Three Coffs Coast clubs make Top 10 in SLS Country Championships

WOOLGOOLGA, Coffs Harbour and Sawtell have finished in the top 10 of the 2026 NSW Surf Life Saving Country Championships, held at South West Rocks over the long weekend.  

Thirty-three clubs from the Gold Coast to the Far South Coast competed in the championships.

Cudgen Headland SLSC was first, ending Warilla Barrack Point’s three-year run.

“Nice to get this one back,” club president Adam Mills said.

“Our seniors were winning everything, it was really satisfying as a club to come here and take it home again.”

Cudgen finished a commanding 300 points ahead of Warilla, with Port Macquarie SLSC beating out Yamba SLSC for third.

Woolgoolga finished in 6th place, while Coffs Harbour was 8th and Sawtell came in 9th.

Sawtell also won both the Junior and Open March Past while all three clubs had gold medalists on the podium

Woolgoolga

Oliver Pacheco, U10 Male Beach Sprint and Male Beach Flags; Harrison May, U11 Male Surf Race; Team A U11, Mixed Board Relay; Mia Brown, U11 Female 1km Beach Run; Indiana Banks, U12 Female Surf Race; Evangeline Sutton, U12 Female Beach Sprint; Angus Moran, U13 Male 2km Beach Run; and Team A U15, Mixed Beach Relay.

Coffs Harbour

Leopold Marinic, U9 Male Beach Flags; Violet Webster, U12 Female Beach Flags; Poppy Barclay, U15 Female Beach Sprint and Female 2km Beach Run; Team A U19, Mixed Beach Relay; Maddison O’Leary, U19 Female Beach Flags; and Melina Lawler, 40-49yrs Female Single Ski and Female Ironperson.

Sawtell

Kobe Skeoch, U10 Male Surf Race; Archer Jordan, U11 Male 1km Beach Run; Saul Easman, Open Male Surf Race; and Benjamin Lambert, Open Male 2km Beach Run and 30-29yrs Male 2km Beach Run.

Also competing in the championships were the SLSCs of Bellinger Valley-North Beach (24th) and Urunga (28th).

For all results, visit  liveheats.com/events/436231.

By Sue STEPHENSON