Surf lifesaving: Anderson sends message to national surf selectors

Gisborne's Rachael Anderson made a point when winning the super lifesaving title at the World Inter-Club Championships for her adopted Queensland club at the Melbourne international event over the weekend.

Anderson won the national teams' surf race title for New Zealand in Italy in 2004, but was omitted from the national team for Melbourne.

Success is more difficult in the inter-club competition compared to the national teams' titles. Each national team consists of only 13 competitors from each country with generally only one or two specialists in each discipline.

Each inter-club race could include more than 15 competitors who would not disgrace a national teams' uniform, especially for Australia.

The 32-year-old backed up her super lifesaver gold medal with sixth place in the individual inter-club surf race. Her younger brother, Glenn, helped their adopted club, Kawana Waters, by finishing fourth in the men's super lifesaver race.

Muriwai and New Zealand team craft specialist Lucy Pengelly just missed a podium finish in the board race final, finishing fourth ahead of many Australian specialists.

The only other non-Australian in the top 16 was Briana Parsons from Brighton, South Africa, who finished 14th.

New Zealand's two best beach exponents, Paul Cracroft-Wilson from Fitzroy and Morgan Foster from South Brighton, finished third and fourth in the beach flags. They also finished seventh and 15th respectively in the beach sprint.

Hawkes Bay's Nikki Cox, also a member of New Zealand team and competing for Kawana Waters, finished fifth and South Brighton's Leanne McAlister ninth in the surf ski final.