Taihape boys win selection to whitewater rafting champs in Argentina

Jason Squire, David Frankham, Sam Troon, Tom Fleury and Jack Eames.

Four Taihape lads will be representing New Zealand in October at the International Rafting Federation R4 World Championships on the Aluminé River, Neuquen, Argentina.

Coach Paul Eames said the four Taihape Area School students (one is his son Jack) had known each other since kindy days. "They've been good mates for years.''

Paul, a keen and award winning raftsman and kayaker himself, has been training the team on the Rangitikei River two to three times a week for the past three months.

The team won selection in white water rafting on the well known Kaituna River in Rotorua. The upper section of the Kaituna, also referred to as Okere River, offers some of the best whitewater kayaking and rafting in the world, with the Okere Falls area containing the highest commercially rafted waterfall, 7 metres (23 ft), in the world.

"It really is an amazing venue and we had great time ... winning was fantastic.''

However, before the team (all students at Taihape Area School) can head off to Argentina there's some serious fundraising to be done, he said.

"They need to raise $22,000. So of course there'll be a lot of fundraising applications being lodged and plenty of extra fundraising activities the boys will think of.''

The four will be also training quite a lot for the world champs on the Kaituna River in Rotorua before October, he said.

"They're all young, 15 and 16, but they're are an awesome team and I really want them to do well. "

RAFTR4 (R4 Argentina) 2018 is a raft race with a crews of four which is thrilling to watch, he said. "You're watching the very best in the world and now our boys are up there with them."