Gisborne surf lifesavers named in World Championships squads

Multi-time New Zealand Black Fins team member and captain Cory Taylor from Midway has been named again for the squad competing at the Lifesaving World Championships in South Africa later this year. Photo / Jamie Troughton / Dscribe Media

Seven people named in Surf Life Saving NZ’s senior and junior squads for the Lifesaving World Championships later this year in South Africa have Gisborne connections.

The titles will be held at Port Elizabeth, Nelson Mandela Bay, in November and December, with the final teams to be named at the end of June.

The Black Fins and Junior Black Fins teams will be made up of 12 athletes (six male and six female) in each.

From Gisborne in the Black Fins squad will be Kaiaponi Farms Waikanae’s Briana Irving, Dawson Building Midway’s Cory Taylor and Olivia Corrin.

Olivia Corrin, pictured here at the New Zealand titles this year, has been a regular in the national team for several years. Photo / Jamie Troughton / Dscribe Media

Former Waikanae speedster Oska Smith, now from Omanu in the Bay of Plenty, will also be in the senior squad.

The junior squad includes Midway’s Ella Sutton, Celia Willoughby and Jacqueline Kennedy.

The announcement marks the next step in Surf Life Saving New Zealand’s high-performance pathway, following the recent naming of the 2026 athlete performance squads.

“Selection for the final travelling teams will consider a range of factors, including recent performances, versatility across multiple disciplines, and how athletes combine to form the strongest possible team across the full championship programme,” Black Fins campaign lead Steve Kent said.

“There are still genuine opportunities for athletes to impress selectors.

“Unlike many domestic events that reward specialists, the World Championships require athletes who can perform across beach, ocean and pool events over an intense competition schedule,” he said.

“The challenge of worlds is building a team that can perform across multiple events under pressure.

“We’re genuinely excited about this group and can’t wait to see what they bring when we hit the start line,” Kent said.

Jacqueline Kennedy from Midway took out the national Under-19 women's ski title at Ōhope Beach in March. She has earned a place in the Junior Black Fins squad to compete at the Lifesaving World Championships. Photo / Jamie Troughton / Dscribe Media

Junior Black Fins campaign lead, Gisborne’s Arna Majstrovic, said naming the junior squad gave athletes a clear opportunity to push for final selection.

“Naming this squad gives athletes the chance to showcase their capabilities and step up in areas where we have identified opportunities.

“In June, the Southern Pool Championships in Christchurch will form a vital part of the selection process.

“At the youth level, there can be significant growth and development between pool nationals and final team selection,” she said.

Kent said New Zealand headed into the year with confidence after strong recent international performances.

“Host nation South Africa and traditional rivals Australia can be expected to provide fierce competition.”

Conditions at Port Elizabeth will be challenging and changeable, with variable wind and surf likely to reward adaptable athletes.