BRIDGEPORT, Pa. — The Ord Minnett Aussie Stingers head coach Bec Rippon named her 15-strong team that will contest the 2026 World Aquatics Water Polo World Cup Finals that are set to be held in Sydney, Australia, from July 22-26.
Fresh off winning the European Champions League with her Greek club Olympiacos, where she was also named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) in the final, former University of Michigan athlete Abby Andrews will line-up for the green and gold with eyes on capturing another championship.
A member of Australia’s 2024 Olympics silver medalist squad in Paris, Andrews competed for Michigan during the 2019 season and registered 57 goals, 71 assists and 47 steals with a 41-for-50 mark in sprints in the span of 32 games. A member of the 2019 Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) Champion Wolverines, she claimed CWPA Rookie of the Year and Association of Collegiate Water Polo Coaches (ACWPC) Honorable Mention All-America honors during her lone season in Ann Arbor. A 2019 CWPA All-Conference Second Team pick, she received Rookie of the Tournament and First Team All-Tournament recognition at the CWPA Championship prior to helping the Maize & Blue reach the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Championship quarterfinals.
The Ord Minnett Aussie Stingers will come together for a two week training block in Queensland ahead of the World Cup Finals in Sydney.
For the first time in water polo history, Water Polo Australia will host both the men’s and women’s World Aquatics World Cup Finals, as preparations build towards the LA 2028 Olympic Games in two years. The top eight men’s and women’s international teams are confirmed to battle it out for the sport’s most prestigious titles at Sydney Olympic Park on July 22-26.
The opening day of the tournament is the women’s quarterfinals with the Ord Minnett Aussie Stingers set to take on Italy from at 6:30 p.m. Australia Eastern/4:30 a.m. Eastern.
