Water Polo, insurance coverage, coaching and refereeing, Summer metro competition entry fees, club and team equipment (eg balls, caps, goals, scoreboards, game day items), pool hire for training and games, and club overheads (eg accounting, software, insurance, repairs & maintenance).

What do registration fees not cover?

Pool entry for games or training, costs for State, AYC and other tournaments, event tickets (eg Presentation Night), Winter competition, club uniform items.

How are fees set? 

Fees are set for each playing category based on the expected cost for that group to enter and play each season, which changes every year. The club also uses the expected resources each team or grade will use throughout the year (eg coaching, pool space), as well as coverage for the club overhead expenditure and equipment purchases. The club operates as a 'not-for-profit', and 100% of surplus funds go back into club development.

Why make a tax deductible donation?

A key part of making registrations as affordable as possible is the ability for members (and families) to make a tax-deductible donation through the Australian Sports Foundation (ASF) when completing their registration.

• The more members donate, the lower we can keep fees for everyone.
• Because donations are tax deductible, many members actually end up with more in their pocket compared to paying higher fees.
• All donations go directly to the club- new equipment, facility improvements, member education programs, and a hardship fund for those doing it tough.

How does the payment plan work?

Payment plans are available to members wishing to pay their fees over four monthly instalments.

To sign up for a Payment Plan, just select the Payment Plan category when registering. You will be required to pay the first instalment at the point of registration, which will also include mandatory affiliation costs to Water Polo NSW and Water Polo Australia. 

The remaining 3 instalments will be deducted from the credit/debit card used at the point of registration.

Please note that payment plans incur a $25 administration fee. 

What does no pay, no play mean?

Any players with outstanding fees from previous seasons will not be allowed to play water polo for Cronulla (or any other club) until all outstanding fees are paid. 

How can I use an Active Kids Voucher?

Active Kids Vouchers can be claimed at the point of registration by entering your AKV number into the field provided. If you have any issues, please contact the club for assistance. 

What are the registration categories?

When are the trials / team selections?

Team selections will be completed by coaches based on attendance to team trials and final registration numbers, prior to the competition start date. Coaches are entitled and supported to rotate players between A & B teams or across Grades per WPNSW competition rules. 

When are the Summer competition dates?

Division 1: 11 October - 13 December and 17 January - 21 March
Division 2: 7/8 October - 16/17 December and 20/21 January - 24/25 March
Juniors: 12 October - 14 December and 21 January - 22 March
U12s: 12 & 26 October, 9 & 23 November, 1 & 22 February, 1 & 22 March.

Further details can be found on the WPNSW website.

What club uniform items do I need?

Mandatory uniform items include Club Cossie and Club Polo. Please note: Registration does NOT include club uniform. Uniform sizes are captured at the time of registration to assist with inventory sizing management. 

For new players, a merchandise bundle including club cossie and club polo is available as an 'add-on' at the time of registration. 

Additional apparel options (e.g. shorts, hoodies, backpacks and mroe) are available on the Online Shop. 

Why do parent/guardians have to register?

As a requirement of both Water Polo NSW and Water Polo Australia, at least one parent or guardian must register as a Supporter/Official ($0) with the club. This enables us to 'link' your accounts and is in line with child protection best practice, ensuring we provide a safe playing environment for our junior players.

We also encourage other friends and family to register as a Supporter/Official to stay up to date with all the latest news and events, as well as grow our membership base and improve our sponsorship offering. 

Why should I play for Cronulla?

The Cronulla Sutherland Water Polo Club is one of the most successful clubs in Australia and prides itself on Integrity, Excellence and Belonging. In addition to the high-quality training and competition available to our members, our Club offers a genuinely welcoming sense of community. For us, water polo is more than just competing in sport. It is a channel to fitness, a sense of community, education, travel and friends for life. We are embodied by our unofficial mottos "sharks never stop" and "once a shark, always a shark". We are fueled by the salt, surf and sun. While there are many beautiful pools in the world, none compete with our spiritual home of Gunnamatta Bay. 

Can I join Cronulla if I'm new to water polo?

Cronulla Sutherland Water Polo Club is a representative club that competes in the Water Polo NSW and Water Polo Australia competitions. While new players are welcome, the standard of competition is generally a bit advanced for first-time players. If you're looking to get into water polo for the first time we recommend checking out Gunnamatta Water Polo. 

What is Gunnamatta Water Polo?

Gunnamatta Water Polo is a subset of Cronulla Sutherland Water Polo that does not compete in the Water Polo NSW or Water Polo Australia competitions. While primarily a feeder club for people new to the sport (e.g. U8s-U16s) Gunnamatta also offers a less serious competition through the Sutherland Shire Water Polo Association which includes an all-age competition. 

What is Foundation?

Foundation is Cronulla's program for players entering the Water Polo NSW U12 competition. Games are played less frequently throughout the year (eg every 2 weekends). Home Games are played at our home pools of Sutherland Leisure Centre. The objective of the Foundation program is to give top performing junior players an opportunity to play in the WPNSW competition, and prepare them for future growth in the Academy.

What is Academy?

Academy (or Juniors) is Cronulla's program for players aged 13-18. Players train and play water polo in teams according to their age (U14s, U16s & U18s). Games are played on Sunday afternoons across metropolitan Sydney. Home Games are played at our home pools of Sutherland Leisure Centre and Gunnamatta Park. The objective of the Academy program is to help develop our junior members into great people and as a result great water polo players, preparing them for whichever path they want to take for their water polo journey - whether it be social, competitive or high performance. 

What is Grade?

Grade (or Seniors) is Cronulla's open-age program. Players train and play water polo in teams according to their ability and experience. Division 1 teams (1st, 2nd, 3rd Grade) play on Saturday afternoons, whilst Division 2 teams (4th, 5th, 6th Grade) play on Tuesday evenings (Men) and Wednesday evenings (Women). Division 1 competitions are relatively more competitive with a higher standard of water polo than Division 2 competitions. Players generally begin playing Grade around the age of 15-16, or once they are no longer eligible for the Academy program. Division 2 is a fantastic way for Academy players to develop their skills if they are pushing for representative teams. Division 1 is the next step for the top level Division 2 players ready to take the next step. For all teams, games are played across metropolitan Sydney, with home games played at our home pools of Sutherland Leisure Centre and Gunnamatta Park. 

What is AWL? 

The Australian Water Polo League (AWL) is Australia’s premier domestic water polo competition. It features the country’s top men's and women's teams competing in a national home-and-away format. The AWL provides vital opportunities for elite athletes, including members of the national squads (Aussie Sharks and Stingers), as well as emerging talent aiming for international selection. Teams represent clubs from across Australia with some clubs welcoming international players to create a high-quality and highly competitive environment. AWL runs between January and April each year, with Cronulla entering both a Mens and Womens team. Cronulla has a proud history in the AWL (and its predecessor National League) with multiple championship titles to our club's name.

Can I play both Academy & Grade?

Yes - We generally recommend players entering their second year of U16 Academy to consider playing in a Division 2 team (i.e 4th, 5th, 6th Grade) as well as their Academy team. By playing Division 2, juniors will play with and against more senior players and begin developing new water polo skills. This will better prepare them for more senior competitions, including U18s, Division 1 and National League. Whilst playing both Academy & Grade does mean playing an additional game each week, training loads will not be increased for Division 2 players. For players in U18s, or top level U16s, we recommend considering playing in a Division 2 or Division 1 team as well as an Academy team. Division 1 teams will generally train separately and it would be expected that players attend all training sessions. 

Other questions?

If you have any other questions please contact the club.