PaddleNSW

PaddleNSW PaddleNSW provides support for all member paddlers who participate in paddle-related activities in NSW and the ACT.

PaddleNSW is the State Sporting Organisation (SSO) for competitive paddlesports and recreational paddling in NSW and the ACT. It is affiliated with Paddle Australia, the National governing body for paddlesports (NSO). Whatever your paddling preference, PaddleNSW has events and information that will help you get more from your paddling. Within the organisation are several volunteer paddlesport committees, responsible for organising events and development. These include Canoe Polo, Freestyle, Marathon, Paracnoe, Harbour Racing, Slalom, Sprint, Stand UP Padling (SUP) and Recreational paddling. You can find out more about each paddlesport on our website www.paddlensw.org.au or link directly to their pages:

https://www.facebook.com/SydneyCanoePolo
https://www.facebook.com/FreestyleKayakAustralia
https://www.facebook.com/PaddleNSW-Marathon-230657047069867/
https://www.facebook.com/PaddleNSW.Sprint/
https://www.facebook.com/PaddleNSWSlalom/
https://www.facebook.com/SurfskiAustralia

The 4th and final (but by no means least) 2025/26 PNSW Volunteer of the Year is MAL PLANE from Wagga Bidgee Canoe Club.M...
01/09/2026

The 4th and final (but by no means least) 2025/26 PNSW Volunteer of the Year is MAL PLANE from Wagga Bidgee Canoe Club.

Mal has been a member of WBCC for over 20 years and has been Club Treasurer for the past six. Over the past 12 months, Mal has set up more efficient and streamlined systems for delivering the monthly finance reports, for keeping track of club membership, racks and keys and for following up with recently expired members.

In addition to his role as Club Treasurer, Mal plays an integral part in welcoming, supporting and developing Trialists and new members to the club. His easy going nature puts new paddlers at ease and gives them confidence to join in with other club paddles and events.

Mal is always the first one to put up his hand to organise or assist with group paddles, including pick up and return of the club trailer and arranging car shuffles that allow members to paddle different sections of the river. When injured and unable to paddle as often as he would like, Mal has continued to turn up to weekly club races to help out with timing, or to organise the monthly pizza and drinks night. At our PNSW Marathon Event this year, Mal spent 3 hours helping the SES put out buoys before racing himself, and then helped other club volunteers with the pack up at the end.

Mal is a constant and reliable presence around the club, who brings a sense of fun and camaraderie to members and prospective members alike. Mal has been a magnificent volunteer for many years and thoroughly deserves this recognition. Thanks Mal.

PaddleNSW - Marathon

The third 2025/26 PNSW Volunteer of the Year is BEC DAVIDSON from Western Sydney Whitewater Club.Throughout the year Bec...
01/09/2026

The third 2025/26 PNSW Volunteer of the Year is BEC DAVIDSON from Western Sydney Whitewater Club.

Throughout the year Bec has been an indispensable contributor to national, state and club-level racing. On the national circuit she supported the Australian Open, the Penrith Open, and the Australian Nationals — helping with race setup and managing timing and results compilation on race day. Her calm, composed approach keeps events running smoothly under pressure and makes her an invaluable part of any race team.

Bec also volunteered at the Slalom World Championships, where she served as a leader for accreditation. This was a significant undertaking, requiring months of preparation in the lead-up and
sustained effort throughout the competition. Her dedication and attention to detail were critical to the event's success at the highest level of the sport.

Beyond her race commitments, Bec has been Treasurer of the Western Sydney Whitewater Club since its founding in 2021. She manages the club's finances with care and accuracy, but her
contribution goes well beyond the accounts — she is actively involved in club operations, lending her time and energy to keep things running smoothly behind the scenes.

Across national events, a world championship, and years of club leadership, Bec consistently gives her time without fanfare. She is exactly the kind of volunteer who makes the sport work, and she is
thoroughly deserving of this recognition.

Our second 2025/26 PNSW Volunteer of the Year is ELIZABETH COOPER from Windsor Paddlesports Club Inc.Some of Liz's wonde...
01/09/2026

Our second 2025/26 PNSW Volunteer of the Year is ELIZABETH COOPER from Windsor Paddlesports Club Inc.

Some of Liz's wonderful achievements include:
- Taken over as Come and Try coordinator and qualified guide.
- Taken over as WPSC Race director, and has breathed new life into our club racing:
o Established new weekend race series which has boosted participation from on average 3-5 attendees to regularly more than 10
o Introduced morning tea after races and does all set up/ pack down, catering and tea/coffee, which has significantly boosted social connection across the club, team morale and even inter-club friendships
- Key organiser for the Morison 50 including administrative preparation, event guide creation, all within a compressed timeline
- Key organiser for NSW Marathon Series event at Windsor including organising gift bags and samples for all participants as well as originating the concept for the boat marketplace and organizing
- Regular attendee at WPSC monthly club meetings where Liz always actively contributes ideas and adds value to every discussion
- Organised the WPSC Winter Solstice paddle which involved purchasing candles for every boat, bringing a firepit from home and organizing pizza dinner
- Organised themed paddles for Christmas and Halloween, including decorating boats
- At a time when WPSC had been struggling to attract new members, Liz’s efforts have made a significant difference to club morale and rebuild our active paddling membership

Remarkable effort Liz. Thank you.

Our final category in the 2025/26 PaddleNSW Annual Awards is Volunteer of the Year. We love all our volunteers, and so p...
01/09/2026

Our final category in the 2025/26 PaddleNSW Annual Awards is Volunteer of the Year. We love all our volunteers, and so proudly share this recognition amongst four amazing people.

First up is IAN BARRABLE from Sydney Canoe Polo Club.
Ian has been central to Sydney Canoe Polo Club's first year of operation, serving on the committee while carrying much of the practical load that turns plans into sessions on the water.

Ian organised Paddle Australia Summer Series Event 1 at Penrith Whitewater Stadium in October 2025, coordinating venue booking, equipment logistics, field setup, officials and volunteer rostering, and on-day operations. It was the first competition the club had hosted, drawing 72 paddlers in 13 teams across three divisions, including women's, from clubs in five states and territories. When inclement weather curtailed play, Ian managed the wind-up safely and without dispute. On that basis, the club is now preparing a bid to host a further Summer Series round in December 2026.

He also built and sustained the club's working relationship with Penrith Whitewater Stadium. That relationship secured reliable venue access and the goodwill that now underpins changing room access, storage arrangements and ongoing bookings. Penrith is the club's operational base, and it exists largely because Ian did the unglamorous work of showing up, following through, and being someone the venue could rely on.

Beyond the event, Ian supports committee governance, assists at regular training sessions, handles equipment transport and maintenance, and works with newcomers at come-and-try sessions at Penrith and Sydney University Canoe Club's Berrys Bay base, an hour from home.

Ian seeks no recognition for any of it. He is the volunteer who arrives first and leaves last, and both Sydney Canoe Polo Club and PaddleNSW are delighted to highlight his wonderful service to our sport.

PNSW Canoe Polo

The 2025/26 PNSW Coach of the Year is TONY IRELAND from MAKAI Paddlers.Tony leads the MAKAI Juniors program, a small squ...
01/09/2026

The 2025/26 PNSW Coach of the Year is TONY IRELAND from MAKAI Paddlers.

Tony leads the MAKAI Juniors program, a small squad of seven young paddlers who have achieved outstanding results in the last twelve months. His athlete-centred coaching, technical skill, and commitment to developing juniors in a regional community have produced state, national, and international representation across sprint, ocean racing, and marathon disciplines. Tony’s program consistently nurtures confidence, resilience, and high performance in emerging athletes.

MAKAI Junior Achievements
• Two paddlers competed at the 2025 ICF Canoe Ocean Racing World Championships
o 9th in U18 Women’s Single Ski
o 23rd in U18 Men’s Single Ski
o 5th in the Under 18 Mixed Double Ski

• Three juniors qualified for the World Championships, with one winning selection and two placing second at Australian trials.

• Two U18 athletes selected for the Junior/U23 Canoe Sprint World Championships in Canada.

• One U14 paddler qualified to race U16 at the Asia Pacific Sprint Championships in Rotorua.

• At the 2026 PA Canoe Sprint National Championships, MAKAI won 5 Gold, 3 Silver and 3 Bronze, including the U18 K1 200m National Championship and W18 K2 title.

• Strong performances at GP1, GP2, PNSW Sprint Series, State Championships, and U16 and U18 medals at the 2026 PA Canoe Marathon Championships.

• Three MAKAI juniors selected for the NSW State Team, with one athlete maintaining an NSWIS scholarship for a third consecutive season.

Tony’s success is defined not only by medals and team selections but by the culture he builds - discipline and belief in what young athletes from a regional club can achieve. He consistently develops confident, capable paddlers able to perform at the highest level while embodying sportsmanship and community spirit. Tony’s unwavering commitment to the MAKAI junior paddling program is deeply deserving of recognition as PaddleNSW's Coach of the Year.

PaddleNSW Sprint PaddleNSW - Marathon NSW Institute of Sport

Also receiving the 2025/26 PNSW Team of the Year Award is the ACT/ NSW U18 team of Bane Burr, Seth Burr, Jack Fitzpatric...
01/09/2026

Also receiving the 2025/26 PNSW Team of the Year Award is the ACT/ NSW U18 team of Bane Burr, Seth Burr, Jack Fitzpatrick, Huon Last, Billy Afflick and Arman Azuan.

At the 2026 PA Canoe Polo Championships (held on Mawson Lakes), our winners achieved 1st place in the U18 division (most members were also in the bronze medaling U21 team as well).

Combining players from Burley Griffin Canoe Club and Shoalhaven Canoe Club, the ACT/ NSW U18 team featured six players ranging in ages from 14-17. Coached by BGCC’s Adam Hofmeyer and Sydney Sharks’ Jack Quinn, this young group developed immensely over the three-day National Championships. Most members attended the 2026 Junior Development Camp in January, hosted by BGCC, and the concepts and skills learned there were on display in Adelaide, as they played teams from Tasmania, South Australia and Queensland.

Despite playing across multiple divisions, the lads kept up their energy reserves, with an exciting final against Tasmania seeing almost all of the ACT/NSW team score, defeating their Apple Isle compatriots 7-4.

The weekend was also capped off by Shoalhaven’s Huon Last being named in the U21 Australian Men’s Team, bound for Germany later in the year.

Burley Griffin Canoe Club (BGCC) Shoalhaven Canoe & Kayak Club Canoe Polo ACT PNSW Canoe Polo Australian Canoe Polo

We all know canoe polo is a fantastic team sport for the young and the not-so-young.We couldn't split the 2025/26 PNSW T...
01/09/2026

We all know canoe polo is a fantastic team sport for the young and the not-so-young.
We couldn't split the 2025/26 PNSW Team of the Year nominations, so have awarded both teams covering the open division and the U18 age group.

First up, congratulations Sydney Canoe Polo Club and the Sydney Sharks.

The Sydney Sharks contested three of the four Paddle Australia Summer Series rounds in the 2025/26 season, competing in the Open division throughout Sydney Canoe Polo Club's first year of existence, and finished on the podium in two of them.

The squad was Jack Quinn, Luke Barrable, Salim Aljuneid, Nas Aljuneid, Darragh Downey, with Huon Last and Cam Phelps joining from Shoalhaven club. They placed fourth in Penrith, third in Canberra and third in Melbourne, against fields drawn from clubs across New South Wales, the ACT, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia and Tasmania.

The season also produced selections from within the seven. All Sydney Sharks representatives were named in the New South Wales Open team for the Australian Canoe Polo Championships. Jack Quinn and Luke Barrable were both selected to the Australian senior men's squad for the 2026 ICF Canoe Polo World Championships, and Huon Last, at 16, was selected to the Australian U21 men's squad.

For a squad formed the same year it competed, that is a season which establishes canoe polo in Greater Sydney as competitive at national level rather than merely present.

Sydney Canoe Polo Club Australian Canoe Polo Shoalhaven Canoe & Kayak Club PNSW Canoe Polo

Almost a decade ago PaddleNSW established our Environment Committee. We are still the only SSO with such a committee. Th...
01/09/2026

Almost a decade ago PaddleNSW established our Environment Committee. We are still the only SSO with such a committee. This year's PNSW Environment Award goes to THE MULLETS.

The Mullets are an eco warrior group formed in 2019. It started within the River Canoe Club of NSW and expanded to community volunteers throughout the inner west of Sydney. Each month, energetic volunteers put on life jackets and gumboots and paddle their canoes to clean the Cooks River. To date they have removed over 10 tonnes of rubbish from the River. The main rubbish is still mostly household plastics but now they are finding wet wipes are a popular waste item, tangling in the beautiful mangroves that line the river.
You can check out the Mullets on Instagram

River Canoe Club Paddle Australia

Address

Sports House, Level 2, Quad 1, 8 Parkview Drive
Sydney Olympic Park, NSW
NSW2129

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm
Saturday 9am - 5pm
Sunday 9am - 5pm

Telephone

+61287361254

Website

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