Water Polo Nominees

Water Polo Athlete of the Year

2024 Shortlist: Brooke Tafazolli, Kathy Rogers, Katie Brown and Sophie Jackson

Brooke Tafazolli

City of Manchester
A vital cog in the British machine at both the World and European Championships in the early months of 2024, Brooke Tafazolli will have gained invaluable experience of the sport's biggest stages as she looks to continue making a mark for GB.

Her standout performance from across the Doha and Eindhoven events saw her notch a stunning final-quarter hat-trick in the 8-6 victory over Kazakhstan to claim 11th place at the World Championships and round out Britain's return to that level. Brooke was named player of the match after that one.

She also registered two crucial assists in the 11-9 come-from-behind win against Croatia that got Aquatics GB to Doha in the first place, with her accuracy from long range a constant attacking threat for the team.

Kathy Rogers

CN Catalunya
Kathy Rogers led by example as captain of the Great Britain team that returned to the global stage in 2024 after a decade away, thanks to a highest European finish since 2012.

Two goals from the skipper in the decisive seventh-eighth placing game against Croatia at the European Champs proved crucial, while her dynamism was on show throughout three group games - including an emphatic win over Paris 2024 Olympic outfit South Africa - a round-of-16 defeat to Australia and the 11th-12th-placed triumph over Kazakhstan.

Throughout it all, Kathy has been a leader who has not only held the team together throughout its recent journey, but acts as an inspiration for young players given her success as a professional club player with teams in Europe.

Katie Brown

City of Liverpool
More than a decade on from her senior international water polo debut, Katie Brown took her place in the Aquatics GB senior women's team at both the European Championships in Eindhoven and World Championships in Doha after a stunning qualification campaign.

Katie powered home two vital goals to give GB the momentum over Kazakhstan at the halfway stage of their 11th-12th-place decider at Worlds, with the British outfit ultimately going on to triumph 8-6.

During the European Champs, she registered a goal in every single group game and the thrilling knockout win over Israel.

Sophie Jackson

City of Manchester
As starting goalkeeper for Aquatics GB's women's water polo team across a wonderful, whirlwind 2024 season, Sophie Jackson played a key role in a memorable few months for the sport in this country.

In January, she was a key figure as Nick Buller's team secured a seventh-placed finish at the European Championships that ultimately made sure of a first World Championships qualification for a decade.

Jackson saved a penalty in the crucial shootout victory over Israel and then kept well in the comeback win over Croatia that clinched seventh, before some more strong displays at the World Champs in Doha, which included a fourth-quarter clean sheet.

Water Polo Coach of the Year

2024 Shortlist: Izzy Howe, Nick Hume and Tom Wall

Izzy Howe

Women's U19 team

Izzy Howe led the Great Britain's women's under-19s water polo team to an impressive ninth-placed finish at September's European Under-19 Championships in Zagreb.

Three victories from four in their group was followed by a thrilling victory over Slovakia in the ninth-12th semi-final match - including seven goals for Amelie Perkins - before a composed defensive display secured victory over Germany and an overall position of ninth for this exciting young team.

Under Izzy, the under-19 team helped build on an outstanding European performance by the senior women's team at the start of the year, in what has been a transformative season for Aquatics GB water polo.

Nick Hume

Women's U18/U20 team

Nick Hume has balanced his work with Great Britain's under-18 and under-20s women's teams with selflessly stepping in to coach the senior men's squad over the past 18 months.

A busy 2024 of competition and preparation included a valuable high-intensity training camp for the women's under-18s at the Barcelona International Water Polo Academy, with matches against Spanish outfits Club Natacio Barcelona, UE Horta and Club Natacio Atletic-Barceloneta helping to prepare them for next year's European Championships.

Tom Wall

Men's U18 team
Tom Wall and his Great Britain men's under-18s team are fresh from a seventh-placed finish at the recent Junior Men's EU Nations Cup in Brno Czechia.

They ended their campaign with a promising 11-7 victory over a competitive Denmark side after placing fourth in their group - their results to that point including a 19-2 thrashing of Estonia.

Wall's guidance of the team is ultimately leading them towards the target of the European Championships in 2025.