The International Rogaining Federation (IRF) is seeking expressions of interest from suitably experienced rogainers to act as the IRF Event Adviser for the 2019 and/or 2020 World Rogaining Championships (WRC).

The 2019 WRC will be held in the Pyrenees mountains straddling the border of Spain (Catalonia) and France on 27^th and 28^th July 2019. It is expected that the IRF Event Adviser will be required to spend up to two weeks in the area at some time during the Northern Hemisphere summer of 2018 (June to September)

The 2020 WRC will be held in the Sierra Nevada mountains of California east of San Francisco on 1^st and 2^nd August 2020. It is expected that the IRF Event Adviser will be required to spend up to two weeks in the area at some time during the Northern Hemisphere summer of 2019 (June to September) and a further period on site 1 to 3 months ahead of the WRC in 2020. This second visit is expected to be warranted due to the potential impact of heavy snow falls on the heavily wooded event site during the winter of 2019/2020.

Motion Put To IRF Council

That the World Rogaining Championships shall be held every second year, beginning in 2019 or 2020 as decided by the IRF Council.

Proposed by: David Rowlands (AUS)
Seconded by: Miroslav Seidl (CZE)
Date: 16 June 2017

Summary

From 1996 to 2012 WRCs were successfully conducted every two years. At the beginning of the current decade, there was a flurry of interest in conducting WRCs from new IRF members which led to WRCs being held each year from 2012 until 2017. This demand has now subsided and there will be no WRC in 2018, due to lack of proposals from suitable hosts.

ARA’s Rationale

The Australian Rogaining Association (ARA) believes that the WRC should be conducted every second year, as it was until 2012. This remains a significant issue affecting Australian rogainers, which ARA has been requested to address. The IRF’s survey in 2014 and discussion with other IRF member countries indicates strong support from members in the southern hemisphere and many groups in the northern hemisphere.

IRF Policy

Currently, the IRF is holding a World Championship as often as once a year if there are acceptable proposals from member countries. However, the IRF Council has never established a formal policy for the frequency of WRCs. In April 2011, Members were asked to vote for a WRC in 2013 (which lead to WRCs in consecutive years 2012-2014). It was made clear at the time that this vote related to the 2013 event alone.

ACTRA hosted the 38th Australian Rogaining Championship near Cooma NSW on 6-7 May 2017. The "Ridgy Didge" event provided detailed spur gully terrain and open forest. Weather was fine but the night dipped below zero. The All Night Cafe's culinary delights were a highlight. There were 320 competitors in 140 teams. Julie Quinn and David Baldwin from ACT won overall by a clear margin, followed by Thomas Brazier and Paul Cuthbert also from ACT, then Paul Guard and Tony Scott from Qld.

Winners of the open categories were:

• Julie Quinn, David Baldwin (ACT), First Mixed
• Thomas Brazier, Paul Cuthbert (ACT), First Men
• Gill Fowler, Jess Baker (NSW), First Women

The Intervarsity Championship attracted 19 teams, and was won by Fergus Macleod and Max Messenger from ANU, who were also the top team in Mens U23. The Interstate challenge was won by ACTRA with a record score of 29.5 points.

The full results are now available on the ACTRA website.

"The Emperor" Australasian Championship was organised by NZRA on 11-12 February near Waikaia, on New Zealand's south island. There were 92 controls set on a 300 sq km mixture of open hills and farmland flats with pockets of native vegetation and scrub, on the most detailed map produced for a New Zealand rogaine. The weather was fine with cloud at night obscuring the full moon, and fortunately expected rain held off until the next day.
Clear winners were Greig Hamilton and Chris Forne from New Zealand, with Australians David Baldwin, Julie Quinn and Gill Fowler second, then New Zealand's Phil Wood and Ange West in third place.

Winners of the open categories were:

• Greig Hamilton, Chris Forne (NZL) - 1st Mens Open
• Tamsin Barnes (AUS), Janet Musker (NZL) - 1st Womens Open (also 1st Womens Veteran)
• David Baldwin, Julie Quinn, Gill Fowler (AUS) - 1st Mixed Open

Other Australian category placegetters:

• Coleen Mock, Colin Mock - 1st Mixed Ultra Veteran, 3rd Mixed Super Veteran
• Don Baker, Vic Sedunary - 1st Mens Ultra Veteran
• Mike Hotchkis, Walter Kelemen - 2nd Mens Super Veteran
• Marina Honey, Stephen Honey - 2nd Mixed Super Veteran
• Sue Clarke, Nihal Danis - 2nd Womens Super Veteran
• Andrew Baker, Kevin Humphrey - 3rd Mens Veteran
• Andrew Smith, Toni Bachvarova - 3rd Mixed Veteran

The results are now available on the NZRA website.