The Oceania Orienteering Champs 2025 Australia / New Zealand Challenge competition has a rich history dating back to the 1970s when the Alan Brown Memorial Trophy was first contested. It stands out as one of the premier inter-country orienteering events across all age categories.  In 2025 the Challenge was contested in 22 age classes from M/W16 up to M/W70, with teams of three competing in each class.  The team members competed in the individual races, Sprint, Middle and Long, for the Challenge Cup (lowest sum of each nation’s best two times in each class wins) and together as a relay team for the Alan Brown Memorial Trophy (lowest team time in each class wins). Overall victory in each challenge goes to the nation with the most class wins, so all the classes are equally important. 

The Sprint is often the most closely contested, with less terrain advantage for the home nation, but a strong performance from New Zealand on Massey University’s Palmerston North campus saw them take a 14:8 lead over Australia. In the technical and at times vague coastal sand dune forest at Koitiata and Knottingley, the kiwis extended their lead with 18:4 and 17:5 wins in the Middle and Long Distance respectively, taking the Challenge Cup back from Australia with a final score of 49:17.  The rain on the Long Distance day cleared to fine and cooler for the Relay at Parewanui, and Lizzie Ingham’s course setting provided a stern challenge for both nations with few of the relay teams escaping entirely unscathed from the technical difficulties.  Once again New Zealand prevailed by a 16:6 margin, claiming back the Alan Brown Memorial Trophy for the first time since 2017.

The next Oceania Championship in 2026 will see New Zealand face off against Australia on Australian soil, in Ngunnawal Country around Canberra, ACT, from 26 September – 4 October 2026. Be sure to mark these dates on your calendars! Keep honing your technical skills, train hard, and let’s make this another great competition!

By Jeff Greenwood