NZ prepares to name its team to defend lifesaving world title

New Zealand's surf lifesaving stars have their final chance to push for selection into the New Zealand Open Team over the next week at their last squad camp ahead of Rescue 2014- the Lifesaving World Championships.

The camp begins on Saturday and runs through until July 12 on Australia's Gold Coast.

Seventeen of the 23 athletes in the squad will take part in the camp. The remaining squad members are unavailable due to their commitments competing at the Commonwealth Games.

NZ Team manager Mark Weatherall says this camp is the next big step in preparation for Rescue 2014. "It will be a great opportunity to get the squad together again and assess how training has been going since we met in April," he says.

The camp will see the squad training twice a day. "This will allow coaches Scott Bartlett and Jason Pocock the opportunity to spend some quality time with the athletes and ultimately make a decision on the 12 athletes who will make the team," he says.

The six male and six female athletes to make up the NZ Open Team will be officially announced following the camp, on Monday July 14.

The team will then travel to the South of France in September (along with the previously named NZ Youth Team) to defend their world title that was prised from the Australians in Adelaide at Rescue 2012.

Mr Weatherall says with just over two months to go, the squad is feeling like the chance to retain their world title is within arm's reach. "With a number of the other competing countries like Australia, South Africa, Japan, France and Canada having already named their teams, the spotlight in now on us as the current world champions as we prepare to name our team. 

"It is going to be a tough decision as the squad is made up of really strong, talented athletes. I'm confident that we will be naming a team that has every chance of returning home with that cup once again," he says.

What is Rescue 2014?

There are a range of reasons why the World Lifesaving Championships (Rescue 2014) is the blockbuster event for lifesavers around the world. With several thousand competitors expected to take part this year, it is the largest international lifesaving sport competition in the world.

All the events are based around rescue capability and are specific to saving people's lives. It's where you'll get to see competitors from around 40 different nations competing in ten separate disciplines like simulated emergency rescues, beach sprints, surf boats and Ironman.

Sprinting across the sand and diving for flags, throwing out lines, carrying manikins and surf ski races are all comparable to a real lifesaving situation on a beach.

New Zealand has two teams competing- the NZ Open Team and the NZ Youth Team. There are six females and six females in each team.

Click here for more information and follow our teams on Facebook 

New Zealand Open Squad:

Max Beattie - Omanu
Rachel Clarke - Red Beach
Paul Cracroft-Wilson - Fitzroy
Chris Dawson - Midway
Carina Doyle - St Clair
Olivia Eaton - Mt Maunganui
Steven Ferguson - Piha
Murdoch Finch - Riversdale Beach
Devon Halligan - Midway
Kodi Harman - Papamoa
Teneale Hatton - Piha
Chanel Hickman - Mairangi Bay
Steven Kent - Titahi Bay
Samantha Lee - Lyall Bay
Nick Malcolm - Mairangi Bay
Danielle McKenzie - Mairangi Bay
Andy McMillan - St Clair
Chris Moors - Red Beach
Kevin Morrison - Mairangi Bay
Andrew Newton - Mt Maunganui
Natalie Peat - Papamoa
Laura Quilter - Wainui
Cory Taylor - Midway

New Zealand Youth Team:

Kelsi Boocock - Red Beach
Maia Bryant - Papamoa
Ben Cochrane - Omanu
Olivia Eaton - Mt Maunganui
Jacob Hales - Papamoa
Jake Hurley - Mairangi Bay
Ben Johnston - Papamoa
Matthew Scott - Midway
Jasmine Smith - Wainui
Andrew Trembath - St Clair
Brittany Tucker - Sumner
Hannah Williams - Piha

For more information please contact: 

Lisa Honeybone, Media & Communications Specialist, SLSNZ
Phone 09 303 9335 or 0276 488 823
Email lisa.honeybone@surflifesaving.org.nz