Black Fins Team Announcement for European Pool Rescue Tour

The Black Fins team has been confirmed to compete at the upcoming European Pool Rescue Tour in November, following their announcement at the recent Aon New Zealand Pool Rescue Championships on the weekend.

The tour is a significant milestone in New Zealand’s campaign towards the 2026 Lifesaving World Championships in Port Elizabeth, South Africa.

The Black Fins will line up at two major competitions: the German Cup in Warendorf and the Orange Cup in Rotterdam. These events provide New Zealand’s top senior pool rescue athletes with the chance to test themselves against the world’s best, including some of Europe’s strongest competitors and countries including Australia and Japan.

Europe is considered a leader in pool rescue innovation, with new techniques often being trialed during non-World Championship years.

Campaign Lead Steve Kent says the tour is about both performance and preparation:

“Our athletes will race as a team at German Cup where points are awarded for individual times closest to world records and our athletes get to test vital relay combinations against other nations. Each athlete must complete four individual events, but they need to be prepared for five in case of disqualification. It’s a very technical sport that combines speed and accuracy — swimming uses large muscle groups and skills such as rescue tube clip-up's and putting on fins mid-race requires fine motor skills. Our goal is to be the fastest and most accurate.”

Black Fins pool rescue coach Tom Lowe will travel with the team to ensure they put their best foot forward.

The European Pool Rescue Tour is not only a crucial benchmarking opportunity but also a steppingstone as the Black Fins build towards their ultimate target — the Lifesaving World Championships in 2026.

Female Athletes:

Rae Kwan – Mairangi Bay
Madison Kidd - Whangamatā
Zoe Crawford – Mairangi Bay
Pippa Nicol – Mount Maunganui

Male Athletes:

Fergus Eadie – Mairangi Bay
Sam Brown - Mairangi Bay
Louis Clark - Mairangi Bay
Isaac Gear – Piha
Jasper Cornish – Red Beach 

Congratulations to all our athletes!
To keep up to date on all lifesaving sport information visit: https://www.surflifesaving.org.nz/sport