Australian left-hander Luke Pavillard is expected to sign with Italian giants Pro Recco ahead of the 2025 season, with the move now widely considered to be all but finalised.
The 29-year-old from Perth, who has had a standout few seasons with CN Atlètic-Barceloneta in Spain and most recently played for Fremantle in the Australian domestic league, is understood to be on his way to Liguria to join one of Europe’s most successful clubs.
Rumours linking Pavillard with a switch to Recco first surfaced in January. Since then, several sources close to the club have suggested that an agreement is in place for next season.
Pavillard has enjoyed a steady rise through the sport, beginning his journey at Melville Water Polo Club in Western Australia. He later moved to the United States, where he represented the University of the Pacific. Over four seasons, he became one of the most prolific scorers in NCAA history with 248 goals, earning three Golden Coast Conference Player of the Year awards and finishing as a Peter J. Cutino Award finalist twice.
Following his time in the US, Pavillard joined CNAB in Spain, where he won two Spanish Super Cups and gained valuable experience in the LEN Champions League. He returned to the Australian national team in 2022 after a seven-year absence, and has since become a regular presence in the Aussie Sharks squad.
At the 2024 Paris Olympics, Pavillard scored 14 goals in seven matches, helping Australia to reach the men’s quarter-finals for the first time since 2012. His four goals against Serbia in the group stage—including a first-half hat-trick—stood out as one of the team’s strongest individual performances.
If confirmed, Pavillard would become one of only a few Australian players to represent Pro Recco – a list that includes Aaron Younger and Joe Kayes – joining a roster that regularly competes at the highest level of European club water polo.
Pro Recco have already been linked with the signing of Rino Buric (Jug), Alvaro Granados (CNAB) and Francisco Cassia (Ortigia)