Tamworth and District Water Polo Inc will launch a three-pronged assault on this weekend's open Country Clubs Championships in Alstonville.
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The association is sending away two women's and a men's team to the three-day carnival, which gets underway late on Friday.
It's the biggest representation they have had at the tournament for a number of years.
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"It's really exciting to see us take a men's team away to country clubs," TDWPI secretary and Warabas women's team coach Libby Magann said.
"It would be about four years since we've taken away a men's side."
They have been depleted somewhat by COVID but still have a side that Magann believes can do well.
The women have enjoyed a lot of success at the championships in recent years.
They won back-to-back bronze in 2018 and 2019 before etching Tamworth's name on the trophy for the first time two years ago (they didn't participate last year).
Wanting to be more inclusive of their local culture, the association have for a few years now adopted indigenous names for the under-12s teams when they go away. This year they are also using them for the opens teams.
Magann is coaching the Warabas, which in the Kamilaroi language is the word for turtle while Lauren Hill will coach the Guya, which is the name for fish.
"Originally there was an A and B competition so we entered an A and a B team," Magann explained.
Since then there have been a few withdrawals so there is now only the one division with two pools of five.
"We've got a fairly strong side but have been a bit disrupted with COVID," Magann said of the Warabas.
"But it's the same for the other teams."
That is one of the great unknowns.
"We don't know what to expect. That's for our team and for everyone else," she said.
Some of the players will be doubling up and also playing for a masters team that Gail Salter has organised.
There will be a real family vibe with Kylie (mum) and Bianca (daughter) Watson again both going away (they played together in 2020) while Georgia Griffiths will play alongside older sister Abby.
The first games are at 5pm on Friday with the carnival wrapping up on Sunday.
