The forerunner of water polo was the game that originated 1869. in Glasgow, Scotland. Monotonous swimming tournaments and competitions needed something different in their program, so the Scottish game became a popular way to refresh and animate the audience. Few years after that London Swimming Association formed special commission to define rules of the game. On 1876. Bournemouth Rowing Club defined water polo field dimensions (50 yd = 46 m), seven player teams, and main plus two line referees. At that moment playing field did not have goals yet, and the goal was to set the ball on the opponents raft.
Scotsman William Wilson (born 1844. in London) is considered being the father of water polo. In the year 1876. he has released first rules of water polo game, and by that rules first water polo game ever took place on the river Dee.
As water polo evolved game rules were changing to make it more dynamic, faster and more interesting to the audience. Most important change to the modern water polo happened in 1950. by cutting out the rule that forbade players to change position after the referees whistle. After that water polo became much more dynamic, more counterattacks were possible and it gave much more advantage to faster swimmers.
Water polo became an Olympic sport very early, on the 2nd modern Olympic Games (Paris 1900.). Besides water polo there was another sport with ball that became Olympic sport - football. These two sports are the first team sports on Olympic Games ever. First Olympic winner in water polo was Great Britain. In the history of Olympic Games most successful was Hungary (8 gold, 3 silver, 3 bronze medals), Yugoslavia (3 gold, 4 silver, 2 bronze medals), USSR (2 gold, 4 silver, 3 bronze medals), Italy (3 gold, 1 silver, 2 bronze medals) and Great Britain (4 gold medals). Women water polo became an Olympic sport at Sydney 2000. Olympic Games.
Croatian players participated Olympic Games as part of Yugoslav teams until the 1992. Atlanta Olympic Games (Croatia gained independency in 1990.). By that time 54 Croatian water polo players have played most important role in Yugoslav team. 17 of them won the gold medals, and 4 of them have won two gold medals. It was not only that way on Olympic Games, but in all water polo contests and tournaments. After Croatia gained independency Croatian water polo team won silver medal on their first Olympic Games.
First water polo World championship took place 1073. in Belgrade. Hungary won the gold medal, USSR silver and Yugoslavia bronze medal. Through the past of water polo World championships most successful countries are Italy, Yugoslavia, Hungary, and USSR (all of them with two gold medals). The biggest Croatia national team success was the fourth place on World championship in Rome, 1994.
On the first European championship, which took place 1926. in Budapest, Hungary national team won the gold medal, Sweden took silver and Germany bronze medal. Most successful country on European championships is Hungary (12 gold, 4 silver, 2 bronze medals), followed by USSR (5 gold, 3 silver, 2 bronze medals), Yugoslavia (1 gold, 8 silver, 4 bronze medals), Germany (2 gold, 4 silver, 2 bronze medals), Italy (3 gold, 1 silver, 5 bronze medals). The fact that first Yugoslav national team that competed on European championship 1947. in Monte Carlo was consisted of all Croatian players tells us how water polo was developed and popular in Croatia. Following two European championships tell us the same story: Yugoslav national team was in fact Croatian national team. After independency Croatian national team has great success European championships: five times among four best teams, out of six championships.
Water polo was brought to Croatia from Austria, Czechoslovakia, Hungary and Germany by Croatian students. 1908. group of students from Split, that has learned water polo in Prague, played first water polo game in Croatia. First official water polo section in Croatia was HŠK Victorija from Sušak (founded 1919.). Since 1920. water polo was played in Baluni and Firule, both sport clubs from Split. Students from Zagreb brought water polo to Zagreb from Wienna, and founded water polo section in HAŠK. First international game was played in Split versus British ship Brionny crew, and Croatian team won by 9:0. In Dubrovnik water polo club Jug was founded in 1923. Jug was the most successful club between two world wars: they won 13 Yugoslav championships in a row starting with 1925. After 2nd world war most successful was Partizan (Belgrade), followed by Mladost (Zagreb), Mornar (Split), Jadran (Split) and Jug (Dubrovnik).
Water polo is most successful Croatian sport. Only in elite club competition - Champions league (ex Championships cup) Croatian clubs have won 12 gold medals, no other country has accomplished that much in Champions league. Mladost from Zagreb is the most successful European water polo club. Mladost has won seven European championships (1968, 1969, 1970, 1972, 1990, 1991. and 1996.). VK Jug (Dubrovnik) has won the Champions league on 1981, 1999. and 2001. and VK Jadran (Split) has won in 1992. and 1993. It even happened that two Croatian teams play Champions league final match few times. Croatian water polo league was the strongest world league for a long time, but now the Italian league is stronger (richer) and many Croatian players are playing big part in it.
Because of very good water polo school and its popularity in Croatia younger categories are also very successful in international competitions. Their best success is definitely gold medal from world junior championship in Havana 1997.