The 2025 Australian Intervarsity Rogaining Championships will be held in conjunction with the NSW State Rogaining Championships on 13-14 September. Travel bursaries are available for university students - details provided below.

About the Intervarsity Championships

To participate in an Australian Intervarsity Rogaining Championships, students must be enrolled at a tertiary education institution recognised by UniSport Australia.

Teams consist of 2-5 students from the same university. Both part-time and full-time students are eligible. There is no age restriction, ie. under-graduate, mature age and post-graduate students qualify.

The Intervarsity rogaining competition began in 1969 and from 1981 was coordinated by the Australian Rogaining Association.

Travel bursaries are available to cover the travel costs of one team from each state/territory to compete at the Intervarsity Rogaining Championships.

The Nigel Aylott Memorial Sports Foundation (NAMSF) sponsored the re-establishment of the Intervarsity competition in 2007. The NAMSF provided a perpetual trophy for the winning Intervarsity team named ‘The Nigel Aylott trophy’. For many years the Foundation paid the travel costs for one university team from each state so that there can be a well-represented national competition. The Foundation left a generous legacy to the Australian Rogaining Association to enable continuation of this support.

State Rogaining Associations are responsible for determining their own selection criteria for the travel bursaries (ie. a single qualifying event, or a cumulative point score from multiple events, whether 24 hour or shorter qualifying events). However, for the purposes of the subsidy, preference must be given to under-graduate full time students.

Entrants should contact their state rogaining association as soon as possible for details about their selection process for the state representative team.

Nigel Aylott Memorial Sports Foundation

The Nigel Aylott Memorial Sports Foundation was set up in memory of Nigel Aylott to encourage engagement in the outdoor sports of rogaining and adventure racing. The Foundation left the Australian Rogaining Association a generous donation to enable us to continue the valuable work of the NAMSF in the promotion and development of youth participation in rogaining.

Who was Nigel Aylott

Nigel Aylott showed some talent as a long-distance runner at school but at university got into the full range of outdoor activities available through the Monash BushWalking Club, which included skiing, kayaking, and rogaining. As his endurance and navigation skill developed, so did his success at rogaining, eventually winning the World Rogaining Championships in 1998 and the Australian Rogaining Championships in 2000 and 2001.

As adventure racing developed, Nigel saw it as the natural progression from long-distance running and rogaining. He loved experiencing the different locations in which the adventure races were set. Nigel competed in several Southern Traverse and EcoChallenge events before teaming up with Tom Landon-Smith, Alina McMaster, and Matt Dalziel to form the successful team AROC. Nigel was tragically killed in the 2004 Primal Quest race after being hit by a large boulder dislodged at the top of a gully.

Nigel was highly regarded in the community and friends encouraged Nigel’s family to set up the foundation to leave a legacy by supporting the sports Nigel loved and gave so much to.

Hi all, welcome to a new rogaining year. Here is a round up of news from Australia and the world.

Early Bird entries close this Sunday 16 Feb

Australasian Rogaining Championships 15-16 March 2025

Experience the open plains and high-country bush of Northern Kosciuszko National Park on 15-16 March 2025. The ACT Rogaining Association is hosting the event and have 24 hours of fun organised for you and your friends. The

course is around the headwaters of the Murrumbidgee River. You don't need to be an elite competitor or highly skilled at navigation to enter. It is open to anyone who would like to explore this beautiful area and compete in a national

championship.

Information you need to know:
Early-bird entries until 11:59 pm Sunday 16 February 2025. Regular entries until 11:59 pm Sunday 9 March 2025. There will be NO late entries accepted after entries close on 9 March.

Full entry fee: Early bird $150, Regular $165 (after 16 Feb). Concession entry fee: Early bird $120, Regular $135 (after 16 Feb)

Event bus leaving Canberra 2 pm Friday afternoon returning Sunday afternoon for $50.

A carpooling service is also available on the website.

We have now opened orders for event t-shirts in a technical fabric in bright blue with the event logo for a bargain $30 each. Limited stock. https://arc2025.rogaining.au/about-event/event-t-shirt 

ACTRA have a partner finder service if you are looking for a partner.

Visit the website at https://arc2025.rogaining.au/

PS where are all the Victorians? As the largest rogaining club in the country, surely more than 10 of you can make it along to the Australasian Champs! :)

Entries Open in the 2025 World Rogaining Championships

All rogainers are invited to enter the 2025 World Championships, which will be held in northern Spain on 5-6 July 2025: https://wrc2025.org/

You don't have to be an elite rogainer to enter - open to all. If you are planning to attend, please let us know by return email so we can fit you out with a promotional t-shirt for the 2027 WRC to be held in Australia!

2027 World Rogaining Championships

Early planning continues for the 2027 World Championships, which will be held in the Flinders Ranges. If you are keen to get involved, let me know by return email.

https://www.rogaining.org.au/news/world-rogaining-championships-for-2027-awarded-to-australia

From the WARA archives: The Future of Rogaining

Shane Lewis recently pulled this cracker of a newsletter from the WARA website archives. Published in February 2000, it ponders the future of rogaining in 2020. 'The Future of Rogaining' was written by 'Mr Rogaine' Ian Thomsett, who

was a beloved WARA life member.

NSWRA Quiz

Have some fun testing out your rogaining knowledge with the NSWRA Quiz!

IRF News

Recent voting decided that Russia and Belarus will continue to be banned from hosting the WRC and the European Rogaining Championships until the end of 2025, and decided that individual competitors from Russia and Belarus will be allowed to compete, but not under national flags.

Two bids have been received for the 2026 European Rogaining Championships, from Czech Republic and Latvia. 

ARA Grants

One application for financial support was received, from ACTRA, for co-investment in a new trailer. The ARA supported the application. Applications are due in November each year, according to the Grants Policy.

I hope to see you all at the Australasian Championships soon!
Paul Guard

ARA President

The International Rogaining Federation has announced that the 20th World Rogaining Championships will be hosted by the Australian Rogaining Association. The Championships are planned for 16-17 September, 2027 in the Flinders Ranges in South Australia near Wilpena Pound, a spectacular and popular destination for visitors from around the world.
The course will offer technically challenging navigation amidst spectacular scenery.
More information in the attached Press Release.

The 2023 Australian Rogaining Championships were held on Wiradjuri country in Goobang National Park and adjacent private land on 30th September/1st October. NSWRA did a great job organising the event in challenging conditions with temperatures over 30 degrees on Saturday and Sunday.

The overall and mixed winners were Julie Quinn and David Baldwin (ACT), second and winning mens team were Eric Lambers (VIC), Paul Monks (VIC) and Tim Cochrane (ACT). First womens team were Shelley Bambrook and Deanna Blegg (VIC).
The Intervarsity Championships was won by the team of Xavier Scott and Will Whittington and  from University of Tasmania. The Interstate Challenge Trophy was a tie between NSW and ACT.

Organiser was Trevor Gollan, and the course setters were David Williams and Ronny Taib. The event website with results, analysis and photos is: nswrogaining.org/2023-aus-champs.