University of Hawai‘i water polo head coach James Robinson thinks the world of his team. That's because he traversed the globe to assemble it.
Of the 21 players listed on the Rainbow Wahine's roster, no two players share the same hometown. In total, eight different countries and three U.S. states are represented on the roster.
Robinson, who is currently at his second year at the helm, was the program's associate coach from 2022 to 2024, playing a large role in putting the current team together, a process that involved various recruiting pitches and flights. Seeing his recruits make it to campus and fall in love with the Islands, all while contributing to a winning program, is part of what makes Robinson's job a priceless experience.
"I love having an international roster. You get to know so much about every single person, different areas of the world, different upbringings, different backgrounds, different water polo styles, where they went to school growing up," Robinson said. "For me, obviously, I get to coach them and teach them certain things, but I get to learn a lot from them, as well. That's a really exciting part of the roster.
"Finding them is just going out of the way and being a little creative, I guess. We go to a lot of international water polo tournaments, youth and junior world championships and some European championships, as well. And you can't be afraid to be told 'no.' You just gotta see a player that you think is worth reaching out to. You got to give it a shot. Hopefully, they fall in love with the idea of Hawai‘i, and then once they get here, make sure that they feel included and part of the family."
International talent has been the backbone of the program's success in recent years. After breezing through Big West regular season play unbeaten, the Rainbow Wahine won their third consecutive conference tournament on April 12 at Long Beach State.
Hawai‘i also swept all of the Big West's major individual awards, where its diversity was again put on display. Christchurch, New Zealand native Agatha Weston was named the Big West Player of the Year, while Ariadna Temprano Xambo, who hails from Barcelona, Spain, was named the Freshman of the Year.
"It's awesome," Weston said of the team's diverse roster. "I think it's one of my favorite parts about being here in Hawai‘i. It always takes a little bit to gel with each other, but when it clicks, it's pretty beautiful, and it's an awesome family to be a part of."
For good measure, the rest of UH's All-Big West first team selections hail from international soil in goalkeeper Daisy Logtens (Uden, Netherlands) and attacker Éma Vernoux (Marseille, France).
"It's amazing having so many people from so many different places," Logtens said. "We learn something new about everyone and every place that we're from like every day. But even though we're so far away from home, Hawai‘i, feels like home at the same time. The people here are amazing, and they really make us feel like home. Even when we're on the road, the support that we get on the road is so incredible, and it's helping us a lot."
On Friday, the Hawai‘i will take on California in the national quarterfinals in La Jolla, Calif., marking the third straight year UH has made the NCAA Tournament. Defeat Cal, and the Rainbow Wahine will be in the NCAA semifinals for the third year in a row. The 'Bows have yet to reach the national championship match, but if they do, chances are they'll be led there by a group of players competing a long way from home.
"I think we always talk about consistency and being able to show up every day, every week, every month, every season," Robinson said. "Even before I got here, this program has put up a tradition of excellence, and this athletic department knows how to win. And so for us, we just want to continue doing that, year in and year out."
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Christian Shimabuku can be reached at christian@alohastatedaily.com.
