Water Polo has a long and distinguished history in Dorset, and is arguably the location for the world's first ever structured Water Polo match - held in 1876 off Bournemouth Pier. The Dorset & District Water Polo League was set up in 1898 with the sport played in rivers and harbour inlets in the county throughout most of the 20th Century, often in front of crowds of up to 1500 spectators.