Underwater rugby
Underwater rugby (UWR) is an underwater team sport. During a match two teams try to score a negatively buoyant ball (filled with saltwater) into the opponents’ goal at the bottom of a swimming pool. It originated from within the physical f ...
(UWR) has been played in
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
since 2007 and as of 2016 is played in every State and the
Australian Capital Territory.
History
Underwater rugby has been played in
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
since 2007. Its introduction is attributed to individuals based at the
University of New South Wales Underwater Club including a former member of the
Colombian National Team.
Domestic competition
As of 2016, UWR is played at venues in the
Australian Capital Territory,
New South Wales,
Queensland,
Tasmania,
Victoria,
South Australia and
Western Australia. The first national tournament was held in
Sydney
Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...
as part of the 2013 Australian International Scuba & Underwater Sports Expo (ODEX) during September 2013.. This was followed in 2014 by the second National competition (n)Odex held in September in Ashfield NSW which saw local team UNSW UWR wrestle the national title away from inaugural champions UWR TAS. The next national competition was held in Brisbane at the Pan-Pacific Cup in April 2015: UNSW UWR won a second national title against locals Unidive Gauls UWR in a hard-fought final
International competition
As of 2015, Australia has competed in third events at international level. Australia has played against
New Zealand for the Ocean Hunter Trans Tasman Cup (OHTTC) in 2009, 2013 and 2014. The Australian male and female national teams played friendly games against
Singapore at the Pan Pacific Cup in April 2015. The Australian male and female national teams played for the first time in a
world championship event at the 10th Underwater Rugby World Championships held in Cali, Colombia during July and August 2015, finishing 11th and 7th respectively.
Governance
The UWR domestic competition received recognition from the
Australian Underwater Federation (AUF), the Australian affiliate of
Confédération Mondiale des Activités Subaquatiques (CMAS), on 1 September 2012. As of April 2015, a Commission has been established within the AUF under the name "Underwater Rugby Australia" to administer the sport.
UWRA Commission — UWRA - Underwater Rugby Australia - Official website of the Australian Underwater Rugby Commission
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References
External links
AUF Underwater Rugby homepageAustralian Underwater Rugby Commission official websiteUNSW Underwater Rugby homepage Video of Australian Women's Underwater Rugby as of December 10, 2012
{{DEFAULTSORT:Underwater rugby in Australia
Underwater rugby
Underwater sport in Australia
Underwater diver organizations