Aussies plunder silverware at Mt Maunganui

KIWIS CHARGING: Gold Coast-based Midway club member Cory Taylor and New Zealand teammate Max Beattie in ski action on day three of the third test in the International Surf Rescue Challenge at Mount Maunganui. Taylor had a couple of big results in the second test, winning the men’s ocean race and the surf race but his team had to settle for second behind Australia. Picture by Jamie Troughton/Dscribe Media Services

AUSTRALIA whitewashed the silverware on offer as an intense International Surf Rescue Challenge ended at Mount Maunganui yesterday.

The Aussies not only won the open and youth titles in the three-test points series, they also collected the Tri-Nations Trophy and the Trans-Tasman Trophy.

But New Zealand can take plenty of positives out of their performance, as they pushed their arch-rivals all the way and made their own piece of history on Saturday.

The Junior Black Fins team, while having to once again concede overall defeat to Australia, did win the second test — the first time they had beaten them since the series started in 1999.

Gisborne’s Olivia Corrin was prominent in all three tests. The Midway clubbie and co-captain of the youth team racked up multiple top three results over the series.

In Saturday’s second test, Corrin won the board race and the tube rescue, was part of second-placed teams in the mixed surf team race and oceanperson relay, and was third in the oceanperson and surf races.

Yesterday, she again won the board race and was part of the winning oceanperson relay team, was second in the mixed surf teams race, and third in the oceanperson, surf race and board rescue.

Fellow Midway club member Cory Taylor collected a couple of big wins in Saturday’s second test. Taylor won the oceanperson and surf race.

In yesterday’s third test, he was part of the winning oceanperson relay to go with fourth in the tube rescue, fifth in the beach relay and oceanperson and sixth in the surf race and ski.

Australia topped a seven nation field in the open competition. They ended the three days of competition on 445 points to New Zealand’s 412, with the United State third on 271.

New Zealand came closed to the Aussies in Saturday’s test, finishing just two points behind them in a test that was decided in the very last event.

Australia won the Tri-Nations Trophy with 173 points to New Zealand’s 154 and South Africa’s 81.

They completed the treble by beating the Black Fins 110 to 94 in the Trans-Tasman Trophy.

In the five-nation youth competition, Australia won with 302 to New Zealand’s 287 and South Africa’s 181.

Surf Life Saving New Zealand sport manager Mike Lord said the event was a “huge success” and it was “an honour” to host the visiting nations.

“Congratulations to all the athletes and the team management for their fair, yet fierce competitive spirit and putting on a good show.”

The next major event on the Surf Life Saving New Zealand sport calendar is the Eastern Region Championship on January 27 and 28th, followed by the New Zealand Representative Challenge on January 29 in Mt Maunganui.

The countries are also building towards the 2018 world championships in Adelaide, where New Zealand will by vying for a fourth consecutive overall crown.