Gatineau, November 14, 2013. – Ville de Gatineau and Water Polo Canada are jointly announcing that the Women's Water Polo's Canada Cup will be held in Gatineau for the very first time, from December 2 to 8, 2013 at the centre sportif de Gatineau. This international meet will involve three high-calibre teams representing Canada, the United States and Australia.

"Not only will it provide an incredible showcase for Gatineau, but the Women's Water Polo's Canada Cup will give Gatineau residents the opportunity to become more familiar with this sport, and will spark the interest of future athletes. Thus, Gatineau is pleased to support this major sports event by contributing goods and services assessed at more than $15,000," indicated Gatineau Mayor Maxime Pedneaud-Jobin.

"Since being included as an Olympic sport in 2000, women's water polo has quickly enlisted new amateurs around the world, and we are delighted with the thought of holding an international level meet in Gatineau in December," indicated Water Polo Canada Executive Director Martin Goulet. "Spectators will have a chance to discover the things that make our sport so appealing: strategy, agility, endurance and teamwork. We can expect some very interesting performances by the teams taking part in this year's Canada Cup."

Water Polo's Canada Cup is one of the main water polo competitions in Canada. This fifth edition (2007, 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2013) will be the first to take place outside of Montréal. The meet is one of the steps in the Canadian team's preparation to qualify for the FINA World Cup 2014 in Russia in the summer of 2014, and one more step towards the dream of competing in the 2016 Olympics in Rio.

Since opening in 2010, the centre sportif de Gatineau has hosted close to 60 international, national and provincial competitions, including more than 15 in 2013.

For information about upcoming sports meets in Gatineau, consult www.gatineau.ca/calendriersportif.