National Water Polo League and National Women’s Polo League delegates agreed at meetings on 24 January to merge the competitions and launch a new organisation – the British Water Polo League.

A 10-strong shadow board – featuring five representatives from each league – has been formed to oversee the transition period leading to the historic first annual meeting of the BWPL in May.

The new name has been approved by the Board of British Swimming.

NWPL and NWWPL league programmes will continue to run independently in 2010 as already arranged. By September 2011, the new organisation will be fully integrated.

David Andrews, the NWPL’s new chairman (see below), said: “Merger of the country’s two premier league competitions represents a watershed for the sport. Throughout the lengthy discussions that took place in advance of this decision, the objective of all concerned has been to represent the best interests of member clubs and to help build a better future for British water polo.”

Judi Clayton, secretary of the NWWPL, said: “We very much look forward to working with NWPL and pooling the strengths of both organisations. Merger is a vital step forward for water polo – it is important to demonstrate for the first time that the men’s and women’s games in the UK are working together in a single, open organisation.”

Merger will mean the dissolution of the NWPL, which was formed in 1962 by eight clubs and now has 36 teams. The same applies to the NWWPL, which began in 1987 and has steadily expanded to feature 28 teams.