The UNSW Sydney Whales was the first Australian team to compete in the 2016 Champions Cup in Berlin, Germany, after their back-to-back national championship dominance in 2014 and 2015. They played amongst world underwater rugby heavyweights such as Molde UVK (Norway) and Orcas (Colombia).
The Whales sent a mixed team including two women into the men's division of the competition. The Whales won three of their games, against Vienna, BCN (Barcelona) and Zurich, and placed ninth overall in the Champions Cup, punching well above their weight on the world underwater rugby stage.