The first recorded evidence of the game was in 1876, when the Bournemouth Premier Rowing Club carried out the first series of aquatic handball matches. Various water based ball games were played before 1876, the most common being a game where players would sit on barrel type horses in the water and paddle around throwing or hitting a ball. It is highly possible this is where the "Polo" in waterpolo came from.
By 1884 the Midland Counties ASA had sufficient clubs playing to start a championship and the game was asked to be recognised by the Swimming Association of Great Britain (ASA), this however did not happen until 1885. An official set of rules were passed by the ASA in the same year and at the 1888 General Meeting of the ASA the rules were refined in to a set of championship conditions. It was at this point that the modern game started to take shape, with the introduction of football like goals and the requirement that players should swim when passing and playing the ball.
The first international match was between Scotland and Great Britain in 1890 and was won by the Scots, this game was played under Scottish rules, which were later in 1892 integrated into the English game.
In the early part of the 1900s England dominated the international scene with Olympic Golds in 1900, 1908, 1912 and 1920. Now a days England does well to compete against teams from Europe and around the world, a vast majority of whom are professional players, who enjoy the accolades and support of being involved in a national pastime and sport, much like the English and football.
Basic Rules of Waterpolo