Surf Life Saving New South Wales, Media Release, 24 January 2026

Cudgen Headland SLSC has almost returned to the summit of Country surf sports but there’s still plenty of racing to go after a day in which competitors of all ages earned a slew of medals at the 2026 NSW Country Championships at South West Rocks.

The Far North Coast club opened the day with a win in the All Age Beach Relay and continued to show the fruits of Head Coach, Scott McCartney’s strong training program throughout the whole day, finishing comfortably on top of the overall point score at the end of day two.

Among Cudgen’s wins were five out of the six available Single Ski Relay golds, only missing out on the full set to a strong trio of Eli Wrigglesworth, Will Fowler and Storm Balmain (Warilla Barrack Point SLSC) in the U19 Male.

Phoenix Preston, Charlie George and Jack Cross were too strong in the U17 Male Board Relay, while McCartney teamed up with former Open Iron winner, Oliver Sharpe to win the Open Male Board Rescue. 

Scarlett George and Jack French also raced alongside Sharpe and Preston to narrowly win the Open Mixed Swim Teams by a single point.

Around the beach, Port Macquarie continued it’s push to break into the top 3 clubs by the end of the event, being absolutely anywhere and everywhere in the Masters events and picking up gold through Luke Morris in the 50-59 Male Single Ski, Amanda Higgerson in the 60+ Female Board, and Raelene Myers in the 50-59 Female Swim.

After a full day in the ocean yesterday, juniors crashed the sand for flags and sprint events where clubs from across the state shone.

Coffs Harbour SLSC’s Violet Webster won the U12 Female Flags, while Evangeline Sutton from just a few beaches north at Woolgoolga SLSC won the Sprint in the same age group,

Mostyn Brown (Yamba SLSC) kept the points ticking over for the Far North Coast club with a win in the U14 Male Flags, while Hudson Keegan from Cape Hawke on the state’s Lower North Coast was the quickest across the beach in the U9 Male Sprint.

Corbin Jones and Bailey Prior from Tacking Point SLSC replicated their feet from last year when they finished first and second in the U12 Male Flags – one of three medals for Corbin who also podiumed in the U12 Male Sprint and Beach Relay alongside Bailey.

Byron Bay’s team of Joshua Yates, Freya Knight, George Taylor, and Roland Cohen picked up a gold medal in the U13 Mixed Beach Relay, and Port Macquarie’s young group of Landon Hough, Luca Godwin, Slayter Gore and Chelsea McDonald won the U9 Mixed Beach Relay.

The 2026 NSW Country Championships finish tomorrow at South West Rocks SLSC, with the traditional March Past kicking things off before Opens competitors race out their finals package. 

Top 10 clubs after day 2

• Cudgen Headland
• Warilla Barrack Point  
• Port Macquarie
• Yamba 
• Broulee Surfers 
• Woolgoolga 
• Byron Bay
• Coffs Harbour
• Tacking Point
• Sawtell 

For event information, visit the event page. For LIVE RESULTS click here.