Black Fins Make History at German Cup 2025

For the first time since New Zealand athletes began competing in the German Cup in 2007, our Black Fins have claimed the full German Cup, topping the podium ahead of fierce competition from Australia and Europe. The 2025 European Pool Rescue Tour saw our athletes smash personal bests, New Zealand records, and plenty of expectations across two epic days of racing. 

The weekend kicked off with some incredible performances. Rae Kwan set a new 9-year-old New Zealand record in the Open Women's Manikin Carry, clocking 32.06 to break Laura Quilter's 2016 record of 32.79. Zoe Crawford and Fergus Eadie powered through the fins events, taking gold in both the Open Women and Men's Manikin Tow with Fins. Our relay teams were just as strong, with the Open Women's Manikin Relay claiming first and the Open Men's Relay finishing second. 

Day two and the finals saw the Black Fins continue their dominance, particularly in the fin events and Rescue Medleys. Relays were a clean sweep, with the Open Women, Open Men, and Mixed Pool Lifesavers Relays all taking gold. Across the weekend, New Zealand athletes consistently placed on the podium in both individual and team events, demonstrating remarkable depth, skill, and teamwork. 

Led by Pool Coach Tom Lowe and Campaign Lead Steve Kent, the nine-strong Black Fins - Fergus Eadie, Louis Clark, Sam Brown, Jasper Cornish, Isaac Gear, Madison Kidd, Zoe Crawford, Rae Kwan, and Pippa Nicol all combined individual brilliance with team strategy to finish ahead of the Australian team and claim history. 

"The team have worked incredibly hard, and they headed to Europe determined to do what's never been done before. We've been close in the past, so this win is something really special. They earned every result, and they're already focused on going even better in Rotterdam later this week at the Orange Cup," said Tanya Hamilton, High Performance Manager.

Check out the full results here