Australia Take Series Sweep Over Japan

Australia’s national water polo teams have recorded series clean-sweeps over Japan in Brisbane.

The Australian Stingers backed up their opening 18-6 win with an equally impressive 20-9 victory in the second test, with both matches featuring WA talents Zoe Arancini, Lilian Hedges and Dayna O’Leary.

The matches were Australia’s first international hit outs for the year and come ahead of the commencement of the domestic season.

Arancini captained the Stingers side and said the series had been the perfect start for their 2019 preparations.

“Great way to start, two from two (wins) you can’t ask for a better way to start and we’ll look to improve on our performances throughout the year.

“I don’t think I’ve ever played in front of a crowd like this in Australia since the World Championships in 2007,” Arancini said of the Brisbane faithful.

“it’s so fantastic to see all the juniors out here tonight to cheer us and the men on,” she said.

The Australian Women’s Team will next turn their attention to the FINA World League Inter-continental Cup that will be held in Perth next March.

The tournament will see the Stingers take on some of the world’s best teams in a bid to qualify for the World League Super Final.

The Australian Sharks had an altogether sterner challenge in taking out their two-test series.

They were made to work hard for their first up 13-9 win against a rapidly improving Japan side and the second test served only to reinforce that fact with the Sharks securing the win by a single goal in an 11-10 success.

The Sharks will look to build on a thoroughly successful 2018 campaign in which the team collected a silver medal at the FINA World Cup in Germany.