The Perth Raiders, Australia's newest underwater rugby team, hosted the first UWR tournament away from the east coast of Australia. All Australian teams were in attendance, with the Sydney Whales and the Victoria Seadragons both fielding two teams each, the host state entering two teams - the Perth Raiders and the Western Stallions - and the Canberra Underdogs and Adelaide White Pointers joining forces to become the Canberra-Adelaide Dogsharks.
The Perth Raiders edged out the reigning national champions Brisbane Gauls in a tense grand final match. The Gauls were less than half a minute from victory, before their tentative win was snatched from them by an eleventh-hour goal from the Raiders. The last minute equaliser sent the game into fifteen minutes of golden point extra time. Victory was sealed for the less experienced but faster Raiders in the last 30 seconds of extra time, handing them a maiden National Championships win, and a spot in 2017's Champions Cup.
FINAL RANKINGS:
Perth Raiders
Brisbane UniDive Gauls
Sydney UNSW Whales A
Victoria Seadragons A
Western Stallions
Canberra-Adelaide Dogsharks
Tasmania Convicts
Victoria Seadragons B
Sydney UNSW Whales B
Goals: Perth 4 (Blake Sutcliffe, Rhys Milburn x 2, Jonathan Chan), Sydney 1 (Scott Philip). Free throws: Perth 9, Sydney 10. Penalties: Perth 2, Sydney 0. Time penalties: Perth 2, Sydney 2
Goals: Brisbane 3 (Gavin Bott, Ricardo Iriarte, Freydick Corrales Cruz), Victoria 0. Free throws: Brisbane 6, Victoria 5. Penalties: N/A. Time penalties: N/A.
Goals: Sydney 4 (Gonzalo Serna Diaz, Manakon Eammano x 3), Victoria 1 (Jared Carnie). Free throws: Sydney 4, Victoria 1. Penalties: Sydney 0, Victoria 2. Time penalties: Sydney 0, Victoria 1.
Extra time played. Goals: Perth 2 (Nelson Adolfo Fernandez Moreno, Johann Dangin), Brisbane 1 (Ashley Forbes). Free throws: Perth 11, Brisbane 13. Penalties: N/A. Time penalties: Perth 2, Brisbane 1.
