Netherlands women's national water polo team

The Netherlands women's national water polo team is the national team of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It was one of the leading teams in the world during the 1980s and 1990s. More recently they are one of the top teams again claiming the gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, the 2023 World Championships and the 2024 European Championships. The team is governed by the Koninklijke Nederlandse Zwembond (KNZB).

Netherlands

FINA code	NED
Association	Royal Dutch Swimming Federation
Confederation	LEN (Europe)
Head coach	Evangelos Doudesis
Asst coach	Richard van Eck Ineke Yperlaan
Captain	Catharina van der Sloot
FINA ranking (since 2008)
Current	2 (as of 1 September 2023)
Highest	1 (2008)
Olympic Games (team statistics)
Appearances	4 (first in 2000)
Best result	(2008)
World Championship
Appearances	17 (first in 1986)
Best result	(1991, 2023)
World Cup
Appearances	14 (first in 1979)
Best result	(1980, 1983, 1988, 1989, 1991, 1993, 1997, 1999)
World League
Appearances	7 (first in 2005)
Best result	(2018)
European Championship
Appearances	19 (first in 1985)
Best result	(1985, 1987, 1988, 1993, 2018, 2024)
Media
Website	knzb.nl

Results

Medal count

Competition				Total
Olympic Games	1	0	1	2
World Championship	2	4	1	7
World League	0	1	1	2
World Cup	8	4	1	13
European Championship	6	4	3	13
Europa Cup	1	0	0	1
Total	18	13	7	38

Olympic Games

Main article: Netherlands women's Olympic water polo team records and statistics

Year[1]	Position	Pld	W	D*	L	GF	GA	Squad
2000	4th place	7	3	0	4	35	36	Squad
2004	did not qualify
2008		6	3	1	2	52	50	Squad
2012	did not qualify
2016
2020	6th place	7	4	0	3	117	75	Squad
2024		7	5	2	0	88	69	Squad
Total	1 title	27	15	3	9	292	230	-–

World Championship

Year[1]	Position	Pld	W	D*	L	GF	GA	Squad
1986		9	7	0	2	111	49	Squad
1991		7	6	0	1	71	47	Squad
1994		7	5	0	2	73	39	Squad
1998		8	7	0	1	71	33	Squad
2001	9th place	5	1	0	4	21	34	Squad
2003	6th place	6	3	2	1	63	34	Squad
2005	10th place	6	2	0	4	33	43	Squad
2007	9th place	6	3	0	3	52	47	Squad
2009	5th place	7	5	1	1	72	64	Squad
2011	7th place	7	3	2	2	70	56	Squad
2013	7th place	7	3	1	3	95	71	Squad
2015		7	4	1	2	78	38	Squad
2017	9th place	6	4	0	2	78	42	Squad
2019	7th place	7	4	0	3	86	53	Squad
2022		7	5	0	2	99	50	Squad
2023		6	5	1	0	98	47	Squad
2024	5th place	7	5	1	1	106	54	Squad
Total	1 Title	115	72	9	34	1277	801

World Cup

Year[1]	Position	Pld	W	D*	L	GF	GA
1979		4	2	1	1	27	18
1980		4	3	1	0	31	17
1981
1983		6	4	1	1	59	49
1984
1988
1989
1991
1993
1995
1997
1999		5	4	0	1	43	32
2002	did not participate
2006
2010
2014
2018
2023		3	2	0	1	38	25
2025		9	7	0	2	121	94
Total	8 titles

World League

Year[1]	Position	Pld	W	D*	L	GF	GA
2004	did not participate
2005	7th	14	5	0	9	103	124
2006	5th	16	6	0	10	148	156
2010	7th	3	1	0	2	25	31
2015		12	8	0	4	151	93
2017	5th	10	6	0	4	99	79
2018		12	8	0	4	113	92
2019	4th	15	9	0	6	164	122
2022	4th	10	5	0	5	117	104

European Championship

Year	Position	Pld	W	D*	L	GF	GA
1985
1987
1989
1991
1993
1995		7	5	1	1	76	42
1997		7	6	0	1	106	37
1999		5	3	1	1	60	31
2001	5th place	5	3	1	1	44	36
2003	4th place	6	3	0	3	60	36
2006	5th place	5	2	0	3	56	57
2008	5th place	5	2	1	2	44	43
2010		5	3	0	2	54	48
2012	6th place	5	1	0	4	55	54
2014		5	4	0	1	49	44
2016		8	7	0	1	133	54
2018		8	7	1	0	111	33
2020	4th place	8	6	0	2	123	40
2022	4th place	8	6	0	2	147	50
2024		6	6	0	0	93	46
2026	Qualified
Total	6 titles	93	64	5	24	1211	651

LEN Europa Cup

Year	Position
2018	4th place
2019

Holiday Cup

• 1999 – 5th place
• 2000 – 4th place
• 2003 – 5th place
• 2006 – 5th place
• 2007 – 2nd place

World Games

• 1981 – 1st place

Team

Current squad

Roster for the 2024 Summer Olympics.

The roster was announced on 19 June 2024.^[2]

Head coach: Evangelos Doudesis [nl]^[3]

• 1 Laura Aarts GK
• 2 Iris Wolves CF
• 3 Brigitte Sleeking D
• 4 Sabrina van der Sloot (c) D
• 5 Maartje Keuning W
• 6 Simone van de Kraats W
• 7 Bente Rogge CB
• 8 Vivian Sevenich CF
• 9 Kitty-Lynn Joustra CF
• 10 Lieke Rogge D
• 11 Lola Moolhuijzen D
• 12 Nina ten Broek CB
• 13 Sarah Buis GK

Past squads

• 1980 FINA World Cup – Gold Medal

• Marijke Zwart (goal), Rita Heemskerk, Brigitte Hulscher, Ria Roos, Ingrid Scholten, Elly Spijker, Ank van Beek, Lieneke van den Heuvel, Greet van den Veen, Marga van Feggelen, and Hermine Perik (goal)

• 1983 FINA World Cup – Gold Medal

• Hermine Perik (goal), Marion van der Mark (goal), Anita Bibo, J Boer, H van Heemstra, Janet Heijnert, D Heijnert, K Sterkenburg, Ria Roos, Ingrid Scholten, Elly Spijker, Ank van Beek, and Greet van den Veen.

• 1985 European Championship – Gold Medal

• Madeline van Heemstra (goal), Marion van der Mark (goal), Janet Heijnert, Ineke Pesman, Belinda Hibbel, Lieneke van den Heuvel, Anita Bibo, Alice Lindhout, Monique Kranenburg, Patricia Libregts, Lillian Ossendrijver, Hedda Verdam, and Marian Walthie. Head Coach: Peter van den Biggelaar.

• 1986 World Championship – Silver Medal

• Madeline van Heemstra (goal), Hellen Boering (goal), Anita Bibo, Lieneke van den Heuvel, Marjo van der Mark, Janet Heijnert, Monique Kranenburg, Patricia Libregts, Alice Lindhout, Ineke Pesman, Janny Spijker, Greet van den Veen, and Hedda Verdam. Head Coach: Peter van den Biggelaar.

• 1987 European Championship – Gold Medal

• Madeline van Heemstra (goal), Hellen Boering (goal), Irma Brander, Lieneke van den Heuvel, Anita Bibo, Lillian Ossendrijver, Greet van den Veen, Monique Kranenburg, Patricia Libregts, Esmeralda van den Water, Ilse Sindorf, Janny Spijker, Anita Nijenhuis, and Hedda Verdam. Head Coach: Peter van den Biggelaar.

• 1988 FINA World Cup – Gold Medal

• Hermine Perik (goal), Hellen Boering (goal), Anita Bibo, Irma Brander, Monique Kranenburg, Patricia Libregts, Alice Lindhout, Anita Nijenhuis, Lillian Ossendrijver, Janny Spijker, Lieneke van den Heuvel, Greet van den Veen, and Hedda Verdam. Head Coach: Peter van den Biggelaar.

• 1989 European Championship – Gold Medal

• Hermine Perik (goal), Hellen Boering (goal), Irma Brander, Lieneke van den Heuvel, Monique Kranenburg, Alice Lindhout, Astrid van den Meer, Anita Nijenhuis, Ilse Sindorf, Janny Spijker, Greet van den Veen, Esmeralda van den Water, Patricia Libregts, and Hedda Verdam. Head Coach: Peter van den Biggelaar.

• 1989 FINA World Cup – Gold Medal

• Hermine Perik (goal), Hellen Boering (goal), Irma Brander, Lieneke van den Heuvel, Monique Kranenburg, Alice Lindhout, Patricia Libregts, Anita Nijenhuis, Ilse Sindorf, Janny Spijker, Astrid van der Meer, Greet van den Veen, Hedda Verdam, and Esmeralda van den Water. Head Coach: Peter van den Biggelaar.

• 1991 World Championship – Gold Medal

• Karla van der Boon (goal), Hellen Boering (goal), Irma Brander, Edmée Hiemstra, Monique Kranenburg, Karin Kuipers, Patricia Libregts, Alice Lindhout, Lillian Ossendrijver, Janny Spijker, Esmeralda van den Water, Marjan op den Velde, and Hedda Verdam. Head Coach: Peter van den Biggelaar.

• 1991 European Championship – Silver Medal

• Karla van der Boon (goal), Hellen Boering (goal), Edmée Hiemstra, Janny Spijker, Monique Kranenburg, Angelique Beijaard, Alice Lindhout, Karin Kuipers, Esmeralda van den Water, Patricia Libregts, Rianne Schram, Marjan op den Velde, Sandra Scherrenburg, and Hedda Verdam. Head Coach: Kees van Hardeveld.

• 1991 FINA World Cup – Gold Medal

• Karla van der Boon (goal), Hellen Boering (goal), Angelique Beijaard, Edmée Hiemstra, Monique Kranenburg, Karin Kuipers, Patricia Libregts, Alice Lindhout, Marjan op den Velde, Lillian Ossendrijver, Rianne Schram, Janny Spijker, Esmeralda van den Water, and Hedda Verdam. Head Coach: Kees van Hardeveld.

• 1993 European Championship – Gold Medal

• Karla van der Boon (goal), Hellen Boering (goal), Ellen Bast, Gillian van den Berg, Edmée Hiemstra, Karin Kuipers, Ingrid Leijendekker, Alice Lindhout, Carla Quint, Sandra Scherrenburg, Rianne Schram, Janny Spijker, and Hedda Verdam. Head Coach: Kees van Hardeveld.

• 1993 FINA World Cup – Gold Medal

• Karla van der Boon (goal), Hellen Boering (goal), Ellen Bast, Gillian van den Berg, Edmée Hiemstra, Karin Kuipers, Ingrid Leijendekker, Alice Lindhout, Sandra Scherrenburg, Carla Quint, Rianne Schram, Janny Spijker, and Hedda Verdam. Head Coach: Kees van Hardeveld.

• 1994 World Championship – Silver Medal

• Karla van der Boon (goal), Hellen Boering (goal), Ellen Bast, Gillian van den Berg, Edmée Hiemstra, Stella Kriekaard, Karin Kuipers, Ingrid Leijendekker, Alice Lindhout, Sandra Scherrenburg, Rianne Schram, Janny Spijker, and Hedda Verdam. Head Coach: Kees van Hardeveld.

• 1995 European Championship – Bronze Medal

• Karla van der Boon (goal), Karin Bouwens (goal), Ellen Bast, Gillian van den Berg, Suzanne van der Boomen, Edmée Hiemstra, Karin Kuipers, Ingrid Leijendekker, Sandra Scherrenburg, Carla Quint, Rianne Schram, Marjan op den Velde, and Hedda Verdam. Head Coach: Kees van Hardeveld.

• 1996 Olympic Year Tournament – Gold Medal

• Karla van der Boon (goal), Ellen Bast, Gillian van den Berg, Edmée Hiemstra, Erica Hoskens, Leontine Koops, Karin Kuipers, Ingrid Leijendekker, Petra Meerdink, Marjan op den Velde, Mirjam Overdam, Carla Quint, and Mariëlle Schothans. Head Coach: Kees van Hardeveld.

• 1997 FINA World Cup – Gold Medal

• Karla van der Boon (goal), Carla van Usen (goal), Ellen Bast, Gillian van den Berg, Edmée Hiemstra, Karin Kuipers, Ingrid Leijendekker, Sandra Scherrenburg, Marjan op den Velde, Mirjam Overdam, Carla Quint, Mariëlle Schothans, and Suzanne van den Boomen. Head Coach: Kees van Hardeveld.

• 1997 European Championship – Bronze Medal

• Karla van der Boon (goal), Carla van Usen (goal), Edmée Hiemstra, Ingrid Leijendekker, Marjan op den Velde, Ellen Bast, Daniëlle de Bruijn, Petra Meerdink, Gillian van den Berg, Mirjam Overdam, Karin Kuipers, Mariëlle Schothans, Sandra Scherrenburg, and Carla Quint. Head Coach: Kees van Hardeveld.

• 1998 World Championship – Silver Medal

• Karla van der Boon (goal), Carla van Usen (goal), Ellen Bast, Gillian van den Berg, Daniëlle de Bruijn, Edmée Hiemstra, Karin Kuipers, Ingrid Leijendekker, Petra Meerdink, Carla Quint, Sandra Scherrenburg, Mariëlle Schothans, and Marjan op den Velde. Head Coach: Kees van Hardeveld.

• 1999 FINA World Cup – Gold Medal

• Karla van der Boon (goal), Hellen Boering (goal), Ellen Bast, Gillian van den Berg, Daniëlle de Bruijn, Edmée Hiemstra, Mariëtte Koehorst, Karin Kuipers, Ingrid Leijendekker, Patricia Libregts, Marjan op den Velde, Mirjam Overdam, and Carla Quint. Head Coach: Kees van Hardeveld.

• 1999 European Championship – Silver Medal

• Karla van der Boon (goal), Hellen Boering (goal), Ellen Bast, Gillian van den Berg, Daniëlle de Bruijn, Edmée Hiemstra, Karin Kuipers, Ingrid Leijendekker, Patricia Libregts, Jorieke Oostendorp, Marjan op den Velde, Mirjam Overdam, and Carla Quint. Head Coach: Jan Mensink.

Under-20 team

The Netherlands lastly competed at the 2021 FINA Junior Water Polo World Championships.^[4]

See also

• Netherlands women's Olympic water polo team records and statistics
• Netherlands men's national water polo team
• List of Olympic champions in women's water polo
• List of women's Olympic water polo tournament records and statistics
• List of world champions in women's water polo