02/09/2026
FLUIDRA AUSTRALIA CUP IS BACK FOR 2026
From a bold idea three years ago to a tournament now generating more than 1.8 MILLION digital views, the Fluidra Australia Cup is quickly establishing itself as an exciting addition to the Aussie water polo calendar.
📍 Australian Institute of Sport, Canberra
📅 December 16–20, 2026
🤽 Open Men’s & Women’s
🌏 Teams from Australia & New Zealand
🏆 Maximum 12 men’s & 12 women’s teams
The Canberra Water Polo Academy (CWPA) created event was born from a desire to provide another high quality senior competition in a concentrated, affordable tournament format.
“For years, people talked about establishing a second tier, AWL style competition, but it never really got off the ground,” founder Matt Turnbull said.
“The tournament format makes it much more affordable and practical for teams to attend. We’ve modelled it on elements of a World Aquatics tournament, combined with the intensity and structure of an AWL finals series.”
And this tournament is about more than what happens in the pool.
In 2025, Australia Cup coverage delivered the following
🔥 1.8M+ digital views
👀 224,000+ reach
💥 35,000+ interactions
📈 1,588 new followers
📺 37 games live streamed
▶️ 17,356 streaming views
The 2026 event will again feature World Aquatics listed referees, professional photography, athlete media, live streaming and commentary, AIS recovery facilities, free training time and significant social media exposure.
“We’re making a big effort to give athletes the experience and exposure you’d expect at a major event,” Turnbull said.
Five days. High level competition. Professional coverage. And another opportunity to showcase the athletes and clubs that make our sport great.
Canberra is calling this December.
