For Immediate Release:

New Zealand Hosts its First Australasian Firefighters’ Championship in Rotorua
Two full days of sporting Kiwi vs. Aussie rivalry for the 30 firefighter teams set to compete in the event, 17th & 18th October.

ROTORUA, New Zealand, 7 October 2009 - On Saturday and Sunday, 17th & 18th October, 400 firefighters from throughout Australia and New Zealand will travel to Rotorua to compete in the Australasian Firefighters’ Championship. The United Fire Brigades’ Association (UFBA), with support from the New Zealand Fire Service, will host the event for the first time ever on this side of the Tasman. The waterway competitions represent the fast actions firefighters take when they arrive to tackle burning buildings, essentially to be first to get water on the fire. 22 Australian teams representing their respective states and 8 New Zealand teams are set to compete for the coveted Championship Perpetual Trophy on the grounds of Rotorua’s Village Green.

The eight teams representing New Zealand, all from volunteer brigades, were selected by the UFBA based on their performance in the National Waterway Challenge that took place in March in Queenstown. Carterton and Te Aroha, National Champions in their respective categories, along with teams from Silverdale, Mossburn, Rangiora, Havelock North, Kaitangata, Maungaturoto, and Tairua will participate.

These teams were the best under UFBA rules that govern the Nationals. Now the locals must undertake the challenge of competing under the less familiar rules of the Australasian Firefighter Championship.

The Australasian – consisting of 10 hose-running events - is made up of two events from New Zealand, four from New South Wales, two from Victoria, and two from Queensland. The variation in events will force teams to work outside their comfort zones and explore different methods, making for a very interesting competition.

“The teams competing in this event did not get here by accident,” says UFBA CEO George Verry. “They are passionate about these competitions and have put in countless hours of practice to become some of the best teams in the sport. They dedicate so much time to protecting their communities and then even more time to training for these competitions. We’re very proud of our New Zealand competitors.”

Hose-running, or “waterway”, competitions have deep roots and a proud history in fire brigades throughout Australia and New Zealand that extend back more than 150 years. The competitors, predominantly volunteers, participate to improve their firefighting skills, experience the spirit of competition, and foster friendships.

This will be the fourth year for the Championship. In 2003, the inaugural National Firefighters Championship, encompassing teams from each Australian state and territory as well as New Zealand, was held in Coffs Harbour, New South Wales. The biennial event was subsequently hosted by Queensland on the Gold Coast in 2005 and again in Lakes Entrance, Victoria in 2007. This year, the event has been rebranded as the “Australasian Firefighter Championships.”

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The host organisation, the United Fire Brigades Association of New Zealand (UFBA), was formed in 1878. It is one of the oldest operating not-for-profit organisations in New Zealand. The UFBA is the organisation that is recognised as the representative voice of 485 fire brigades and their 10,000 members throughout New Zealand.

ENDS

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