Help Gráinne Represent New Zealand at the U18 Water Polo World Championships in Tenerife, Spain

Gráinne has been working towards this opportunity for years — through early mornings, long days balancing school and training, and a number of challenges along the way.

There have been many 4:30am starts, getting up in the dark for training before a full day at school, followed by more training or games in the evening. It’s a demanding routine, but one she has stuck to consistently because she has always had a clear goal in mind.

There have also been setbacks — including injuries, tough losses, and times where selection didn’t go her way — but each time she has found a way to learn from it, keep improving, and come back stronger.

Recently, all of that hard work paid off. Gráinne has been selected as one of just 14 athletes to represent New Zealand at the 2026 World Aquatics U18 Women’s Water Polo World Championships in Tenerife, Spain.

She has earned this opportunity through consistent performance, including being joint top goal scorer at the Australian State Nationals in 2025 and being named in the NZ Secondary Schools Tournament Team.

You can see more here:

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1D2KfeqxMX/

Like many sports in New Zealand, this opportunity is fully self-funded, with total costs of around $18,000. Gráinne has been working, fundraising, and applying for grants, but there is still a significant gap to close.

We would be incredibly grateful for any support to help her take this opportunity and represent New Zealand on the world stage.