Water Polo Canada – Ottawa, March 13, 2018 – Water Polo Canada (WPC) is excited to announce that the National Championship League (NCL) 19U and 16U Eastern Conference Championships will be hosted in Ottawa in 2019. Over 30 teams will be travelling to the Nepean Sportsplex in spring 2019 to vie for a coveted spot at the National Finals.

The NCL is the highest level of domestic water polo in Canada. In 2017-2018, over 100 teams are competing from across Canada for a chance to be crowned as a National Champion in the 14 and under, 16 and under, 19 and under, and Senior categories. In April and May of 2019, the City of Ottawa, the Nepean Sportsplex and the Capital Wave Water Polo club will host the 19U and 16U Eastern Conference Championships. These two events will determine which teams will represent the Eastern Conference at the 2019 NCL National Finals in Calgary at the end of May.

“WPC is thrilled to bring the 16U and 19U Eastern Championships to Ottawa. With the help of our fantastic partners at the City of Ottawa, Ottawa Tourism, the Nepean Sportsplex, and the Capital Wave Water Polo club, we are ready to bring the best experience possible to the teams, officials and fans attending these great events,” said Martin Goulet, WPC Executive Director.

The 16U and 19U Eastern Championships are held at the conclusion of the NCL regular season. Teams competing in the NCL are split into Eastern (Ontario, Quebec and the Maritimes) and Western (Alberta, B.C., Manitoba, and Saskatchewan) Conferences, with teams playing 15-25 games between November and April. The standings for the regular season determine the seeding for the Eastern Championships, which are held over 3-4 days and consist of a series of elimination games to determine the gold, silver, and bronze medalists in the Eastern Conference. More importantly, the events also determine which two teams qualify for the National Finals, with only the gold and silver medalists guaranteed a shot at a National Championship. The Eastern Conference Championships feature some of the most intense water polo games in Canada, as over 30 boys’ and girls’ teams will fight for just 8 coveted spots at the National Finals.

Bringing these events to Ottawa would not be possible without a strong partnership with Ottawa Tourism, who have been strong supporters of the NCL and water polo in the nation’s capital.  Ottawa has hosted multiple NCL events in every year since the league’s commissioning in 2014, including the 2017 16U Eastern Conference Championships, and the 2017 14U Eastern National Finals as part of the Canada 150^th festivities.

 “Ottawa’s ‘Bid More, Win More, Host More’ strategy has brought many impressive events to Ottawa and Canada’s capital region over the past few years—and the 2019 Water Polo Canada 16U & 19U Eastern Championships are a perfect addition

to the list,” indicates Michael Crockatt, President and CEO of Ottawa Tourism. “We look forward to welcoming the athletes, coaches, media, and fans to Ottawa for these spectacular events.”

The 2019 Eastern Conference Events are scheduled as followed:

Events	Date	Location
19U Eastern Conference Championships	April 26-28, 2019	Nepean Sportsplex, Ottawa, ON
16U Eastern Conference Championships	May 2-5, 2019	Nepean Sportsplex, Ottawa, ON

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For further information and interview requests, please contact:
Mylène Turcotte-Fitzgerald, Water Polo Canada Communications
mfitzgerald@waterpolo.ca // 613-748-5682 x325

About Water Polo Canada I www.waterpolo.ca

Water Polo Canada (WPC) is the National Sport Organization for Water Polo in Canada. Its purpose is to nationally lead the growth and the pursuit of excellence for the sport of water polo while respecting the following set of values: Accountability, Commitment, Equity, Innovation, Integrity, and Teamwork. Water Polo Canada acknowledges the support of the Government of Canada and of other partners such as Own the Podium, the Canadian Olympic Committee, the Canadian Sport Institutes network and the Coaching Association of Canada.