Rebecca Rippon's journey in water polo began in Sydney at the age of 14, and led to a distinguished playing career that saw her represent Australia at two Olympic Games – including winning a bronze at Beijing 2008 – four World Aquatics Championships and two World Cups. When she finally stepped away from playing in 2011, she had little idea that coaching would become her calling, or that it would one day bring her back to the Olympic stage in an entirely new role.

The transition from athlete to coach was not an immediate or obvious one. After finishing her playing career, Rippon took time away from the sport before gradually finding her way back through club coaching with men's and women's programmes. Opportunities at the junior national level followed, and she served as assistant coach for the Australian national team at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. By the end of 2023, she had taken on the head coach role.

“It feels like I've done this kind of straight line, but it hasn't felt like that in any way,” she reflected.

The decision to pursue coaching as a career emerged just under a decade ago, when more substantive roles began to emerge.

“It definitely wasn't an option really as a career for me,” she admitted.

“I don't know how I found it and it found me, but once I was in it and this opportunity presented, I was like, okay, I'm here.”

Her years as an athlete have shaped how she approaches her coaching role, guided by an instinct to understand the reasoning behind what she is being asked to do.

“That, along the way, has helped me as a coach to ask questions and think about why we do what we do. And I know that sounds normal in coaching, but often we also just do what we've always done,” she explained.

Rippon made history at the Paris 2024 Olympics as the first female head coach to lead Australia at an Olympic Games, guiding the Stingers to a silver medal. It was a moment that carried both personal pride and broader significance for women in the sport.

“I take pride in the position and I feel privileged to do it, but I take that responsibility with it," she said.

“There's a responsibility but there's also a lot of opportunity for us to maybe see if things can be done differently to what's always been done.”

Reflecting on the tournament itself, Rippon described the experience with pride as one she sometimes has to pause and revisit.

“We kind of went in with a plan leading into Paris about how we wanted to play, who we wanted to be, how we wanted to work together, and just to put our best foot forward and play consistent water polo the best that we could day in, day out,” she said.

"Sometimes I look at it and it's been a while since then, but at times you've got to stop and go back to it and remember that that's a moment in time that we've got to remember."

The intensity of the Olympic tournament also gave Rippon valuable insights into elite-level coaching, including the importance of consistency.

"As a coaching team and as a staff, we tried to really embody absolutely everything that we were asking of the players,” she explained.

"What does it look like when you do, and when you don't? That's a continuous area of work for me.”

It was through Water Polo Australia that Rippon first became aware of the Women in Water Polo Leadership Programme. When World Aquatics approached Member Federations, she did not hesitate to put herself forward.

“Any opportunity to get into a room with other coaches – or in this case, referees and other roles within our sport – is really important, because I think we all are in our own countries doing what we do, but the bigger thing is what can we do for the sport as well?” she said.

The programme's opening sessions made a strong impression. An introductory session gave participants from across the globe the chance to get to know one another in what Rippon described as a genuinely open and honest environment. A profiling tool then gave each participant a detailed picture of their leadership style, which she found distinct from anything she had encountered before.

"It had a bit more of a filter towards female coaches and maybe the lens that we're looking at the world from, because it is different. The results that came back were really, really interesting. Some of it's surprising, some's not, but it's been cool to talk through that in some detail,” Rippon said.

Through the programme, Rippon is aiming to support her own ongoing development, strengthen relationship between women working in water polo, and take concrete learnings to spark broader conversations about supporting female coaches and officials in Australia.

“There's something [for Rippon as an] individual, something for the sport as a whole, and something for Australia. I don't know what those things are yet, but I think they're the important parts,” she said.

Rippon was also keen to acknowledge the quality and care with which the programme has been constructed.

“They can often talk about doing things and then put something together that maybe doesn't really hit the mark, but I think from what I've seen so far they've [World Aquatics] put a lot of time and effort into seeing what is important and what can maybe shift the dial a little bit,” she said.

“They've put quality people to lead this programme, really quality people. I'm so impressed with what they've done.”

About the Women in Water Polo Leadership Programme

The Women in Water Polo Leadership Programme is a joint initiative of KAP7 and World Aquatics aimed at increasing the representation and visibility of female professionals in the sport. Through structured education, leadership training, mentorship and international exposure, the programme supports women in developing their skills, advancing their careers and taking on leadership roles within coaching and officiating. It also fosters confidence and professional networks, while helping to inspire future generations of female leaders in Water Polo.

Further information can be found here.