High-Speed Racing And High Temperatures Kick Off bp New Zealand IRB Championships

Tight racing and strong performances have set the tone for the 2026 bp New Zealand IRB Championships at Waikanae beach in Gisborne on days one and two.

After a rainy start on Friday 27 March, the skies had cleared by the time the first starting gun went off at midday, and surf conditions were calm and flat - perfect for fast and fun racing.

First up was the tube rescue with swimming speed and avoiding disqualification being the aim of the game. IRB racing is one of the most technically challenging lifesaving sports, and one wrong move can lead to a crew’s chances being over. These events mimic real-life rescues, which means technical errors – whether hand placement, timing, or control – are treated as critical and crews must strike the right balance between speed, accuracy, and safety.

Defending champs Sunset Beach continued their winning streak through the afternoon, as early points leaders on 35, with St Kilda on 17, and Fitzroy on 16.

Friday’s Tube Rescue - winning crews:

• U19 female – 1st Fitzroy, 2nd Sunset Beach LS, 3rd St Kilda
• U19 Male – 1st St Kilda, 2nd North Beach, 3rd Fitzroy
• U23 Female – 1st Sunset Beach, 2nd St Clair, 3rd Kurrawa (Aus)
• U23 Male – 1st Sunset Beach, 2nd Baylys Beach, 3rd Waihi
• Open Female – 1st Sunset Beach, 2nd Kurrawa (Aus), 3rd Nelson
• Open Male – 1st Sunset Beach, 2nd Waikanae, 3rd Sumner (NB: Kirra won the race, but were later disqualified for a rule infringement)
• Masters Male – 1st Midway, 2nd North Beach, 3rd Fitzroy (NB: limped through the finish line and later had to withdraw with injury)

On Saturday 28 March, the sun was blazing and conditions remained smooth, which meant the pace stayed hectic and endurance was the day's key challenge through the large number of heats.

The Sunset Beach open men's team won the assembly rescue for the first time which was a highlight – although they are the reigning world champions (both club and national) the national title for this event had been elusive until now.

And Sunset's under-23 men's team also took gold for the assembly rescue, after also winning gold in Friday's tube rescue. Team member Aurion Mead said that despite calm conditions, there have still been challenges at low tide as the river mouth current made the first couple of lanes difficult.

He said; "The starts have been very quick which makes things harder, and it was tricky, but we were solid. All the teams either set off at the same time or took a risk - knowing you can easily get bogged. We got out first and our crewman and patient did well with a clean pick up in the tube rescue, which is very technical.

"On Saturday, the assembly rescue is one of the most controlled races, and it was really awesome to see the effort the teams put in over the season.

"We're having a great championship so far. IRB racing is so fun. Honestly, this is probably, so fast, and intense. This sport is honestly the whole reason I became a lifeguard;" said Mead.

As Saturday's racing closed, Sunset Beach had extended their lead with 81, St Kilda stayed at 2nd with 33, and the battle for the top South Island club saw Sumner move into 3rd on 24 with Fitzroy dropping to 4th on 19.

Saturday’s Assembly Rescue - winning crews:

• Masters male - 1st Midway SLSC, 2nd St Kilda SLSC, 3rd Sunset Beach LS
• U19 Male - 1st Waimarama SLSC, 2nd Sumner SLSC, 3rd Sunset Beach LS
• U19 Female - 1st Sunset Beach LS, 2nd Spencer Park SLSC, 3rd Opunake SLSC
• U23 Male - 1st Sunset Beach LS, 2nd Opunake SLSC, 3rd Waimarama SLSC
• U23 Female - 1st St Clair SLSC, 2nd Sunset Beach LS, 3rd Waimarama SLSC
• Open Male - 1st Sunset Beach LS, 2nd Sumner SLSC, 3rd St Kilda SLSC
• Open Female - 1st Sunset Beach LS, 2nd St Kilda SLSC, 3rd Sumner SLSC

Coming up on Sunday 29 March 
Racing continues tomorrow and the competition is expected to intensify as crews push for national titles. There are three sets of finals, and the action starts at 8.30am with mass rescue, followed by single rescue; concluding the day with the team rescue event.

About the 2026 bp New Zealand IRB Championships:

Location: Waikanae Beach, Gisborne 
Dates: Friday 27 to Sunday 29 March

IRB racing simulates real rescue scenarios and helps surf lifeguards develop teamwork, surf awareness and technical boat handling skills used in frontline rescues.

Competitors:

• 118 crews
• 49 female crews / 69 male crews
• 30 surf lifesaving clubs (28 New Zealand and 2 Australian)
• 342 competitors

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