According to the record book, water polo has been played in New Zealand since 1892, 23 years after the game evolved in England. Christchurch was the host city to the first championship meeting which was held in that year. At first the sport was confined to the main cities but, as the smaller centres built pools, so the game spread. Today, towns like Hamilton, Te Awamutu, Wanganui, Napier, and Hastings have teams, while Lower Hutt has emerged as a centre strong enough to hold its own with any of the main cities. Until 1909 water polo was played only on an interclub basis. Since then provincial teams have held frequent competitions, with Canterbury dominant till the early thirties and Otago strongest from then till the late forties. The South Island's prominence then declined and national supremacy moved north, fluctuating between Auckland, Wellington, and the Waikato.

Water polo is administered by the New Zealand Water Polo Board under the rules of the New Zealand Amateur Swimming Association. Though the sport has been played since before 1900, it did not have its own administration until 1951. Before this it was administered by the secretary of the association. The Board's chairman, secretary, and three members are elected each year by delegates from the various local water polo boards which control their own competitions and send teams to the national championships. The championships decide which province will hold the national trophy, and they alternate between those main centres which have adequate facilities. As well, an interclub championship is held for the Ryan Cup.

Water polo has been played in trying conditions, more so in its earlier days than in more recent times. A game at Wellington in 1911 is still remembered. It was played in water of 56° and lasted 50 minutes, causing the collapse of several players and the admission to hospital of a goalkeeper. In New Zealand, water polo is a man's game. For a short while, and following the example of some overseas countries, women's water polo was tried on a modest scale. But the attempt was soon abandoned.

Of all the exponents of the sport in New Zealand, Lord Freyberg, was probably the best known. A very keen player about 1910, he was active in training an Auckland team.

In 1960, after many years of sometimes heartbreaking effort, New Zealand water polo finally took part in Olympic competition when it met Australia at Melbourne in an elimination game, losing 7-1.

Other international matches played are as follows:

• 1950 Empire Games at Auckland:

• New Zealand 4, Australia 1

• Australia 13, New Zealand 2

• Australia 5, New Zealand 2

• 1951 Canterbury Centennial Games:

• Canterbury 10, New South Wales 5

• Australia 7, Canterbury 4

• Australia 6, Canterbury 4

• Australia 6, New Zealand Universities 1