Cape Town - The South Africa women's water polo team has made a diabolical start to their FINA World Aquatics Championships in Gwangju, South Korea.

Drawn in Group A, South Africa lost 33-0 to the Netherlands.

The scores in each of the eight-minute quarters read, 7-0, 10-0, 9-0 and 7-0, meaning the SA side conceded more than a goal a minute.

The SA women's side will next be in action on Tuesday, July 16 at 20:30 SA time against New Zealand.

New Zealand were beaten 22-3 by defending champions and gold medal favourites, the USA, in their opener.

The SA women's side will conclude their group play against the USA on Thursday, July 18 at 16:30 SA time.

At the last world championships in 2017, the SA women's side finished 16th - and last - in the tournament, scoring 20 goals in five matches and conceding 65.

The SA women's team were thrown into turmoil in the weeks leading up to the tournament when coach Seri Harris was inexplicably axed.

Harris, who was coaching voluntarily, only found out about her dismissal when the squad was announced - and her name wasn't read out.

The SA men's water polo side get their campaign underway on Monday, July 15 at 16:30 SA time against Spain.