Nelson 8th at the IRB Nationals!

What an incredible three days at the IRB Nationals in Gisborne for our Nelson Surf Life Saving club! 🌊💪

With 30 clubs competing from across Aotearoa, including two of the top teams from Australia, the competition was fierce—but our incredible wahine toa showed grit, determination, and strength every time they hit the water. As a smaller club, we are so proud to have punched well above our weight, finishing 8th overall on the points table 👏

Our Teams

• U23 Women’s: Heidi Curtis, Ariana McGee, Elouise South.

• Open Women’s: Courtney Moir, Brittany Spencer, Pipi John’s

• Master’s Women’s: Mary Seelen, Paulien Vloedbeld, Billie Maskell

Led by our team manager extraordinaire Selina Larson 🙌

Highlights & Results

• Open Women’s team brought home 🥉 Bronze in the highly contested Tube Rescue!! The team also made their finals in the Mass Rescue and Assembly.

• U23 Women’s reached Tube and Mass Rescue semifinals – an outstanding effort, especially in Heidi’s first season as a driver!

• Our Combined U23 & Open Women’s team placed 5th overall in the Teams Final

• Our Masters Women’s team - new to the sport in their 50s—proved age is no barrier. With Selina sidelined just one week out, a huge shoutout to Paulien for stepping in last minute and rising to the challenge as crew. Competing alongside the Masters Men, they showed incredible courage and determination in every race, with their Assembly a standout. Bringing it home with 4 Gold Medals and the BP Surf Rescue Top Female Masters Crew 🏆—truly inspiring!

🙏 Huge Thank Yous

A massive thank you to fellow clubbies Nathan Snell and Aaron Lyttle for their support across the three days—we couldn’t have done it without you.

To Andy and Kat Moir from Tradezone Whakatane thank you for your incredible support both on and off the beach—supplying engine and gear support and generously sponsoring the team with $1000 (not to mention the lasagne!!). We are so grateful!

To Bobby Foundation thank you for your amazing support for our new pfd’s, entry fees and race engine! 🙌

And finally, thank you to all the volunteers, officials, the team at Surf Life Saving NZ, and all the other clubs and competitors for making it such an epic and well-run event 👏

We are so proud of our wāhine and the way they represented our club—with heart, hustle, and mana.

See you all again next year! 🌊