Albury Wodonga hosts NSW Water Polo Open Country Clubs Championships

Returning to the Border for the first time in 10 years, teams from all over the state as well as invitee squads from ACT and Geelong will descend on Albury-Wodonga for a riveting exhibition of the sport, starting Friday and finishing with finals on Sunday.

Albury Sharks player Leah Dodd, who featured in the tournament when it last graced the region, is stoked to be a part of it on her back doorstep once again.

"We're really lucky to have such a prestigious tournament here," she said.

"It's definitely the highest tournament for senior players in country areas so it's great to have everyone come here.

"A lot of teams, a lot of people coming; it's great for our area."

Albury Swim Centre and WAVES will welcome more than 30 teams from as far as Tamworth and the Far North Coast, while elite sides from Central Coast and Newcastle will also turn out in the championships.

It doubles as a chance for local players to put their name out there for state selection, with standout performers potentially inviting an opportunity for NSW Country call ups.

"There's often a lot of opportunities for juniors to go away and play in state and country tournaments, but not so much for seniors," Dodd said.

"This is a really good opportunity for the over 18 players to continue to play rep polo."

Dodd noted when the event was last held on the Border, a lot of the action transpired at North Albury.

With top class facilities on either side of the Murray now set up, she expects an even better spectacle for players and fans alike.

"We're really lucky to have the Albury pool and WAVES in Wodonga," she said.

"There's not many regional towns that you go to that've got two really good pools like that, so we're really lucky to have those facilities.

"That will just make it even better, having the better facilities."

Another local eager to jump in the pool and mix it with the best country players in NSW is Tyson Mutsch.

While he currently plies his trade away from the Border, he's back in Northside Stingrays colours for the bumper three-day tournament.

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"Full credit to the boys, they've been training pretty hard over the last couple of weeks, so leading into this they're looking pretty good," he said.

"I'm excited to come home and play a bit of water polo.

"I first started playing in this sort of tournament when I was about 15, and pretty much played all the way through.

"It's always an exciting part of the year, especially when all the teams come together."

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